Where to find a decent woodworking vise handle?

[Mike Manning]

I'm restoring an old Morgan 100A woodworking vise. I thought I'd be able to buy a good handle for it but now that I'm looking I'm not having any luck. What I thought I'd buy was an old style hardwood handle with large knobs on the end that screwed onto the handle itself. The only one like that I can find is made by Lake Erie Toolworks. That's $35 plus shipping which kind of defeats the whole purpose of me buying an old one to restore and trying to keep expenses down. I do not like metal handles but heck if I could find one of the aluminum ones I'd go that route. I've read reviews about the ones like Woodcrafts sells and they are crap apparently. Other handles that appear to be okay have the ends of the handles screwed or nailed to the handle and those come off with a bit of use. Grrrr!!!

Anyone know of any other good options?

Thanks!
Mike

[Keith Westfall]

Buy a lathe, (everyone really needs one!) and make it yourself. Probably have a total cost of more that $35 though, if you factor in the lathe!!

[Bruce Page]

Lie Nielsen sells a nice one, I have it on my bench vise but it isn't cheap either.

[Wayne Lomman]

Carve one for yourself. You only need one end removable and that can be pegged in place. Cheers

[Rick Potter]

Like Wayne says. Use a quarter round bit on your router table and make the right size handle with square ends. Shape the ends by hand, cut off one end and use a dowel to glue it back on when you attach it.

Should work fine.

[Mike Manning]

Don't have a router or a lathe. :-(

[Chuck Nickerson]

What's the diameter of the hole? Just buy the appropriate hardwood dowel and cross-peg the ends.

[lowell holmes]

Woodcraft sells them cheaper than you can make one.

Lee Valley sells them.
Lie Nielsen sell them.

Or adapt a broom stick.

[Mike Wilkins]

A few years ago I got an old Craftsman woodworking vise without a handle. The diameter was one inch. Went to Lowes and purchased a 12" iron pipe that was threaded on each end. Got a couple of end caps, put a rubber O-ring on each end and screwed the caps in place. Has worked well for over 10 years without a hitch. Simple, cheap and effective.

[John Lankers]

I made a couple some years ago using a hand plane, spoke shave (you could use a rasp) and sand paper, cut wooden discs for the ends with a fretsaw or copingsaw and smooth the edges. Or drive to the nearest BORG buy some dowel rod, drive back home, cut it to length, make end caps - I wonder what's faster and more satisfying.

[Prashun Patel]

Lee Valley has one that I own. I like it. No big knobs though.

[Chris Fournier]

Made my own out of padauk and turned two spheres for the ends as well. I love using that vise, worth the effort!

[Keith Weber]

You mentioned that you didn't like metal handles, but if you wanted cheap, how about a 12" length of black/galvanized pipe and a couple of end caps from your local big box hardware store. It would cost you $7.40 at HD, assuming 3/4" size, black pipe ($5.86 for galvanized). You don't get much cheaper than that!

[Mike Manning]

A few years ago I got an old Craftsman woodworking vise without a handle. The diameter was one inch. Went to Lowes and purchased a 12" iron pipe that was threaded on each end. Got a couple of end caps, put a rubber O-ring on each end and screwed the caps in place. Has worked well for over 10 years without a hitch. Simple, cheap and effective.

You might have provided a workaround to the problem I have with metal vise handles - the rubber O-rings. They invariably slip down and bite that skin between my thumb and index finger. Hurts like a son of a biscuit.

I also like Chuck's idea of pegging or using a tenon with a hardwood dowel. That vise will accommodate a 1" handle.

[Scott Dorrer]

I just restored an old Wilcox vise. For the handle I used a hardwood dowel and 2 golf balls. Cut the dowel to length. Then drilled the 2 golf balls about 1/3 of the way through and epoxied them on the ends of the dowel. Works great and was cheap.

[Sam Blasco]

Have you considered going out into the yard or park and finding a branch of approximately the right species and dimensions and making it work, with no money spent?