Ferrules for gouge handles?

[Alan Heffernan]

I am planning on making some handles for turning tools (gouge, skew, etc.). What do you use for the ferrules to reinforce the handles at the entry of the tool shank into the handle? I have a metal lathe so I could make some out of brass but if there’s a better solution, I would like to know.

[Gary Conklin]

Copper, brass, stainless tubing are all great materials.

[bob svoboda]

Rigid copper pipe works great.

[Alan Heffernan]

Gary,
have you tried swaging down copper tubing? I have seen some photos on Doug's Tools of some handles made by John Lucas and the ferrules are swaged down (conical) toward the business end of the tool.

[Gary Conklin]

I think the ones you are referring to are made with fairing nuts. Either way brass and copper are turned pretty easinly with HSS tooling.

[Art Kelly]

Forged brass flare nuts work pretty good. Turn the handle so the nut screws on tight. After it's on, you can take a parting tool and make it round and trim the end. Then drill the handle for the tool shaft. I get mine at Ace Hardware.
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[Alan Heffernan]

do you use epoxy to bed the shank into the handle?

[Rich Aldrich]

I used a little longer nut than Art. It is a flare nut for copper propane lines. For the 5/8" and 1/2" V gouges from Doug Thompson, I used 5/8" flare nuts. I had threaded the nut on the handle, then removed the nut and applied epoxy glue. When the epoxy had cured, I put the handle back on the lathe and used a flat file to knock the corners off the nut. I'll post pictures later in another post.

[John Keeton]

I use copper pipe, and just cut a piece with a tubing cutter. You will have to take a chainsaw file and clean up the inside edges a little, but I turn the tenon for a friction fit, and haven't had any problems. Usually, I will not need epoxy for a handle either - just friction. But, on a couple of metric sizes, I did use just a little epoxy.

[David DeCristoforo]

All good suggestions. I like to use bronze bushings which are "ready made" in many various sizes, cheap, easy to find at the local hardware store and a little bit thicker than most metal tubing.

[Fred Perreault]

I do what John K. indicated. My contractor friends have scrap piles, and I get a length of copper every once in a while. Cheap (+++0), handsome, and works easily. I do put a wee bit of epoxy on with it. I also epoxy the tool shaft into the handle. Just insurance.

[Steve Vaughan]

Very similar here. I make and finish-sand the handle on lathe, size the business end so I can screw on a brass flaring nut. Then, I put gorilla glue on the threads and screw it on the handle. Once dried and ready, I put it back on the lathe, and use a file to take off the edges of what would be the nut and file the whole brass part to a nice shape. Once filed to size, I'll sand it to a nice finish. Done and ready for the tool to be inserted.

[Steve LaFara]

I've used a bunch of different types of brass fittings, like this one that started as a compressed air fitting:

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[Ryan Baker]

Steve, is that a homemade screwdriver for chipbreaker screws? Made from drill rod? Looks nice. I need to make a few of those in different sizes.

[John Toigo]

I like to use black iron pipe:

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It's cheap, heavy duty & polishes up nicely.

[Alan Heffernan]

John, beautiful chisels! I have about four of these that need new handles and the pipe ferrule in this application is very interesting. Thanks for sharing the photo. By the way, how did you secure the handles the handle to the blades?

[Steve LaFara]

Steve, is that a homemade screwdriver for chipbreaker screws? Made from drill rod? Looks nice. I need to make a few of those in different sizes.

Why yes it is. I made a couple of these for hand planes and my Eclipse sharpening jig. I did not use drill rod however. Common steel rod from the Borg and heat treated. Very easy to contour on a spindle sander that way.

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[Kelvin Burton]

There is a series of 4 videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Yh5AKDJk8) on Youtube that goes through the whole process of making tool handles and includes suggestions on how to do the ferrule. He uses copper plumbing couplers and describes them in the first clip. I've tried these and they work well, and are very inexpensive compared to the brass ones sold online.

[John Toigo]

Usually friction fit Alan. But.... every now & then it takes a bit of 5 min epoxy.

[Neil Strong]

I find pipe (top) is OK, but I like turned brass fittings (bottom) better.

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