Checking my process for Handles

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bigcountry7

bigcountry7

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2022
Messages
59
Location
Missouri, USA
I've made a few handles for some gouges and mallets over Christmas and I don't have much experience on a lathe or using a chuck. I am looking for someone to help point me in the right direction if I'm off base.

I made these mallet and spindle gouge handles from white ash.
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I started with the wood in a 4jaw chuck, turned it round, then drilled a hole in the end with a drill chuck in my tail vise. I added a 60 degree live center to my tail stock and turned the shape. I still had a square section by the butt of the tool.

I think I made a mistake in not leaving the blanks long. I had them at my desired length.

For the gouge, I wrapped the ferrule in tape and chucked it into some small jaws on my scroll chuck. It was not very stable and I added a tailstock. I turned the butt, and got most of the marks off except the last little pinhole.

For the mallet, I mounted the drill chuck in the headstock and jammed the handle over the drill bit. My main issue was the drill chuck wanting to wander off, but it finally behaved. It worked pretty well and I got the entire butt finished nicely.

In neither case did the blank turn perfectly true when I flipped it end for end.

Any feedback or suggestions?
 
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drill the hole for the tang before starting to round the blank. Put the revolving centre in that hole and then either chuck the other end or turn between centres to round. I suggest leaving the blank a bit long then you can round down the ends to length if the pin prick visible bothers you.

turning between centres as Edgar and I advise , centralises the blank on the hole.
 
Your basic process is essentially the same as mine - mount the blank between center, rough-turn to round, cut a tenon on the end, remount in a chuck and drill the hole for the tang, then turn the area to receive the ferrule. Press fit and/or glue it into place. Then finish turn the handle. Sand and apply a finish - I use a basic boiled linseed oil and paste wax utility finish that leaves the handle satin smooth but with a slight tooth so that my hand doesn't slip.

Many commercially-produced tools retain the mark of the drive spur at the butt end of the handle. If you are making the handle yourself, you can always make it a bit longer so that you can later trim off that end. But realistically, the handle is turned on a lathe, and that requires that there by some kind of drive fixing. And it's just a tool - which means that you are likely to be the only one to ever notice that mark. Many of the handles I've made stlll have the circular ring from the steb center. If my wife were to ask, I would tell her its decoration.

The handles I've made have been from ash, maple or birch - basically, whatever I've got available when I need to make a handle.
 
Greetings from Nebraska. Nice handles!

Like many have commented already, I usually turn my handles between centers. I either sand the point marks that are left behind on my dead center off or cover them up with a cabochon of some type, a turned bit of wood, a dowel hole plug, or in the case of my turning tools, a label covered with a clear glass cabochon from my local hobby store. For ferrules I use 3/4-inch PEX Press Sleeves from the hardware store. The shape is lightly flared on one end and lightly crimped (or rolled in) on the other end.

Your White Ash is very attractive. I usually use Hickory (a matter of availability and cost for me). I've attached thumbnails of some turning tools I made recently that shows the PEX ferrules and glass cabochons. - Dave

IMG_2768 Cropped.jpg IMG_2769.JPG
 
Thanks! I need to find a creative way to hold a long piece vertically on my drill press.

I'm not overly worried about the pin holes on these, but I want to figure it out for other projects.
 
1080Wayne said:
I just drill the hole for the tang on the drill press , then turn between 60 degree centers . Your white ash looks nice (and too clean) .
Click to expand...
Are there 60 degree drive centers available?

Also thanks for the compliments on the results. The Ash was just the straightest 8/4 stock I had on hand.
 
bigcountry7 said:
Are there 60 degree drive centers available?

Also thanks for the compliments on the results. The Ash was just the straightest 8/4 stock I had on hand.
Click to expand...
Here's one that's available on Amazon.

They used to be readily available at most of the pen supply houses, but the ones I checked only seem to carry drive centers in 60 degree.

 
bigcountry7 said:
Thanks! I need to find a creative way to hold a long piece vertically on my drill press.

I'm not overly worried about the pin holes on these, but I want to figure it out for other projects.
Click to expand...
Make a cradle with clamps top and bottom to hold the pieces you want to drill. Give it a fair sized base for stability and stand on the base of the drill,press , assuming it's a floor mounted one? I use a smaller arrangement on the bench mounted drill press for drilling pen blanks and candle stick holders before expanding the hole if needed.

If I need something longer doing I either use the lathe ( most often) or remove all the junk from round the floor mounted drill press and use that ( not often as lots of heavy stuff stored in that area!
 
Edgar said:
Here's one that's available on Amazon.

They used to be readily available at most of the pen supply houses, but the ones I checked only seem to carry drive centers in 60 degree.

Click to expand...
There are a ton of them on eBay as well. I just ordered one myself the other day

Nice work on the handles - I'm going to be making a few for carbide tools soon.

Michael
 
InkyMike said:
There are a ton of them on eBay as well. I just ordered one myself the other day

Nice work on the handles - I'm going to be making a few for carbide tools soon.

Michael
Click to expand...
Realized I didn't provide a link - this seller has a fair number of lathe accessories:


www.ebay.com

Quality Tool Steel 60 Degree Dead Center Centre- Hard & Ground - USA FULFILLED | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Quality Tool Steel 60 Degree Dead Center Centre- Hard & Ground - USA FULFILLED at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
Michael
 
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