Made a chisel handle for paring dovetails

Great job

Jim Reed @Tallahassee

>I consider most tool handles just temporary & think it is best to turn one to fit your mitt and the job at hand. The turning is nice. Just be careful--the lathe is woodworking *crack* and can transform you into a turning junkie.

Re: Made a chisel handle for paring dovetails

Mike McDaniel

>Two thoughts; 1. the handle profile looks like it would be more at home, on a socket chisel. That's no problem, just a little tweaking, in the area just behind the bolster.

2. The bolster is a little big. Looks like you used copper pipe. Try using brass pipe nipples. Get lengths of 1/4" and 3/8" nipples, and cut them to the size needed. For smaller handles, file the threads down flush. This technique will give you four sizes to choose from.

Keep at it! Making your own handles, gives you the ability to set yourself, apart from the rest. I think you've made a great starting point, and a little tweaking will make for a great looking chisel.

Mike McDaniel,

WV

Re: Made a chisel handle for paring dovetails

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>It looks like a good chisel handle to me. But, here's what I think makes a great dovetail paring chisel handle: First, I think the size of your ferrule is ok. A large ferrule doesn't get seem to get in my way. I like to make my ferrules from brass compression nuts, because they have more metal than copper pipe. That way, I can turn off the sharp front shoulder of the ferrule to round, so it has less chance of dinging some mostly finished piece of wood and so it is friendlier to pick up. What is important is that the ferrule fits very tightly against the collar you have turned, so that there is no room for the wood to split inside the ferrule. It is a lot easier to control the diameter when the diameter is larger. The parting tool takes off material in a hurry when the diameter gets very small. Second, since you will be pushing with your thumb and finger tip, the more defined shoulders and rounded bead in front of them of the original Berg handle are preferrable, since these features allow you to push harder with less point force on your finger tips. Third, the larger, flatter butt of the the Witherby is also to be preferred for similar reasons, since you will push against it with the ball of your hand, your breast bone, or your shoulder. The idea is to minimize point forces on all parts of your body. The length of the handle is also very important, and should be sized very carefully to the width of your hand. Too short, and you put force on the middle of the palm, which is very bad, since you have nerves there which are not padded and very easily damaged. Too long, and you cannot effectively apply pressure with both the fingertips and the pads at the base of the hand.

This shape strategy also works for the way I pare the base of the joint, between the tails. I do this with the board flat on a piece of scrap. I hold the chisel vertically, wrap one hand around the handle with the butt end just about level with the top of the circle made by the thumb and index finger, place the pads at the back the palm of the other hand on top, and push down hard with my breast bone. The handle design spreads out the forces on both hands and your chest.

Re: Made a chisel handle for paring dovetails

Ernie Miller Topeka

>Looks real nice to me but handles are a personal thing how they fit the hand. Send it to me and I will give it the fealsey test and report back to every one. be sure and make a template as I won't be able to send it back any to soon.

Thanks for the input so far ...

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>... It looks like several mods are in order. I will post again when it is done.

I can see how turning can become so addictive. It is how I imagine what it would be like to make pottery - watching something grow in your hands.

Of course, this is area comprises two complex skills - the ability to create a functional yet aesthetic design, and the ability to reproduce what one has already made that one will be interesting!).

Regards from Perth

Derek