How many tool handles from one board

[Andy_B]

Love it, CK! Thanks for sharing.

[Cklett]

Finally there is a file handle [emoji16]



I have recently received a full set of unhandled Narex chisel and a few other items which need handles. Means I will have to make something like 12 handles. I don't have a lathe so I did set myself up for an approach without need for a lathe.

The set up includes a jig to plane stock to defined thickness.



I can set the guides for the plane to the desired thickness and in the background you see an insert to put the workpiece on it's edge to plane it to an octagon.

That is typically the approach to get stock first to an octagon and then slowly taking from there to round.

And to make it easier to mark the lines for the octagon I decided to make myself a so-called spar gauge.



The spar gauge has two pins set in specific distances (7:10:7) between the two guide pins. When using you twist the gauge so that the guide pins are sitting tight left and right of the workpiece and you can then mark lines left and right.

You don't really need the spar gauge, but I thought it was a fun little thing to make. There are many simple ways to figure out the marking, but now I do not need to measure or set a gauge to anything. Just grab this and run it down the stock.
The third hole in the middle allows me to put a pin and use it as a centre finder as well if I want.

Then plane down to the lines to get an octagon stock.



The plane jig can also be used to plane a taper to the handle stock. I just drill a centre hole and put a short dowel in. The dowel can rest on the front stop and I can plane a defined taper all around.



Then after shaping cut the dowel flush and drill the hole for the file or chisel tang.

This is mainly how I did the file handle as well. Plus some sanding and sawing and chiseling the tenon for the ferule.

This is some small progress on utilising the board. More to come.

Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

[IanW]

Hmmm, nice workarounds & the results look great, but it's sooo much easier with a lathe!

Coincidentally, I made a jig to plane the octagons for my mini-chisel handles just a week or two ago (then finished them in the lathe: 2 Crows ash handle.jpg

I've seen various ways of getting around not having a lathe (& used a few myself, back in the dark ages before I had my first lathe). I think one of the easier ways to make round spindles sans lathe is to make a jig that uses two nails as "centres", with one end moveable & lockable so any sized piece can be accommodated (like the "poppets" of a pole-lathe). A combination of planing off the corners, then using a rasp as you constantly turn the blank with your free hand gets the job done pretty quickly. Or you could try your hand at rigging up a pole lathe - lots of fun, but they take a while to get the hang of - I think a treadle lathe is a lot easier to manage & probably right up your alley, Ck (). I've also seen setups that use a router running on rails to do the wood removal for those averse to hand-work.

When I make hammer & mallet handles, I start with a blank that has the desired major & minor dimensions, then turn the major contours: 4.jpg

A rasp quickly gets these blended : 5.jpg

Followed by scraping & a bit of sanding, & voila, a handle: 6.jpg

Turning the contours does speed things up a little, but the whole job can easily be done manually without using any 'lectric power...

Cheers,

[Cklett]

Hmm, a treadle lathe... please don't put ideas in my head [emoji848]

I agree the jig I have good to get me to defined dimensioned stock and quickly turn into the octagon shape. From there I will probably further adjust my approach. You gave me some good food for thought...

A lathe if some sort is probably in the future. I am negotiating a budget to revamp my workspace at my next round birthday. But that is still some time away [emoji16]

Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

[IanW]

Hmm, a treadle lathe... please don't put ideas in my head....

I was being deliberately provocative, knowing your attraction for the "needs no batteries" machinery....

I have often thought about making a pole lathe & learning to use it, & a treadle lathe has been on & off my project list for decades too, ever since I saw an article on constructing one (in an early FWW iirc) and about the same time saw a bloke making some Georgian chair legs with one at one of those working museum places. A treadle lathe is a little more complicated to make, but is a bit more intuitive to use for someone who has become too accustomed to flicking a switch & having 'lectrickery do the hard work.

I had a brief shot at a pole lathe at a show somewhere years ago. At that stage I had a bit of turning experience under my belt & was beginning to develop some confidence with gouge & skew, but I found co-ordinating the cutting with the 'forward' stroke wasn't quite as easy as it looked - keeping my upper body still while the left leg pumped away was not as easy as the bloke demonstrating it made it appear to be! OTH, a treadly (which I haven't had a go at), looks to be a bit more intuitive. At least the workpiece spins constantly, and in the same direction.

I've long harboured a desire to re-visit one or the other (or both), but neither has managed to rise to the top of the priority list (they keep getting bumped by foolish projects like making mini tools... ) One advantage of the pole lathe is that they are simple to make & can be constructed so they are easily knocked down into simple parts for transport & storage, & can be set up in the backyard (or front yard if you want to attract an audience ), which is handy for anyone with limited workshop space.

Anyway, if the idea of either type does take hold & you want to give it a go, I'm very happy to help out in any way I can.....

Cheers,

[Cklett]

I was being deliberately provocative, knowing your attraction for the "needs no batteries" machinery....

True, I am intrigued by human powered machines and solutions. But also not entirely abstinent of electrons. One item on my list for the revamp will be a good table saw. And do use cordless drill a lot as well as my desktop sander.
Lathe is also in there, but maybe more a metal lathe.
And what might come will also depend on my space availability. I might also rearranged workspace layout. But that would now take this thread into a complete new direction......

Anyway no surprise I spent some time today watching pole and treadle lathe videos [emoji849] Don't be surprised if I some day come back to your offer [emoji6]

Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

[taz01]

http://www.opensourcemachinetools.or...adle_lathe.pdf

This might be of interest...

[IanW]

....... Don't be surprised if I some day come back to your offer .......

I won't be in the least surprised...

Taz, that was sneaky - it got me quite enthused about the idea again. I spent a good 10 minutes reading through the article you linked to & thinking about the things I would copy or do differently when/if I get around to making one. It's very similar to, but not exactly the same as the one I saw years ago, which had a knock-down frame, iirc. I suppose there is a limited number of solutions to any given problem....

Cheers,

[Bushmiller]

On the subject of treadle lathes and the requirement for a large flywheel the maximum ratio between the small pulley and the large pulley (flywheel) should be no more than 7:1 in practical terms. This is also modified by how close the pulleys are. If they are too close or the ratio is too great there will not be sufficient friction for the belt around the small pulley. From the drawing of the large lathe mentioned you can see the problem immediately.

Regards
Paul

[taz01]

I won't be in the least surprised...

Taz, that was sneaky - it got me quite enthused about the idea again. I spent a good 10 minutes reading through the article you linked to & thinking about the things I would copy or do differently when/if I get around to making one. It's very similar to, but not exactly the same as the one I saw years ago, which had a knock-down frame, iirc. I suppose there is a limited number of solutions to any given problem....

Cheers,

My pleasure ian [emoji16]

You could always make a scale model prototype as proof of concept.

Once done i know someone on the forum is building a miniature tool kit at the moment. they might be happy to take this off you.

[Bushmiller]

My pleasure ian [emoji16]

You could always make a scale model prototype as proof of concept.

Once done i know someone on the forum is building a miniature tool kit at the moment. they might be happy to take this off you.

Ah.

A classic case of what goes around comes around .

Regards
Paul

[Cklett]

OK, now back to the actual topic of this thread [emoji6]

You didn't really think the file handle was the main part, did you?

Here is the main reason why I couldn't leave the ugly plastic handle on the files.






And in action



The build itself deserves it's own thread. Like most of my projects it took it's twists and turns and also including some failures.

And the obligatory shrinking board picture



Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

[IanW]

Now that's a fancy little file-stick CK, & pretty impressive given the lack of metalworking machinery at your place. A very commendable effort! I look forward to the build thread...

I often tell people a simple stick does a perfectly good job as a file guide, and I don't recommend rushing out to buy one unless you have run out of other tools to buy (making your own is an entirely different matter, of course ). However, I do have the Veritas version (a gift), and I confess to using it quite a bit. It has a couple of advantages over a stick, the marked scales for fleam & rake angles make it easy to re-set to repeat angles, and you only need the one guide for all your saws.

Before the Veritas came along I had about a dozen sticks all made to different fleam & rake angles & could never find the one I needed because it had been swept up with the shavings or the marking had worn off & I couldn't tell which was which, so I'd end up making yet another. That was in my "experimental" period when I was trying to re-invent the backsaw, I've long since accepted that the commonly-used angles worked out during the many years saws have been around are actually very good compromises that can't really be improved on for all-round versatility (funny that ), so I would probably only need a couple of sticks nowadays......
Cheers,

[Simplicity]

Cklett,
That an awesome little file guide, an of course file handle.

Cheers Matt.

[Mountain Ash]

Hi CK. Love your work!! I understand exactly what IanW means. I have started using number punches on my "sticks" to keep them organised but I think a dedicated tool is much bettet. Looking forward to the build thread too.