Flowering plum handle

[Dave Cottrell]

Here is a dragon rasp that I finally made a handle for. The wood came from a pruned branch from our beloved flowering plum tree/hammock hanger that is on its way out. It has fungus issues, and I would like to know if that is what the black lines are that go across the grain.

The octagonal shape was made by hand. I am increasingly finding that the irregularities in facet size and orientation makes for a more comfortable handle than the machine-made and completely symmetrical ones. I have somewhat large and beefy hands, and I like big handles for tools like rasps and carving gouges where I need a little pressure. This is becoming my favorite handle pattern. Finish is 2 coats of Watco Danish Oil.

193135193136193137http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/misc/pencil.png

[Will Boulware]

Gorgeous wood! I like it. Can't tell you anything about the fungus, but it looks good! I'm in the same boat when it comes to uneven polygons. I'm finding I like a non-symetrical handle as well.

[john brenton]

Ol' Beefy Hands Dave.

Funny that you write this, because I was just really thinking about that last night. I have made most of my handles on the lathe, but I have two hand saw file handles that I hand shaped a few years ago. As I was filing last night, I really noticed how much that irregularity in the round (the ovality...yes, that's a word!) makes it so much more comfortable and easy to control.


Here is a dragon rasp that I finally made a handle for. The wood came from a pruned branch from our beloved flowering plum tree/hammock hanger that is on its way out. It has fungus issues, and I would like to know if that is what the black lines are that go across the grain.

The octagonal shape was made by hand. I am increasingly finding that the irregularities in facet size and orientation makes for a more comfortable handle than the machine-made and completely symmetrical ones. I have somewhat large and beefy hands, and I like big handles for tools like rasps and carving gouges where I need a little pressure. This is becoming my favorite handle pattern. Finish is 2 coats of Watco Danish Oil.

193135193136193137http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/misc/pencil.png

[Bob Strawn]

Here is a dragon rasp that I finally made a handle for. The wood came from a pruned branch from our beloved flowering plum tree/hammock hanger that is on its way out. It has fungus issues, and I would like to know if that is what the black lines are that go across the grain.

The octagonal shape was made by hand. I am increasingly finding that the irregularities in facet size and orientation makes for a more comfortable handle than the machine-made and completely symmetrical ones. I have somewhat large and beefy hands, and I like big handles for tools like rasps and carving gouges where I need a little pressure. This is becoming my favorite handle pattern. Finish is 2 coats of Watco Danish Oil.

193135193136193137http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/misc/pencil.png

Very nicely done! The lovely coloration is probably a touch of spalting. That being the complementary way of saying discoloration due to fungal infection. In my youth, spalting was a reason to toss a bit of wood, nowdays it is often a reason to pay more for it! A somewhat bigger diameter handle is probably safer to use as well. It spreads out the forces to a larger area of the hand.

Here is the method (http://toolmakingart.com/2011/02/27/how-to-make-an-octagonal-handle-shell-auger-and-straight-drilling-guide/) I use to make an octagonal handle. I have become very fond of them and have made quite a few extra just to be ready when I need a new handle.

Bob