Formal intro and tool handle question.

[Dan Forman]

Well, I guess it's time to introduce myself down here, now that I've been pestering you with questions for some time. I've been around upstairs for a while, and through visits here from time to time, developed an interest in turning. I posted a few questions, and next thing I know this followed me home...

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l279/T-Caster/P1010705.jpg

Haven't had much time to play with it yet, but I have been practicing a little basic spindle technique, and have a bowl class coming up this weekend.

I have a few tools (gouges) that I need to make handles for, and I'm wondering if there is a way of mounting them temporarily, rather than using epoxy or something similar? The reason being I have so little experience, that I don't know what I will end up liking as far as handle length, girth, weight, etc. So I would like to get the tools into use, but be able to make changes in the future if I don't care for whatever I have come up with. All I have now are the red handled Harbor Freight HSS set. I know I will want longer handles than those.

All I've come up with so far is drilling and tapping the handle for a course thread set screw, but I don't know if that would do the job, or whether it cause significant weakness in that are of the handle. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Dan

[Steve Schlumpf]

Dan - Congrats on your new Lathe! No idea what to tell you about handles as I haven't made any yet. Suggest you stick with the HF set until you get a class or 2 under your belt. I'm sure there will be people at the bowl class that can advise better! Again - Congrats on your new lathe!

[Tim A. Mitchell]

Dan, congrats on the lathe. I have been leaving a trail of shavings all over, and have yet to get one to follow me.

Same with Steve here. I have not made any tools. Along with steves suggestion, see if there are some other tools to try at the class. If ata store, pull a few different ones off the display, and see how they fit in the hands.

Have fun.

[Dale Gregory]

Errrrrrrrrr, another PM! You guys are trying your hardest to pull me into deep into the Vortex. I'm fighting all the way! Seriously, congrats on the new lathe, it's a gem, and your a lucky man!

Dale

[Richard Madison]

Dan,
That is a pathetic little pile of shavings under the PM. Get to work.

Meanwhile make a "practice handle" and drill it 3,4,5" deep for your unhandled tool. Drill the hole the same nominal size as the tool. Is likely that you will get a press fit, with no set screw required.

[John Hart]

Congratulations on the new iron Dan! As far as set screws, I've had success and failure.....mostly success....and the failures were due to my stupidity. Your handle length requirements are going to change as you progress to different kinds of turning. Generally, keeping your toolrest close to the work, provides the leverage advantage and long handles are not as necessary. But as you get sucked deeper into the abyss, and start hollowing things where the toolrest won't go, you'll need the additional leverage provided by the length of the handle. You'll see.;)

[David Fried]

Dan,

If things like that follow you home you should lock your doors.
Wait, open all your doors! And windows!! :D

I've made a couple of oddball homemade tools. I rehandled one. I put the handle in a vise and whacked it with a large chisel. The handle split off with no damage to the steel tool. I sanded the epoxy junk off the tool and popped it into a new handle. Tools are alot tougher than handles.

[Paul Andrews]

Dan,
Congradulations on the new lathe. As for the tool handles, try a spade bit the same size as the tool handle and drill about 2 1/2 - 3". You are trying for a tight dry fit. You might have to drill a small relief hole through the handle into the very bottom seat of the tool channel to allow air to escape. If that holds the tool tight enough, great. If not a little thick CA should do the trick. If you need to remove the handle place the tool in a vise and snap rotate the handle usually works, if not a little heat at the base of the tool will do it.

[robert hainstock]

Somebody,(maybe Craft supplies) sells tool handle blanks and ferrules. When inerting the tool into the handle, after you start the tool in pound the butt end onto an very firm surface. All of the previous advice also applies. Good luck! :)

[Bill Blasic]

If you really want to try different tools without permanently gluing in handles purchase or make steel/aluminum handles. All the turning outlets sell these handles that will accomodate different size tools such as Hosaluk, Kelton, Bosch to name a few and as I said you can make these same handles from cold rolled steel or aluminum with out much difficulty.

[Dan Forman]

Thanks for your help. I guess I'll just try one and see what happens wtih the fit, and go from there. i'll post the results...maybe :D

Dan

[Tyler Howell]

Way to go dan nice haul.
TJH

[Tom Sherman]

Dan first welcome to the Abyss, second you might try checking out the following web site www dot frankpenta dot com. Frank is a very good turner and instructor. On his website he has some tool handle inserts that are made of aluminum and have set screws. Check it out.

[Clem Wixted]

Try this site:

http://thompsonlathetools.com/handles.asp

Clem

[Jim Becker]

Kewel! Congrats on the new lathe, Dan! And now you can do a new avatar with "shavings hair" of different species... LOL

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Dan, welcome!! Don't ya just love it when puppy dogs follow you home? ...but honey you wouldn't want ole yeller here to go homeless, now would you?:D

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats on the new Lathe Dan. Have fun.

[Dean Thomas]

Hey Dan, nice catch, sir! Wood that we could all be so blessed.

Tool handles are easy projects. Find one that fits your hand and is comfortable in heft and length. Copy it!

You really do not need to glue steel into wooden handles. They stay just fine without any glue and generally don't get loose. If they do and you can't smack the butt end of the handle and make it firm again, make a new handle!

The various metal handles for standard sized round steel tools are great. If you're basically a one-tool-at-a-time kind of guy, that kind of arrangement is a good one. I have a double ended Oneway handle that I use for only a couple of different tools. All of my other tools are individually handled.

You can use any metal for ferrules. My favorite is still the brass compression nuts and turn off the corners after you use a wrench to install it. It won't come off any time soon! Bore the handle to the diameter of your new steel and hit the butt end of the handle with a goodly whacker (hard wood preferred, not metal) until the tang end of the steel disappears into the tool and start using it! Cheaper and more flexible than being tied to one universal handle with allen screws to do and undo every time you want to change tools. WAY cheaper than having an array of the metal handles, too. :rolleyes:

[Dan Forman]

Tyler---Good to see your smiling face again. When is moving day?

Tom---Looked on that website, couldn't find the inserts, just reference that he uses them.

Clem---Two of the gouges are Thompson's, but his instructions say to use glue.

Jim---A new avatar is very possibly on the horizon.

Christopher---Puppy dogs are always welcome at my house.

Bernie---Thanks will do.

Dean---That was my intention, to make handles for each tool, just wanted to make sure that glue wasn't necessary until I was satisfied with the feel of the handles. Think I'll start tonight.

Thanks again to everyone.

Dan