Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
Tom Colligan, Peoria
>Has anyone come upon an efficient way of removing a plastic handle on a tool? I'd like to try turning a replacement handle for some of the chisels I have. TIA,
Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
Posts
Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
#2Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
Scott Post
>I haven't done it, but I'd probably grab the chisel by its blade with a four jaw chuck on my metal lathe and turn off the plastic. If I didn't have access to a metal lathe I'd cut off the bulk of it with a bandsaw using a junky blade I didn't mind sacrificing.
I do recall someone trying to do this with, I believe, Marples Blue Chips and finding that the handle was molded around an odd shaped shaft that didn't lend itself to a wooden replacement.
Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
#3Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
Bill Tindall, E. TN
>The handles of Sears and Stanley chisels were typically cellulose ester.They will be the translucent handles. It can be melted off or slowly dissolved off in lacquer solvent or acetone.
Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
#4Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
Bob Hackett
>A hacksaw has always worked for me.If the tang has a bulb on the end that holds the handle on just cut above the bulb.I generally just use a cold chisel to remove the remainder of the handle,just cut parallel to the tang.You can round off the tang on either the bench grinder or use an angle grinder.Cutting the bulb off would be another option,I`d use an abrasive cutoff wheel in either a diegrinder or an angle grinder for that.
Mainely,Bob
Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
#5Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
Alice Frampton, UK
>Tom,
I have actually done this, and pretty much as Bob suggests. I hacksawed off the end roughly beyond where I guessed the tang extended to, then hacksawed off most of the rest parallel with the tang, finishing with a junker chisel to split off the remainder. In order to make the tang suitable to grip a wooden handle I ground down the round tang to create square edges. Making it an exact replica of a tapering one from an old chisel doesn't seem necessary; the square edges to bite into the wood are the key. If you're uncertain of the grip a little epoxy wouldn't hurt though :~)
Cheers, Alf
Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
#6Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
George Huron
>There would have to be something very special about a chisel blade to go through this exercise. Especially when wooden handled chisels can be purchased readily.
Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
#7I'll say!
Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX
>That is precisely what I was thinking. And if it's that special a chisel blade, bet it's worth more with the plastic handle.
Pam
Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
#8Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
Alice Frampton, UK
>George,
I'll let you into a secret. I only did it just to see if I could ;~)
Cheers, Alf
Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
#9Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
Bob Hackett
>I`ve found that if you take the time to put handmade wood handles on your loaner/sacrificial chisels,1-The folks who borrow them don`t know they aren`t the good laminated chisels and will grab them because they recognize the handles.
2-they feel better when YOU are using them.
3-some garbage chisels just need to be re-tempered to be above average,the plastic handles don`t fare well during re-tempering.
4-I have never been able to hang on to a plastic handled chisel during the heat of the summer.Wood is a different story.
Even the chisel holder I use for my cold chisels has had the plastic handle replaced,Wood is just the right thing to use.Plastic,IMHO,is only right for the folks at the factory.Cheaper+easier for them,sucks to be us.
Mainely,Bob
Re: Removing Plastic Chisel Handles
#105' 4" and 195 lbs *LINK*
Darrell Feltmate
>I have done this many times. Hold the blade in a bench vise, heat the handle with a heat gun and pull. No big deal.
Wood Turnings by Darrell Feltmate