Handling My Chisels
Sometimes I wonder about myself. I’ve been a woodworker for a long time but like so many, I did most of my early woodworking by flipping a switch. But I’m a guy and guys like tools. The notion of having an excuse to dig through piles of rust at flea markets was appealing
So somewhere in the mid-90s I started buying old handtools and putting them on shelves. I learned how to do electrolysis to remove rust and while these days I use Evapo-Rust, I sometimes miss my bubbling tub. I learned how to clean a saw blade and make replacement totes for hand planes. Having the tools caused me to learn how they worked and, just as the galoots are fond of saying, I slid down the slippery slope. But I’ve always been one to want the tool in working condition, with little interest in making them pretty. I’m not sure why that is but it is.
And so many of the tools I use on a regular basis are less than pristine. They are flat where they need to be, sharp as I can make them. But pretty they are not. There’s something special about using a tool that someone else, in another generation used. But I admit that sometimes even I roll my eyes when I look at some of my tools.
And so it was that I was waiting for the Super Bowl to start and, I said “Why don’t I make some decent handles for these chisels?” (I talk to myself often, don’tcha know). “These chisels” are two Berg chisels and I love them as they hold an edge even at a low paring angle, which is how I use them.
I don’t have a pattern for the ideal chisel handle so I looked at a couple photos. I grabbed a short piece of 8/4 maple and cut a couple 1 1/2″ square blocks that were 7″ long. The photo above is more for this post than the actual process but let’s call it “planning and design” as I kinda sorta squinted and drew what seemed like a pleasing handle shape next to the old handle.
This went onto the lathe. I used a roughing gouge to create a cylinder and then started marking out the rough dimensions using a parting tool. At this point the idea was just to separate the various sections but the next step was to use calipers and increase the depth of the slots to reflect where I wanted the diameter to be at the various points. Once this is done I just removed stock between the slots to achieve the final shape. If I were really concerned about building a matched set of handles I’d probably have a couple more diameter positions along the main handle area but I just did it by eye as I wanted one handle significantly larger than the other and I had no idea with “best” is in any case.
This is what I ended up with after adding a bit of shellac. Not bad for less than an hour’s work. And just in time for the Super Bowl.
Cheers — Larry
RSS
Great looking handles! Some of my favorite tools have that “lived in” look and it is one of the things I Iike about them! I do have a few that could use a makover though!
This is what I really like about socket chisels, they are so easy to replace the handles. The vintage tool is a joy to use, but I feel even more so when we have added our own mark to them like you did with these handles. You might try making a longer paring handle too. Those are a lot of fun and the control you get with them is great. Plus with the socket configuration it is very easy to switch them back and forth.
Doug, I struggle with this. I just love ‘old.’ Maybe it’s because I qualify. But even after re-handling these chisels I can’t bring myself to throw away those old, beat up handles. Silly I suppose.
Cheers — Larry
Shannon, I agree about socket chisels. Also agree that tool improvement is the flip-side of the ‘old’ thing I mentioned to Doug and it’s very gratifying. I paid a couple bucks for those chisels a decade ago and they were covered with rust. Now they’re among my favorites. I like your idea for a long paring handle, particularly for the larger 1 1/4″ chisel.
Cheers — Larry
Great work Larry. I restored one of my grandfather’s chisels a few months back and went the route of sanding the heck out of its crazy-gross handle. There’s a remarkable amount of nice-looking wood underneath. Somehow it still has a kind of patina.
Which flavor of shellac was that? Looks blonde, or super blonde?
Kenneth,
I applied a light coat of BLO and followed it with some blonde shellac. While I didn’t talk about it in the post, I tried what Tage Frid called his 4D finish which works amazingly well.
It’s sort of a French polish approach in many ways but mostly it’s a ways to do the BLO/shellac finish without waiting for the BLO to dry. In short, I applied the shellac immediately after applying the BLO and let if sit for a few seconds. This mess gets very sticky. Then I buffed the heck out of it and the shine comes up. Easy on a lathe as you have the machine spinning the piece. It’s a lot of work on a cabinet and I’m too lazy
Cheers — Larry
Larry…perhaps some day in the future a woodworker may take these “old chisels” and apply new handles on them as well. Nice work!
Maybe so, Bob, maybe so. It’s a pleasant thought.
Cheers — Larry
To be honest, after all your non-turned handles I didn’t think you owned a lathe
Hee…hee…yes, I own a lathe. I look at handles with an eye towards functionality.
Marking knife – squarish handle so it won’t roll off bench.
Chisels – big round handles so I can wrap my hand around them. Won’t roll off bench because of the large, flat blade.
Cheers — Larry