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Need some ideas/help.

Gene Howe

I want to make some handles for my files. I've thought of sandwiching the tangs between two halves of wood. Hollowing out both pieces to accept the tang or milling pieces the same width as the tangs' thickness to fit along the sides. I'd use epoxy to hold the tang in the handle.

I have no lathe tools but I can get round stock via other means, but I'd rather just start with square stock and carve the shape before or after it's installed on the file.

What do you all think? Any ideas? Am I on the right track or should I just buy handles?

Thanks,

algale

Gene Howe wroteI want to make some handles for my files. I've thought of sandwiching the tangs between two halves of wood. Hollowing out both pieces to accept the tang or milling pieces the same width as the tangs' thickness to fit along the sides. I'd use epoxy to hold the tang in the handle.

I have no lathe tools but I can get round stock via other means, but I'd rather just start with square stock and carve the shape before or after it's installed on the file.

What do you all think? Any ideas? Am I on the right track or should I just buy handles?

Thanks,

Perfect excuse to buy a set of lathe tools....

beeg

Gene Howe wrotebut I'd rather just start with square stock and carve the shape before or after it's installed on the file.

Thanks,

Rough shape the square stock to rough shape with the bandsaw, leaving about 1/4" square ends.

garys

I made some last winter from wood scraps. I turned them on my Shopsmith using my Shopsmith lathe tools.

Look around for some used lathe tools. They make the job easy.

reible

I was up north not long ago and did a project where I drilled a large glass platter to use as a light diffuser over a dinning room table. The drilling went fine but I needed to do a little touch up of the hole to get it to fit.

Went to the hardware store to get a round file and handle to do the job. A really nice #1 handle was only $2.49 with metal ferrule and all. Of course the price goes up the bigger the # but that sounded pretty reasonable to me.

So before going to far with the project I'd check out a local hardware store for a price on the size you need.

Ed

wa2crk

Do you have a small spoke shave?

Bill V

Gene Howe

Not a spoke shave, but a bunch of files and rasps.

wa2crk wroteDo you have a small spoke shave?

Bill V

JPG

Much can be said for the 'purchased' handles that screw onto the tang(and unscrew if needed).

Gene Howe

Ed, you and JPG are probably right about the purchased handles but, where's the fun in that?

Saw a Youtube video where a guy stuck a golf ball on the tang. Another showed a guy heating up the tang and pushing it in to a drilled hole in a chunk of walnut.

Both look like fun.

Anybody seen my file card?

BuckeyeDennis

Gene Howe wroteEd, you and JPG are probably right about the purchased handles but, where's the fun in that?

Saw a Youtube video where a guy stuck a golf ball on the tang. Another showed a guy heating up the tang and pushing it in to a drilled hole in a chunk of walnut.

Both look like fun.

Anybody seen my file card?

Atta boy, Gene!!! :cool:

skou

Gene, if you make them, be sure to put a ferrule on the file end of the handle. A 1/2 inch ring of 1/2 or 3/4 copper pipe will work just fine, and keep that end from splitting out.

If it was me, I'd go to HF and get the cheap set of lathe chisels, though. They're good enough to learn on, and you can replace them with good ones when you get bitten by the "turning bug." (And yes, you'll get bitten.)

steve

beatnik

Yeah, HF has a set on sale and with a 20% coupon they'd be real cheap to start with. One decent review there. Luckily my machine came with tools when I start out learning.

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece-wood-lathe-turning-tool-kit-60663-9915.html

You could practice glue ups of different woods for some cool designs.

STB

Gene Howe wrote
What do you all think? Any ideas? Am I on the right track or should I just buy handles?

Thanks,

For what it's worth this is my version of a file handle.

First thing select a spring and cut a coil or two off the spring.

Search the scrap bin for a piece that will make an appropriate handle. Mark the center of one end. Find a drill bit about the diamiter halfway up the file tang. Drill a hole down the center of the stock.

Next use the SS disk sander to shape the handle to desired shape.

Cut a cross kif the depth of the drilled hole and place the spring coils on the end of the handle.

Remove the waist finish or not and commence fileing in comfort.

Gene Howe

That looks like a plan. Thanks Glenn!

JPG

Swing away/around vise???:confused::cool:

bffulgham

JPG40504 wroteSwing away/around vise???:confused::cool:

I believe it is a Solid Box, Post or Leg Vise.

JPG

bffulgham wroteI believe it is a Solid Box, Post or Leg Vise.

Well that explains 'that'.:)

New thing learned fer today; done!

Thanks!!!:cool:

scollins

Copper pipe or brass tubes make good ferrules. I have used brass pen tubes on some small projects. If you don't have a lathe set up, you could rig a tool rest for a drop press. If tang is round just drill a hole and epoxy in. Another option is to split a dowel in half and shape a cavity for the tang then drive the shaft and dowel into the handle. I have tried heating the tang and driving it in but didn't like that method.