Turned Sapele chisel handle

[L2wis]

This evening I finished rehandling my first chisel!! I turned it yesterday and finished setting in the tang this evening.

 

[MickCheese]

Lewis.

Looks very good.

Mick

 

[L2wis]

Thanks Mick, I think I made this one's neck a little to thin but pleased for a first.

 

[deserter]

Like the look of that, looking forwards to seeing the next.


~Nil carborundum illegitemi~

 

[Racers]

Hi, Lewis

Nice! its god to get these old tools working again.
I hope you have a nice mallet to hit it with not a hammer as used on the old handle.

Pete

 

[L2wis]

Thanks! I do indeed! You can see it in the 5th pic down. Turned myself

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Excellent stuff - may it be the first of many!

It might be fun to try out a few different handle shapes, and see which works best for you.

 

[L2wis]

That is actually my plan . My next design is going to be less flamboyant.

 

[speeder1987]

Lovely handle, careful its quite addictive!!!

John

 

[jimi43]

Great restoration there my friend!

The Marples "three shamrocks" is excellent steel and will serve you for a few generations more I can assure you.

Some would say this handle making isn't necessary...and I probably agree...but it is so much fun and always much more personally satisfying using a tool you have restored yourself!

Keep up the great work! I look forward to seeing the results as we move into bootfair season and the available "stock" comes out in the fields of England!

Cheers

Jim

 

[L2wis]

Haha thanks Jim, im looking forwards to booting too. My main targets for this year are clamps but also going to treat myself to a nice bench clamp when I see one too. Chisels and planes are obvious targets to haha.

Your totally right regarding the restoration... completely unnecessary but lots of fun. Im going to do some more soon, got another sapele blank ready to go.

 

[graduate_owner]

Turning up a round (carver's?) mallet is so easy - quicker than making a traditional rectangular head and then fixing a handle, that's for sure. I just used a hardwood log from the firewood pile, turned it to the round, and turned the handle to a comfortable diameter. it's lasted about 5 years, no idea what the wood is. It has split now, so it wouldn't win any turnery competitions, and the 'hitting' surface is starting to break apart , but it still does the job, and has saved my wooden chisel handles from damage (not that I would use a hammer on them), also saved my fingers - you don't have to look at the chisel handle when striking it. Perhaps it's time now to make another one, and put the original back on the firewood pile.


K

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I made one from a bowling ball its very nice lots of weight to it.
Check out the charity shops for balls.

Pete

 

[rxh]

You have made an elegant handle. I like to make my own too and try different shapes and types of wood. In the picture below the woods are, from the top: oak, privet, apple, yew, pear, iroko, ash & ash.

Apple is good for mallets too. The one in the second picture has stood up to lots of use.

 

[L2wis]

Thank you! I love your ash handles!

 

[GazPal]

Excellent work I definitely need to invest in a new lathe for home use

 

[L2wis]

Hello all, I turned another handle last night and thought I'd share the pics. It's Sapele again .

 

[graduate_owner]

Another nice handle, well done.
I find making handles a pleasant pastime because it uses up scraps of wood, often from the log pile. I make file handles too - no particular pattern, just an assortment of different sizes and shapes in assorted woods. It's like playing around, but getting something useful made as well. For chisel handles and turning tool handles though, I tend to be a bit more particular regarding consistent shapes. And as I said previously, round carving mallets are also very easy and very effective. I have two now, a heavier one for more serious chisel bashing.

These handles and mallets are nothing special in terms of design etc, but they are fun to make and produce something useful, and if they don't turn out right then they just go back to the firewood pile - nothing lost.

K