Putting a handle on P&N Bowl Gouge

[Chuck Saunders]

Christmas was good for me. As a result I have 2 P&N bowl gouges to play with. I could use some guidance on the handles if anyone cares to share.
How long should handles be?
How deep should the hole be drilled?
Even with epoxy holding the gouge, doesn't the torque want to twist the gouge in the handle?
Should anything more be done to resist the torque?

I welcome any suggestions anyone may have that doesn't include putting them in a box and mailing them to you.
Thanks
Chuck

[Jim Ketron]

Here is what I did with mine!

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=18866

[Travis Stinson]

I'll 2nd Jim's home-made handle idea, works great. I just got the 5/8" P&N Supa gouge and made my 2nd handle, it's now my go-to roughing gouge. :cool:

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c213/tstin27/1234/DSC03976.jpg

[Rich Souchek]

Handles for P&N bowl gouges
I like wooden handles and making them is fun. I look over my tools and select a handle that feels good on about the same size tool. Then find some nice hardwood and get started. A copper coupling cut in half makes a ferule. End up with nicely shaped handle with hole for gouge in the buisness end. I use foam polyurathane glue to hold the gouge in the black. It does not need anything further to grip the gouge.
Try these sited for more info on wooden handle making:
http://alanlacer.com/articles/handles.html
http://www.woodturningonline.com/assets/turning_articles/JohnLucasToolHandles.htm
A search on this site and other turning forums will yield lots of info/
Good luck.
Rich S.

[Andy Hoyt]

If you're gonna turn your own plan on using a nice heavy straight grained wood and make it 50% longer than the handles typically found on store bought tools. Weight and heft are your co-pilot.

I like a big knob on the end and after shaping I sand to 80 grit or so and call it good.

No finish - let the oils in your hand do the rest.

[George Tokarev]

All depends on how you cut. If you're following the basic rules of good lathesmanship, you shouldn't need a lot of extra reach. That's adjustable anyway with dowels. Flute plus an inch and a half exposed, maybe? I like brass compression ferrules for my home-made handles. Bore the hole as close to the shaft size or in the case of square tangs, step drill close to diameter, be sure and cut the tenon on the end so that the ferrule is driven on, compressing the tenon to secure the shaft. Any glue inside isn't really glue, just a liquid wood filler. If you turn your handles at 20% MC, they'll grip great once they get to 15 or so.

If you regularly cut with long extension over the rest, make a longer handle to increase your mechanical advantage. It's not good cutting practice, but if that's the way you do it, it's one way of taking back a bit of what you're giving away. One thing you'll never get back is the arc advantage, where you can use a 1/4" of input on the hand to move the tip a 32nd. That's the finesse that keeps you from running out or digging in. You will also lose clearance for some angles turning over the ways, and if you weight the handle, add to the fatigue on your forearm by carrying extra weight when the fulcrum is in close where it should be.

Nice thing about making your own handles is you can think, turn and experiment. For me the 10" average works fine.

[Chuck Saunders]

Thanks for the ideas. Great links Rich.
Chuck

[Dario Octaviano]

I must have missed it but I read all the links and didn't see how deep the hole should be. There was a reference to 2" but only when you can start doing it unsupported.

So how deep should the tool be imbedded ideally (say for a bowl gouge)? :D

[George Tokarev]

I must have missed it but I read all the links and didn't see how deep the hole should be. There was a reference to 2" but only when you can start doing it unsupported.

So how deep should the tool be imbedded ideally (say for a bowl gouge)? :D

Might have read my post above. By inference, if you leave the flute plus up to an inch and a half of cylinder, the depth should be sufficient to embed the remainder.

Real answer lies in the way you cut. If you're inclined to cut a long way out over the rest you want more steel exposed. If you'd like to break the habit rather than your tool or piece, less.

[Mike Ramsey]

Not sure about any formulas, I just make mine to what I feel
Is comfortable to me. Just turn one and try it, don't glue the tang
& if it doesent feel right start over...wood for handles are usually
cheap.