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View Full Version : My First Chisel Resurrection



Tom LaRussa
02-04-2005, 7:41 PM
I have to admit that I messed this up, and this handle is not attached to the chisel for which it was intended. (It was intended for a lovely Swan paring chisel, hence it does not have a reinforced butox.)

Turns out that little attachment part is the hardest aspect of making handles for socket chisels, because there is no standard size. Ugh.

Anyhoo, here's the result. Luckily, as Chris put is, that is some pretty wood.

Edit: The chisel is a Buck Brother's Cast Steel with some pitting that doesn't show up in the picture.

Edit #2: The handle is an attempt at more-or-less copying that of a Stanley #720.

Edit #3: I need to study Leif's piece on making socket chisel handles. I read it when he first posted it, but I didn't have a spinny thingie, so it didn't really register all that well.

Leif Hanson
02-04-2005, 8:34 PM
Looks good to me!

Besides the one I did (http://www.norsewoodsmith.com/ww/chisels/handles.htm), Bob Smalser's got a good page on making/rehabbing chisels using a lathe, and he also goes through making the leather bolsters too:

http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=smalser&file=articles_447.shtml

Jim Wilson also has a great page on making mortise chisel handles (as well as mortise chisels):

http://www.paragoncode.com/toolmaking/mortise_chisels/handles/making/

They're for tanged, homemade chisels, but he's a master at it.

Jim Thompson has a gallery of handles he's made that are excellent:

http://homepage.mac.com/oldmillrat/PhotoAlbum66.html

HTH
Leif

Louis Bois
02-04-2005, 9:21 PM
Ah GEE WHIZ!!! Now I'm going to have to go out and buy a lathe to re-handle those old Eskiltunas...let me know your impressions on how the lathe measures up Tom. I've been looking for an excuse to get one...and the ole Springpole just seems like too much work!!! But I still plan on building one...one of these days...

Are you planning on re-handling them all with similar style handles? or are you going to go a little freeform as the mood stikes you?!?

Nice work on #1 BTW.

Shawn Swafford
02-04-2005, 10:03 PM
Nice job, Tom. Doesn't that cocobolo turn nice? I love to turn wood...instant gratification.

Mark Singer
02-05-2005, 1:32 AM
Beautiful job!!!!

Marc Hills
02-05-2005, 8:17 AM
Nice work Tom. Definitely check out Bob Smalser's tutorial on rehabing old chisels, especially for solving the socket sizing dilemna. As I recall his tool of choice is an oil lamp to blacken the socket end with soot. :) What rubs off is what needs to be taken down.