Tool handle on a pin vise

[oldtoolsniper]

Find the piece of brown hardwood from the scrap bin. Rough it out and find out it's Purple Heart. It will be brown again shortly.

Cut the tenon, add the compression fitting and turn away.

Drill it for the handle and then the collar on the pin vise.

Test fit before clean up and finish work is done.

It's now a useful tool for many projects. I use them as awl handles for hand stitching leather.

Purple Heart scrap
3/8" brass compression fitting
Size C Starrett pin vise
Five minute epoxy
Boiled linseed oil finish


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[LouCee]

Looks great, I like it!

 

[mark james]

Very nice! I have only made handles for a few tools, but each one is a bit special, now.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Nanigai]

Well done, I like this idea and in true Aussie style I'll copy it for my scroll saw pin vices.
Cheers, Ian

 

[Skie_M]

Very nice indeed ...

I'm gonna have to copy this style of design for my jewelry making endeavors ...


(I'll be able to hold the earring post in the pin vice securely while I work the material for the cabochon against the grinding and polishing surfaces...)

 

[SteveAxelrod]

Too pretty to be a tool handle! ;o) Nice work!

 

[oldtoolsniper]

Thanks for the comments everybody. I find those pin vises to be much more useful with a handle on them for what I do. I'm not sure what machinists do with them, for me they are to skinny.

On the compression fittings cut your tenon so you thread the tenon with the fitting. I use a wrench to turn the fitting on, its that tight. I turn a second small tenon that comes a smidgin out of the hole on the fitting for my center. After it's all fit I unscrew it, add epoxy and wrench it back on square to the shoulder. Let the epoxy set up and then turn it between centers. I turn the brass with my regular Sorby HSS tools. On light woods finish out the brass fitting first so you turn off any brass goobers and have clean crisp wood. Dark woods don't matter as much.

I learned how to make tool handles this way from a lady that taught turning years ago at Palomar College in California. I added the pin vise to what she taught. It's a fun way to use up bigger chunks of scrap.


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[randyrls]

I'm not sure what machinists do with them, for me they are to skinny.

They can be put into a jacobs chuck or other tool holder for drilling fine holes in printed circuit boards, or other small hole work.