karlkuehn
Banned
I've been working on some handles as I get a chance for the new blades that I got. It's been a lot of fun, and while it takes a little more time than just buying handles, you can give each of your tools their own 'personality'.
I was torn as to whether or not to make the handle profiles match or color code them somehow or sit back and plan them all out for six months, and when it came down to it, I had to ask myself why I keep trying to build structure into things. Just my natural personality type to try to organize stuff.
In the end, I just said phooey and I'm having a blast making each one unique. I get to play with and practice different things on each one, and they'll be easier to tell apart when every thing's covered in sawdust.
So far I've finished three of them...er...almost, still waiting on lead shot for the back-end weight on the big one. The small ones are heavy enough to balance the way they are, I think. I've been playing with 'rustic-ifying' a couple of them - nothing says 'Master Craftsman' like a bunch of razor-sharp beat up old tools in my box, right? [
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These are a 1" skew ('straightener out', to the layperson), a 1/2" skew and a 1/4" spindle gouge ('Digger'?); all are Patience & Nicholson from CSUSA.
1" Skew - Curly, spalted fiddleback maple
Polished brass 1 1/4" ferrule, CA/BLO and straight CA finish. The wood on this one talks plenty loud for itself, so I didn't do anything fancy to it.
1/4" Spindle Gouge - Box Elder
Polished brass 1" ferrule, dyed on the lathe with Transtint then CA/BLO and straight CA finish. Added a couple of beads, wrapped the middle part in hemp cord, soaked the hemp in CA and sanded flush.
1/2" Skew - Two-tone heart/sap reclaimed heart pine
Polished brass 1" ferrule with a couple of turned grooves. Did some wood burned viney leafy things, turned in some detail lines, added a kabobber to the back end, a little green dye and then weathered the handle a little with a dirty buffing wheel.
I was torn as to whether or not to make the handle profiles match or color code them somehow or sit back and plan them all out for six months, and when it came down to it, I had to ask myself why I keep trying to build structure into things. Just my natural personality type to try to organize stuff.
In the end, I just said phooey and I'm having a blast making each one unique. I get to play with and practice different things on each one, and they'll be easier to tell apart when every thing's covered in sawdust.
So far I've finished three of them...er...almost, still waiting on lead shot for the back-end weight on the big one. The small ones are heavy enough to balance the way they are, I think. I've been playing with 'rustic-ifying' a couple of them - nothing says 'Master Craftsman' like a bunch of razor-sharp beat up old tools in my box, right? [
]These are a 1" skew ('straightener out', to the layperson), a 1/2" skew and a 1/4" spindle gouge ('Digger'?); all are Patience & Nicholson from CSUSA.
1" Skew - Curly, spalted fiddleback maple
Polished brass 1 1/4" ferrule, CA/BLO and straight CA finish. The wood on this one talks plenty loud for itself, so I didn't do anything fancy to it.
1/4" Spindle Gouge - Box Elder
Polished brass 1" ferrule, dyed on the lathe with Transtint then CA/BLO and straight CA finish. Added a couple of beads, wrapped the middle part in hemp cord, soaked the hemp in CA and sanded flush.
1/2" Skew - Two-tone heart/sap reclaimed heart pine
Polished brass 1" ferrule with a couple of turned grooves. Did some wood burned viney leafy things, turned in some detail lines, added a kabobber to the back end, a little green dye and then weathered the handle a little with a dirty buffing wheel.
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