Tool Handles

I've only been turning a couple of weeks, but I've already decided that longer handles on my tools are a must! My question is if I go out and harvest some of my timber for handles which is better Osage Orange or White Oak. And how dry should it be before I make/use it for handles?

-Terry

Reply to
THumphr
Loading thread data ...

Turn another week. The length of the handle is to allow you to make nearly imperceptible small adjustments on the business end by making longer on the guiding end.

Keep your rest close, the tool firmly anchored to it and as close to 90 degrees to the rest as possible, and you'll hardly feel a thing against a 15 to 1 mechanical advantage. If you do, you're not cutting, you're hacking.

Yellow birch is my favorite on the ones I've shortened.

Reply to
George

"George" wrote: (clip) Turn another week. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I think George is right. Some very reliable tool companies make those tools, and a large number of accomplished turners use them.

However, there is nothing wrong with making your own handles, and it certainly makes a good project for a beginner. I find that the round, tapered table legs (that have a threaded metal insert at the top) make excellent tool handles. They are often seen for very cheap at flea markets, garage sales and such.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

My take on this is longer the handle the better, especially inside turning. With the proper tecnique, longer is not always necessary, howerver, with average technique (me), go long! My reason is very simple; the dreaded catch!! A long handle gives you the mechanical advantage to hold, and a catch does always rip the tool from your hands.

Reply to
Tom Storey

To respond directly to the question of what wood to use, I would personally use the oak. I have found the green Osage orange to be very, very unstable, and then when dried an ugly color of pee. I have had too many OO pieces self destruct while drying.

Let the oak dry as much as you can, but if you turn a pretty uniform handle it should dry out pretty straigtht even if it is a little green. I wouldn't turn it off the tree, but if it was a little green you should be fine.

I had read somewhere that the old smithys used to use green oak wood for tool handles because they could force the tool into the handle and let the shrinkage of the wood help hold the tool in place. I tried it on a small hollowing tool, forcing the tool into a piece of some kind of finely grained green oak. (found wood)

It worked great.

Robert

Reply to
nailshooter41

Hi Terry

I know some of the turning tools from the far east do have rather short handles compared with the Crown and Sorby etc. tools.

It depends a lot on what you turn, size and power of your late, blanks etc, as what size tools you should use and the handle length.

As for what wood to use, I have made handles from rough sawn blanks as an apprentice for tools used in metal working, as this was in Europe, we didn't have Osage or even Hickory, so the most often used wood for handles was Ash, or Hornbeam, Oak was not used as it likes to stick splinters into your hands if you tread it a little rough, I would suggest if you can get your hands on it to try to get nice Hickory, Hornbeam or Ash, Dogwood and hard Maple is also a good wood for it, Osage seems like a good contender also, but as it is very scarce up here, I would like to use that for some nice turning projects ;-))), However if you have plenty than send some to me OK, (the bigger the better) and I'll send you some Ash for turning handles in return :->.

How dry ??, if the wood is wet and you make ferules for the shoulder they will come loose as the wood shrinks, also the wood probably will split if you make it from wood with the pith in it, like branch wood.

So straight grained wood that is fairly dry and without knots or the pith in it, is what you would like to get and use, but lesser wood can and has served also.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Reply to
l.vanderloo

InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.