tool handle swap ?

[Bill Bolen]

I've all but worn out my original Thompson 1/2" bowl gouge. The flute is so short I can no longer mount to my wolverine jig. The handle is homemade and I find it to be the best fitting handle I ever made. Question is the gouge was set in the handle with epoxy and I want to reuse the handle with the new gouge. Will heating the gouge allow the epoxy to release? Any ideas other than beating the handle off will be appreciated. Thanks. ...Bill,,,

[David Walser]

Bill,

The epoxy will soften if heat you heat the gouge. How much you need to heat the gouge will depend on the type of epoxy you used. With most hardware store epoxies, heating the gouge with a propane torch for a minute or two should suffice.

Good luck!

[Jamie Donaldson]

Heating the steel near the handle is indeed the answer, and a heat gun or propane torch is the tool.

[Mike Cruz]

And here I thought this was going to be like a "bowl swap", "pen swap", or "HF swap".... I was looking forward to swapping a tool handle with someone! :D My undstanding, Bill, is that beating it woudn't work anyway. Heating the steel is the best route.

[Scott Hackler]

And here I thought this was going to be like a "bowl swap", "pen swap", or "HF swap".... I was looking forward to swapping a tool handle with someone! :D My undstanding, Bill, is that beating it woudn't work anyway. Heating the steel is the best route.

wrong forum Mike! :)

[Bill Hensley]

I clamp it in a bench vise and heat the metal with a propane torch. Once I feel it getting pretty warm I place a piece of scrap wood on the end and drive it off the gouge with a mallet. I seem to swap handles from time to because I like one better than the other. They come right off and no damage it done. I usually use 5 minute epoxy when I do handles.

[Mike Cruz]

Bill, can you explain that with a bit more detail, please? What do you mean put a scrap piece on the end and drive it off? I just can't picture it...

[Bill Hensley]

Sure, I clamp the gouge (metal) in the vise not the handle. I place one end of the scrap up against the handle where the metal comes out and whack the other end of the scrap with the mallet. Drives the handle off and does no damage to the end. Works much better than trying to twist it off. I do this with both homemade and factory handles.

Hope the helps.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I clamp the tool in the vise. I heat the tool and then take a piece of 2 x 4 that I cut a slot in that just fits around the tool. Give it a good rap and off it comes. Clean out the hole and insert new tool.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Bill,
Here is another thought. Use the short tool to practice hand sharpening. It's amazing how useful a tool with a shallower or steeper grind can be within the inside of a bowl. Just make a nice new handle for the new gouge.
faust

[Peter Blair]

Bill, I agree with the heating of the tool. I on occasion, assemble or disassemble golf clubs, the heads are attached with epoxy. I am lucky to have a spring tension devise that is used for that which works great for removing tools from handles as well. I use a heat gun to prevent burning the handle.

[Richard Madden]

And here I thought this was going to be like a "bowl swap", "pen swap", or "HF swap".... I was looking forward to swapping a tool handle with someone! :D My undstanding, Bill, is that beating it woudn't work anyway. Heating the steel is the best route.

That's funny Mike...I was thinking the same thing.