New Handle for Harbor Freight roughing gouge

[Brian Kent]

I would like to put a longer and heavier handle on my Harbor Freight 1" roughing gouge. Does anyone know how they are attached? I want to remove it safely and don't know whether to pound, cut, sand, or use any other controlled form of destruction.

Brian

[John Keeton]

Brian, I have not attempted to remove any of mine, but I am betting that if you grip the gouge in a vise (cushion it with something), set a block of wood against the ferrule, and smack it with a hammer it will come loose.

[David Gilbert]

I am guessing that the roughing gouge is just jammed into a hole drilled in the end of the handle. Most of the commercial tools that I have seen are done this way. I would just clamp the gouge in a vise and then pound off the handle. Since you are making a new one damaging the old one isn't an issue. Once you have it apart you can easily reinstall it to make your new handle and then remove it again later.

Enjoy your decent into the vortex. Cheers,

David

[Marty Eargle]

I had one of my HF roughing gouges come apart on me. They aren't in the handles too deep. Going the route that John suggested should get what you want accomplished fairly easily.

[Brian Kent]

Thanks. That sounds easy enough.

[Jim Burr]

Yup...it works.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Looking forward to seeing your new gouge handle!! It will be good spindle practice for you as well as turning something that will be functional! Have fun!!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I'd keep and re-use the ferrule. Or am I too late? Ferrules are not terribly hard to make though.

Just curiuos why you want a longer heavier handle on your roughing gouge. Be careful, the gouge isn't in there very far, as you probably now know. With the extra leverage gained by a longer heavier handle, you'll be able to apply much more force on that tang.......