Thread: Forest Redgum Handle

There's a lot of satisfaction to be had from a job like this! Well done!!

Originally Posted by artme

There's a lot of satisfaction to be had from a job like this! Well done!!

Certainly is. I think I go for the home made tools more than the bought ones most of the time.

Nice

that red gum looks very pretty

I also prefer to make my own handles - I'm too cheap to buy them and like a little saving

making up your own handles the only way to go .make it to suit the purpose and hand grip and size .
also makes it easy to identify different tools

looks very professional

A very nice handle I do the same but sometimes it is nearly as cheap with the handle here.

Hi Scott & Others,
I have been praising The Chinese Steel for a long time now.
Very hard to convince Newbies & others, of this high quality steel, & Cheaper.
I wood have approx.12 Pieces of McJing Steel now, & as I have said before, I just can't fault it in any way.
IMHO far better than some I know.

If you wanted a different style of handle, go to Richard Raffan's Book, " Turning Wood". It is on Page 155 in his Early Book.

So I now select my piece of wood for a handle, run it long ways, through the Bandsaw, place the desired tool on the inside, draw around it & carve out on both pieces, glue back together, then Turn the Handle, & I use either Allum.Chair or Copper for my Ferrule, & all things being equal, the Tool should slip in very nicely. Just for my satisfaction I sign & date the wood, & then I finish with Beeswax, a simple but fine finish.
I only use PVA to Glue the Tool in.

Lovely work on the handle. I also agree that turning a handle gives you some practice in spindle turning.

turning tool handles are a great project, they are the few items I don't like the same! I bought some second hand turning chisels and the guy had made them identical which makes it hard on a production run with shavings everywhere!
the Mcjings tool steel gets a thumbs up from me too! I have made a parting tool and skew chisel and it holds its edge just nearly as long as the boler tool steel!

Nice work Scott. And a good pic too.

Most quality turning tool makers have offered handled and unhandled. I look at the price difference and if it's over ten bucks it's a DIY job.

Re McJing steel, I've found it variable. At a guess that's about what temperature the batch is tempered to and how the result works with our hard and/or abrasive timbers.