Handles with care.

Chas Jones

Member
Messages
949
Location
Cotswolds, UK
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__________A recent project for a UK forum member.__________click on image for larger view
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________________Rosewood
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__________Some things called Stanley D (USA) whatever they are.
 
Chas....Very well done! In my limited experience, that is the toughest type of turning to do....duplication turning. Tough thing to do. Very well done Sir!
 
There has got to be a story behind that. Things like that don't happen by sitting down on a stool with the chisel in your back pocket ;-)

Well at some time in its distant past a defect has formed, either on initial hardening or through some other trauma, see little black defect, it is not visible to the naked eye if you fit the halves together. When it shattered there was an oil trace about as much again on 'clean' metal (from sharpening/honing) so it was starting to move.

Usual way of separating handles is to give the flat of the chisel blade a sharp slap on the workbench, not wanting to damage the honed edges I held the blade in my hand and tapped the handle, the chisel just shattered in the palm of my hand.

I gather these are 'collectors items' so I did not enquire of the owner what value he attributed to it.
 
That's a fine set of scrapers, but aren't the handles a bit short for lathe work. :p

Beautiful job Chas. Not only very nice-looking, but that's a good, functional shape. As Frank said, they're ready for the next 100 years (at least all but that broken one). :thumb:
 
Nice handles Chas.

The broken chisel can be repaired in the following manner:

If you are able to use arc welding or have someone to weld the parts together you'll have the chisel back to work in a snap.

O yeah! what will happen with the temper? Nothing at all if before welding the parts you just dig the blade into a big potato leaving outside only the 1/2 inch needed for welding.

My grandad was a smith, and he was used to weld using only the furnace, this is the trick he used to weld a knive or a tool that broke without loosing the temper. The water contained in the potato cools down the blade and dissipates the heat, it works with any type of welding.

He used to tell me many things about hand forging, welding, horse shoes fitting, and so forth, and now I'm glad I still remember most of those old tricks.
If you give it a try, just let me know about the results.
 
Thanks for the input Toni, had it been a 'worker' of mine and leaving a hole in the set I would have repaired it and possibly totally hardened & tempered it if it softened on me, apparently as a 'collectors' item it would have no value so the owner did not want it fixed. :dunno:

The potato trick with welding is good, in the past I have buried items in wet sand with water saturated lower level so that heat did not reach vital bits.
 
......I like your design and your use of Rosewood -

Well I have to own up to the fact that both wood type and design were a given before I started.

First off, owner has stock of very old rosewood (30+yrs.) and requested its use, I personally would have used Cocobolo as I prefer its looks and it would have been easier to turn and finish.
Conversation with the owner indicated that the modern Lie-Nielsen Bevel Edge Socket Chisels design was based on the Stanley D, so although pattern was left to me, just a request that they match, I decided to try and emulate the LN.
 

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Chas,

Those handles are wonderful! I purchased 11 socket chisels from an estate sale and three of them had handles. I'd like to give turning a try, but I hear it's addictive. :rolleyes: How long did it take you to turn one of those handles?
 
.......How long did it take you to turn one of those handles?

Total about 45min. most of the time was taken up getting the taper pin the exact size and friction fit over all its length so that they all had same socket shoulder clearance, then finishing that particular Rosewood which was quite open pored so tendency to leave any burnishing cream etc. in the pores.
 
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