Chisel Handles

[Cheshirechappie]

Just a small tip I've remembered concerning LPOH; make sure the ends of the octagonal section are well chamfered, especially at the hand-hold end of the handle. I had some commercial ones years ago that didn't have any chamfer at the ends of the octagonal bit, and oh boy did they dig into the palms when paring. Easily cured with a few small chisel cuts, but better incorporated at the turning stage.

 

[bugbear]

I've been asked how to disassemble an Aristocrat chisel.

A quick trip to the workshop later...

Since the bar is simply threaded at each end, it simply unscrews.In my 1" example, the threads are 5/16 BSF.

Mine came undone quite easily, but if things are tight, I would recommend holding the blade in a vice, and putting a jubillee clip round the handle to provide traction for rotation.

Jubillee clips provide MASSIVE grip on round items, whilst using perfectly symmetric force. Trying to hold the hollow handle in a vice would run the risk of crushing it if you were a bit heavy handed.

BugBear

 

[matthewwh]

My lad has been showing an interest, so I made a smaller handle for his rasp out of a bit of boxwood. With this and the two beautiful mallets that James made for him, his toolkit is starting to look better than mine!

Going back to the original post, handle timbers should ideally be tough rather than brittle and harder than your mallet - much cheaper and easier to get a new mallet than new chisel handles. The traditional timbers like ash, box, beech, sycamore (maple), all work well. Oak and Chestnut are not so good because they have a lot of tannin and are likely to stain black in contact with iron. If you want to get a bit fancier, sapele, ebony, bubinga, teak, rosewood, purpleheart, laburnum etc will give you a nice selection of colours a la Alf. One that isn't commonly used, but would in theory be ideal, is elm - beautiful figure and tough as old boots.

I look forward to seeing the results!

 

[condeesteso]

Good list Matthew... can I propose hornbeam? Not pretty but technically a very good material for handles (and gears in mills etc).

 

[No skills]

What about hickory?? seems to be used a lot in hammer handles, looks pretty boring tho.

 

[jimi43]

Wych elm Matthew!

The spider's web of the galaxy!

Jim

 

[woodbloke]

Wych elm Matthew!

The spider's web of the galaxy!

Jim

That's a nice lump of elm Jim. The reason that it's so good for handles is that it's very difficult to split, so it's going to resist belting with a maul quite well. Btw, that's far too nice a piece for a handle...I think it ought to be donated towards my next cabinet :-" :mrgreen: :lol: which could be in elm, or walnut (I have a small stash :mrgreen: ) or maybe oak? - Rob

 

[Modernist]

Personally, I'd prefer a Lutyens home to a Corbusier one.

BugBear

Surely not, how would you fend off the depression? Go forth into the light.

 

[bugbear]

Personally, I'd prefer a Lutyens home to a Corbusier one.

BugBear

Surely not, how would you fend off the depression? Go forth into the light.

The accompanying Gertrude Jekyll garden, of course!

May as well dream big...

BugBear

 

[jimi43]

That's a nice lump of elm Jim. The reason that it's so good for handles is that it's very difficult to split, so it's going to resist belting with a maul quite well. Btw, that's far too nice a piece for a handle...I think it ought to be donated towards my next cabinet :-" :mrgreen: :lol: which could be in elm, or walnut (I have a small stash :mrgreen: ) or maybe oak? - Rob

I'm pretty sure I have used up all that piece now...otherwise you would have been welcome to it for one of your masterpieces Rob.

Let me see if I can contact my supplier who gave me that piece and see if he has any more...I believe he just might...he had about 80 tons of storm damaged wood the last time I spoke to him...from 1987 ( :mrgreen: ) so it should almost be dry by now! :wink:

I have to get some more myself anyway so I'll let you know.

Jim

 

[woodbloke]

That's a nice lump of elm Jim. The reason that it's so good for handles is that it's very difficult to split, so it's going to resist belting with a maul quite well. Btw, that's far too nice a piece for a handle...I think it ought to be donated towards my next cabinet :-" :mrgreen: :lol: which could be in elm, or walnut (I have a small stash :mrgreen: ) or maybe oak? - Rob

I'm pretty sure I have used up all that piece now...otherwise you would have been welcome to it for one of your masterpieces Rob.

Let me see if I can contact my supplier who gave me that piece and see if he has any more...I believe he just might...he had about 80 tons of storm damaged wood the last time I spoke to him...from 1987 ( :mrgreen: ) so it should almost be dry by now! :wink:

I have to get some more myself anyway so I'll let you know.

Jim

The comment was made in jest Jim :lol: ...you should know that by now :mrgreen: Seriously, elm is one of my favourites and I especially like the wych elm because of that lovely green colouration that seems to run through the boards. I've got one or two bits with that sort of colouration in the grain which I try and use to good effect - Rob