Green QS Oak for tool handles

[Prashun Patel]

I have to make a couple tool handles. There's a recently fallen oak (not sure if it's red or white) that I'd love to purpose for this. If I quartersaw it and turn these green, is it necessary to let them dry before fitting them with the shafts?

Anything else I should know about doing this?

If anybody wants a blank or two, pm me; I'm happy to send for the price of shipping.

[Roger Chandler]

Prashun,

If it were me, I would not use green wood for tool handles..............they will likely warp, unless the grain is very straight, and even then, if you fit it to the tool shank, there will be some distortion, with less than desirable hold over time..........unless possibly you use some epoxy that fills gaps and is flexible.

[Nathan Hawkes]

You're absolutely right about letting them dry a bit before fitting the shaft; Depending on how it dries, you may still need to have the ends sealed. Oak is prone to checking more than some other woods I've made handles from, I've found. You might just round the squares down to cylinders and let them sit for a few months before fitting your ferrules and tools inside.

[Scott Hackler]

and the drilled holes for the steel are likely to grow larger as the wood drys

[charlie knighton]

i like dogwood for tool handles

[Gary Herrmann]

If they're wet at all, they will move. If you want to minimize potential issues, cut the blank and let it get furniture dry.

[John Keeton]

Wet oak and a ferrous metal will result in immediate black staining and rust.

[David Hostetler]

Cut the blanks and rough them in, very rough, seal the ends and set them aside to dry, furniture dry as is mentioned above. Then finish turning them and making your handles...

[Harry Robinette]

Read David Ellsworth's books he uses all green wood to make tool handles.He'll explain why??

[JerHall]

I recall old time chair makers will put dry spindles (or in our case HSS) in a green wood mortise. The hole shrinks, locking the spindle (or the tool) TIGHT. The tool may turn black inside the hole, but who is to see? I have done it with a few weeks old Black Oak blanks so they turn a little better, straight grain, warping is so minor it is of little consequence and it doesn't effect tool control. We adjust. Not pretty but utilitarian. Sanded to 150 and maybe with some Watco and they work for me. If the tree has fallen it maybe already has started to be dry. I guess I wouldn't use dripping wet wood. Anyway, give it a try and report back! Re-handling it is no big deal, and its all in the interest of science and this forum.

[Hilel Salomon]

I'm with John and most of the other respondents on this. My experience with green oak and walnut is that they can crack and warp unless dried properly. What wood does Ellsworth recommend? There are some woods that are remarkably stable, in case you are in a hurry

Hilel

[Donny Lawson]

You can always cut them to a rough length and if they will fit in a microwave dry them that way. I've got an old one in the shop I use to dry alot of my wood with. DO NOT use the wifes microwave.She might not like the ideahttp://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon8.png. Another way to dry it is to use DNA. Soak your wood in the DNA overnight and let it drain for about an hour. Then wrap the ends with newspaper and put it on a shelf for a week or two and it should be about dry.

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks to everyone. I'm planning to rough out the handle and then bake it at low temp for a few hours in the oven. I've read about this kind of method for fast drying. I have several blanks, so I can afford to lose one or two to learn.

[Russell Neyman]

Drying wood in the oven will usually result in split wood. I use a microwave oven, one or two minutes at a time, allowing the piece to return to room temperature between blasts.

[Jeff Fagen]

I would split the wood as you would for fire wood in order to keep the grain straight and from cracking.Then I would microwave the blanks.Good luck.

[Gary Kman]

I think quarter sawing loses it meaning when cutting squares or turning rounds.

[Prashun Patel]

Gary,
You are right, actually. I should have anticipated that. Aw, who am I kidding. I just wanted an excuse to go out there and harvest some free wood and make it into something! Can't blame a guy for that, can ya?!

[Gary Kman]

When we are old and sitting in rockers on the porch at the old folks home some will be saying "I could have" and you can say "I did". Go for it.