Shopsmith Forums

Reading Tom's post on the screwdriver and awl that he made reminded me of a similar project I had.

In clock repair you periodically need to make slight adjustments by bending wires in difficult to reach places. This is especially true should you be unfortunate enough to have a cuckoo clock on your bench. Traditionally most people make their tools from old screwdrivers.

A friend had a treadle lathe dating from the mid to late 1700's that he mounted in a custom trailer. It was the "have lathe will travel" exhibit. A treadle lathe has a large cast iron flywheel and a foot pedal, turning on one of these machines is an exercise in coordination akin to patting your head and rubbing your stomach. I helped him set the machine up for a demonstration at a meeting for clock/watch enthusiasts. Alas, no one was very interested. We couldn't get anyone to try turning, no one asked any questions and after 5 minutes everyone had left. We stayed in the parking lot for an hour or so and I had a blast making chips. Ted fitted the copper ferrule and gave me the handle on my next visit. Tom's post got me motivated to actually finish the project....

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The business end...
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Any idea of what kind of wood this is?
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In a perfect world I would have filled the grain before finishing but I figure since it took me 12 years to get this far I will probably wear through the finish before I get around to redoing it.

Troy

horologist wrote:
Any idea of what kind of wood this is?
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is that Padauk?

boozeclues wrote:is that Padauk?

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/padauk.htm

Hi Troy! Nifty tool - also nifty handle!:) Don't have any idea what kind of wood the handle is made from. Could be quite a few, depending on any stain used. My first wild guess was cherry, but really have no idea. If you would show us a photo of the end grain, (close-up) maybe can give it a try.

Padauk seems like a good guess!

I would have just said walnut...
Walnut is an exotic wood to me. Unless something needs a lot of extra strength, my favorite wood is tulip. I'm pretty common myself so choices for harder woods are just ash and oak.
Most of the stuff I like to make leans toward country colonial / Shaker.
I have turned a little mulberry and I do have some Osage-orange back for tool handles. That is about as "exotic" as I get.
I have hopes of replicating a number of old poplar pie safes we have "one of these days".
I understand that these Shopsmith thingies can be used to work wood when you are not busy playing with them.

the reason i said Padauk is the pores sure do look like those on Padauk. plus Padauk browns over time and i am not sure if there was a stain used.

boozeclues wrote:the reason i said Padauk is the pores sure do look like those on Padauk. plus Padauk browns over time and i am not sure if there was a stain used.

I tend to agree. The grain looks a lot like Padauk or some cousin. Likewise I've heard it gets dark over time, although my supply is still very orange in appearance.

Basically all of my woodworking experience is with domestic hardwoods. I suppose it could be padauk. Some of the photos in the link posted by Mike look close. Ted had a quite a collection of exotic woods and even ivory.

The handle did sit in a drawer for twelve years but was pretty rough so I gave it a thorough sanding before applying a couple coats of wiping varnish. No stain.

Here is a photo of the end grain.
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I really should have filled those pores.

Troy

Wow, you could sip soda up through those pores.
That view doesn't look like walnut.

Thanks for the photo puzzle, Troy! Wow! in a drawer for years, finished with wiping varnish only, very narrow annual rings, large pores that may be ring or diffuse porous. Some pores with tylosis (or maybe wiping varnish) Hmmmmm!

Guess my WAG would be 1) black locust or 2) Ash. Like said, a WAG.

P.S. or how about Black Cherry?

Better quit now and admit I really don't know!