Shot filled handles

[Reed Gray]

At last year's Symposium, every one who was making handles had at least a plug in the end, so you could add shot if you wanted. I do have two of those in my arsenal, but never use them. They just didn't feel right. I knew I didn't like the extra weight. As far as the 'dampening vibration' claim, I always figured you should just move the tool rest closer. Then, last Thursday, I saw Soren Berger at a demo in Salem. He made the comment that he didn't like them because they dampen the feed back you get from your tools as you cut. Being able to 'feel' the wood as it is cutting is huge in learning to get smooth cuts. Now, thanks to his explanation, I know why they just never felt 'right'.

robo hippy

[Bernie Weishapl]

Reed I have to agree. I don't like the weighted handles either. I bought one about a year ago. I felt I lost the feel of the tool as I made my cut. It just never felt right. I sold it 3 months later to a guy.

[Jamie Donaldson]

I use only 1 long handle with shot, and its for heavy roughing with a big 3/4" Thompson gouge inserted.

[Harry Robinette]

Reed
I started turning with wood handles and did for about 11 or 12 years. I now use DT tools and handles( his handles keep the nerve damage in my thumbs from going crazy)but after using the Thompson handles for a year or so I find that I can tell or fell every thing I need to and I've got to were
I think the shot heavy handle Helps me to make smoother and longer cuts and much less tool chatter if the rest is a little to far out.

[Jerry Wright]

I have numerous wood only as well as numerous shot filled metal handled tools. I find the shot filled handle tools to be far more relaxing to use and easier to control. May be that not all shot filled handles are created equal. In my experience, there is no comparison. IMHO!

[Ryan Baker]

I use pretty much every type of handle out there, but my main tools are filled (steel BBs) and I like them that way. I find them to be balanced much better. (I don't fill them completely. I partially fill them until I get the weight balance I want, then fill the remaining space with plastic BBs, which keep the steel BBs from moving around without adding more weight.) I don't find that they detract at all from the feel of the cut. Whether they have any real damping effect is something I can't honestly claim one way or the other. My weighted handles do tend to be on my longest, heaviest tools, where extending a long way from an aluminum handle creates a significant imbalance. I don't add any weight to the shorter tools.

[Bob Bergstrom]

My take is if it feels good to you, fine. If it helps make you a better turner good. If you are new to turning and wonder if weighted handles will work for you, bore a hole done the shaft of a handle blank, turn the handle of choice, and fill it with shot. It should give you a similar feel and you didn't spend much money in the effort. Myself I just like the the feel and feedback of wood handles. Beside there are many other things on my wish list to be purchased.

[Hayes Rutherford]

Reed, I agree that too heavy is not good in most cases. I like the weight of solid aluminum, it is plenty heavy without shot. A shop made tool of light wood might benefit with a little "ballast". The handles that always feel best to me are the expensive ones that other woodturners have but it naver fails that when I upgrade and have the handle for awhile, it doesn't seem so great anymore.

[Reed Gray]

Hmmm......This brings up another debate about tool overhang on our rests. Sounds like those who prefer the weighted handles tend to hang out more.

Is this the difference between those who use straight tool rests on bowls, and those who use curved bowl rests?????

robo hippy

[Rick Markham]

Reed, I mostly use DT's weighted handles, I have a few other regular handled tools, I actually find the dampening helps me. But as you observed I am one of those who only has a straight tool rest, which for turning the outside of forms is fine, and I like to keep it close. I don't do too may bowls right now, but have wanted a nice curved rest for the inside of bowls, I just never have found the right one. (I got "distracted" by hollowforms and since haven't thought about it :o)

[Thom Sturgill]

Reed, I think you may have hit the nail on the head. I have a curved rest for outside curves and a robust 'J' rest that I use inside, so except for hollow forms I stay as close to the wood as I can. The weighted tool feels 'dead'.

The second issue I have is that my lathe bed is just a little bit too high and the weight of the tool gets tiring quickly when compared with my unweighted handles. One of my next projects is a platform around the lathe after I finish getting dust extraction (sanding) working to my satisfaction. That might change my perception of the tool.

[Russell Eaton]

Reed I use the shot filled handles for the roughing, but most all my finish cuts are with a good old wood handle. I had not thought about it till you raised the question, that is just my preference. I even let a friend use the wood handle the other day and he went and bought the same bowl gouge the next day, then asked about my tormek setting so he could duplicate the same bevel.

[Fred Belknap]

Not an expert by any means but I got the Laser 5/8" bowl gouge and didn't like the lead weight in the handle. I thought I would give it some time and see how it went. Now I prefer it for removing a lot of wood from a turning, sometimes the lead shot feels like it is loose in the handle. To finish up I like my D-Way gouge with regular aluminum handle.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Reed - I have been using the Monster handles for a long time and love them! The shortest handle holds DT 5/8" V and I have the handle about 3/4 filled with BBs. To me it has a very balanced feel but it is also what I am used to using. I have a DT 3/4" and a Hamlet 5/8" bowl gouge held in the long Monster handles and each of those filled to the 3/4 mark with #4 lead shot. Again - to me they feel better with a little weight than if the handles were hollow. As far as wood handles... the Hamlet used to be in a wood handle but after getting used to the Monsters... I switched it over to Monster also.

As far as distance from the tool rest... depends on if I am roughing out or finish turning. The big 3/4" handles all the roughing - so that distance is the one that will vary the most and I honestly feel that the weighted handle helps keep things steady during the process.

[Reed Gray]

Well, I am thinking again..... How do you hold your tools? For me, most of the time, it is short bed lathe set up, as in slide the headstock down and turn off the end. I hold my tools level, and right hand tends to choke up, with the handle end under my fore arm. I almost never drop the handle, just never felt right.

robo hippy

[Bob Bergstrom]

I do agree with Steve in that the balance point may be something that is overlooked by both camps. I like my tools to balance just behind the ferrule at the onion bulb on many wood handles. I turn quite a few thin walled bowls while using one hand behind the bowl wall and the other just back of the ferule. Taking real light cuts would be more difficult for me if the tool handle were heavy. I would suggest taking those find cuts would be benefited by a well balanced tool.

[Scott Hackler]

You might be onto something Reed. I have a couple Thompson handles and they are filled with the shot. But, I almost always use my 3/8" Sorby instead. I always thought that it was because the shape of the flute was a tad difference, but now I wonder how I would like the Thompson handle if the shot was dumped out. Hmmmmm...

[Ryan Baker]

Well, the handle I do add weight to get just enough to balance the weight of the tool, not so much to make the combination handle heavy. They tend to be on large tools like the 5/8" and 3/4" Thompson gouges. I only have straight rests, so I certainly do hang the tool out a bit at times, but I don't really feel like the handle weighting makes much of any difference in that respect. Handle length makes a huge difference. I also use tools in pretty much every orientation at different times. I guess what it comes down to is that I like the tool to feel balanced, neither nose heavy or handle heavy.

But it is all about preference, and everybody likes something different. If you can find something you like then stick with it. Fortunately we have lots of choices.

[Rick Markham]

I do both Reed, depending on the cut I am making. Handle down generally when shaping the outside of a form with a spindle gouge. Or up level under my arm (as you described) when taking a shearing cut, or roughing (I've come to love the shearing cut with the big DT roughing gouge like you show in one of your videos.) I generally only have the handle dropped outside of the form. Inside a bowl it's all level. I wish I had a little more room in my shop so I could turn off the end of my PM 3520B, I think I would enjoy bowl turning much more not having to reach across the ways. (I'm working on this problem :D)

[Rick Markham]

Scott, if my memory serves correctly, there is a "plug" in the DT handles so you can limit the shot's movement. You could tighten the shot up in the handle and it will probably change how the tool "feels" in the cut

[Bill Wyko]

I have just the opposite opinion. I feel that the dampened handle gets rid of unwanted harmonics and leaves the feel of the cut itself. They do require a slight learning curve though. Once you have a feel for the tools I think you'll find them to work incredibly well. I use the Glaser tools which I'm extremely happy with, I have a Thompson as well but I don't care for the handle shape in my hand.

[David DeCristoforo]

This is kinda funny for me because I have acquired a veritable arsenal of Glaser tools with those beautiful, state of the art, shot filled handles.I like them a lot but my favorite tool is still my old Glaser "Stocksdale" gouge with the wood handle.

[Wally Dickerman]

Lots of differing opinions...I have a couple of glaser gouges but I seldom use them. Not because of the shot but I just prefer wood handles.

I was a skeet shooter and loaded my own shotshells. I still have couple of 25 lb. bags of #9 lead shot. With some tools, gouges, and especially heavy duty scrapers I like the feel of added weight. I bore a hole in the handle and through trial and error decide how much shot feels right. Then I plug the hole. Been doing that for a long time.

Respect your elders

[Jamie Donaldson]

If shot is packed tightly in a handle there is little shock absorption, just added mass. To really absorb vibrations well, the shot has to have some room to move about inside the handle.

[Wally Dickerman]

If shot is packed tightly in a handle there is little shock absorption, just added mass. To really absorb vibrations well, the shot has to have some room to move about inside the handle.

Hey Jamie...My cuts are all smooth. Don't need no shock absorber:)

[Jamie Donaldson]

Wally, you are a very special case!

[Reed Gray]

So Wally, do you drink Dos XX beer also????

robo hippy

[Wally Dickerman]

So Wally, do you drink Dos XX beer also????

robo hippy

I live 40 miles from Mexico...Forget commercials...Around here, Mexican beer is the favorite.

Respect your elders

[Rick Markham]

I agree with you Bill, It's easier for me to make delicate cuts without actually putting pressure on the workpiece (especially finials) with the dampened handle. Maybe it's "all in my brain" but this has gotten me thinking about it. This is an interesting thread, it's interesting to me how many variations of methodology we all use.

I actually really like the DT handles because of the shape, they have become "self indexing" to me, since they are largely all I use. It's just a little thing, but something I appreciate. From the looks of the Glasers I imagine they become largely the same way.

[Rick Markham]

If shot is packed tightly in a handle there is little shock absorption, just added mass. To really absorb vibrations well, the shot has to have some room to move about inside the handle.

Yeah, I wasn't suggesting packing them tightly, just taking up some of the slack ;)

[Harry Robinette]

Some one said they get the weight right and then put oil in their DT tools, they have seals at both ends. The oil slows the movement of the shot.
You can also drive the internal plug backwards if you remove shot to keep the shot tight in the handle. That's what I did to mine.

[Rick Markham]

Thanks Harry I was pretty sure the plug was movable inside, the oil is an interesting idea. I like mine they way they are, but it might be kind of fun to play with one of them just too see. I think I'll pass on the oil, sounds like a mess if you decide you like your gouge better oil-less :D

[Reed Gray]

Wally, you look very much like the guy, 'the most interesting man in the world' / 'stay thirsty my friends' in the Dos XX beer commercials. Well, actually, he looks like you.

robo hippy

[Wally Dickerman]

Wally, you look very much like the guy, 'the most interesting man in the world' / 'stay thirsty my friends' in the Dos XX beer commercials. Well, actually, he looks like you.

robo hippy

Must be a Handsome Fellow....:)

[Reed Gray]

Here you go Wally, your comment reminded me of him....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGdnIrRKDTI

robo hippy

[Wally Dickerman]

Here you go Wally, your comment reminded me of him....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGdnIrRKDTI

robo hippy

Well....You're right, but because of my handlebar mustache I'm better looking..:p