Octagonal handle

another opportunity to ask about handles

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I am intrigued by the variety of handles that appear on chisels. I suppose handles are what they are from some combination of preferred, and or functional ergonomics, and preferred means of fabrication. Or not?

I have a lathe so turning a handle was a simple means of fabrication, the result was suitable, and that was the end of it. In my case I was starting with dogwood branches and octagonal would have been more difficult to fabricate.

Absent a lathe would an octagonal handle be the easiest shape to make? Do the facets provide function I have not discovered? (I have two small chisels with octagonal handles and I don't prefer the shape to round, but maybe that is because all my others are round).

Then there are the combinations and enhancements- Octagonal with round features added(Sorby) and round shapes more complex than simple barrel shapes. Are these more complex features marketing or do they provide function to some?

Re: another opportunity to ask about handles

Jack Guzman from Maine

I prefer the grip of an octagonal chisel handle. Probably more important with a paring chisel. The flats also make it easier to aim the chisel. One other advantage is that they won't roll.

Re: Octagonal handle

Steve Voigt

I'll have to look up those "rimers," Warren. Cool reference.

I normally use the tang to ream the hole. I file the sides of the tang a little to sharpen the arrises.

I also find it helpful to start with a blank that's significantly over-sized, then mark out the final lines after a test fit on the tang.

Thanks, Warren...

David Weaver

I recall burning in the first handle (Which was probably over a year ago) based on seeing Todd Hughes talk about doing it often. It's obviously easy to do, and if the burn in is done in a couple of stages, you can address straightness issues as you describe.

Those, of course, don't occur on a lathe turned round handle where the handle (and the tang can be bent a very small amount without threatening it when through, but I say that as someone making chisels now - I wouldn't want to break or weaken a tang on a chisel that I couldn't just remake easily).

Aside from Todd mentioning several times that he burned a lot of handles in, I haven't seen any historical reference to it. It does often result in a little bit of shimming down the road as the pocket compresses, and if I overburn a handle, I have to shim right away, but the shim is just a plane shaving or two (and it offers the opportunity again to make small corrections).

In sheffield where handles were made, I'm sure someone did hundreds or or thousands of handles on a progressive boring setup and the whole idea of burning in wouldn't have been needed in the first place.

The picture is interesting for me for a second reason - the tang is long. I've felt like I'd rather make a longer tang, but it's early on and I hadn't really done much to do it yet. I have much more heat available now than I did before thanks to the delivery of a forge and will make the tangs longer and hammer them out to more of a point.

I don't have any real plans to make any chisels for sale, though I may end up dumping a few as surplus, and if that means making handles, I won't burn them in. It's kind of a lazy thrill for me right now, though - except for the fact that when using rosewood, the burn in process takes several heats. Everything else, two heats - one to make the initial modification of a narrow drilled hole, and then a second after assessing straightness - is fine.

Where is the top center flat?

David Weaver

Warren - if you are looking down at the chisel, is the flat on the handle planar with the blade of the chisel?

There are a few who may think this question is nuts, but a natural grip of the chisel favors the flats being off slightly (this is the kind of thing that also becomes apparent with pencils - that specifics about facets are clear once you make a few - in that case, the number of sides is the issue and not their orientation - six is much more comfortable than .

I haven't made a nice handle yet, just afterthought kind of quickies and have put the front and back facets planar with the back and front of the chisel for looks. I've gotten used to it already.

Re: Where is the top center flat?

Warren in Lancaster, PA

Yes the top of the handle lines up with the octagonal bolster and the top of the chisel. I usually pick the best quartersawn facet for the top of the handle so that I can easily identify the orientation that fits well. If the tang is slightly crooked, it will only fit nicely in one orientation.

Re: Octagonal handle

Warren in Lancaster, PA

These rimers are called rinders in the Sheffield list. Also hollow reamers are called tapered borers.

I leave the handle a little fat until the hole is ready for seating, then finish tapering to near the edges of the bolster. That way if the hole had to be doctored to get a straight fit or if the bolster is itself a little uneven, the handle facets can be made to match the bolster nicely. On a turned handle you sometimes have to live with a slight mismatch of handle and bolster.

Thanks, warren..

David Weaver

..needless to say, all of the chisels that I've made so far have a specific orientation due to the tang being imperfect, though some will seat 180 degrees off without issue and fit well.

Re: another opportunity to ask about handles

Joe Fleming

I am a woodturner as well and if I make a handle for my turning tools, they are round. I have several after-market handle as well and I have both round and "flatted" handles. For use, I don't have a particular preference, but when I set them down, I like the "flatted" ones so they don't roll off the workbench.

I also do carving and I prefer handles with facets. #1 reason is for roll prevention. #2 reason is for tool positioning. I bought a left and right-hand hook tool for spoon carving a few years ago. I made these handles octagonal with the ribs heavily rounded for grip comfort. I really like the facets for the hook tooks because the tools require rotational forces and the grip is stronger.

Seaton Chest

Warren in Lancaster, PA

You might like the Seaton chest book (2nd edition 2012). There are twelve pages of chisel drawings by blacksmith Peter Ross. There were more than 40 chisels in the chest. Here is a sample:

Is that....

David Weaver

the jane rees edited book that's around $125 used or are there other versions of it?

Re: TATHS web site

David Weaver

Thanks, Rafael - that's much closer to something that I could justify!!

Re: TATHS web site

Warren in Lancaster, PA

The first edition (1997) became very expensive before the new edition came out. The measured drawings and blacksmith notes are only in the 2nd edition. The original inventory of the tools with prices is also very valuable because we know that this is not just a haphazard set of tools, but rather a cabinetmaker's idea of a workable set.

Re: TATHS web site

David Weaver

It looks like the second edition is out of stock in any reasonable place in the US.

TATHS website requests no US orders through them, but I"ll check with them, anyway.

Astragal's own website wasn't up earlier today.

Listed at LV  *LINK*

David Bassett

Lee Valley lists the 2nd edition for $43 and says it'll be back in stock 1/7/2021.


https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/books-and-dvds/74726-the-tool-chest-of-benjamin-seaton-2nd-edition?item=49L0812

Re: Listed at LV

David Weaver

Yep, saw that one. Thanks for suggesting, though. The only dealer in the U.S. who has the new one in stock is looking for 125 for it.

Taths website requests us orders not be made through them, but I did that, anyway. They're at about 34 pounds, which isn't bad. I haven't heard back from them yet, but they could still turn my order down.

Re: Listed at LV

William Duffield

You might also check the Colonial Williamsburg bookstore at the DeWitt Wallace Museum. That's where I got my copy.

Re: Not at CWF

William Duffield

I can't find it at Williamsburg's online shopping pages, so I assume they do not have it in stock. There is a good possibility that Jane Rees brought several copies with her a few years ago to a Woodworking in the 18th Century conference, that were then sold through the DeWitt Wallace Museum's bookstore. That batch would have sold out very quickly to the attendees at the conference. Sorry.

Re: Not at CWF

David Weaver

no problem - taths hasn't refunded my purchase yet. Hopefully, they'll just ship it from England even though they advise not to. I couldn't find good direct store contact information from them to pre-check with a "ppbbbbllllleeeezzzz...it's out of stock here in the states from any reasonable store!!!"