# First of eight tool handles



## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

I have to make eight tool handles. Doug Thompson donated some tools to the turning club last year. We had some 1/4" spindle gouges that we decided not to put in our turning tools that are used for classes. I forgot I had them sitting around and next month's meeting is our annual fundraiser auction. Members bring in everything from tools, wood blanks, large power tools, and whatever else they clean out of their shop. So these turning tools will be in the auction. I figured they would bring more money with handles on them.
This one is made from a piece of padauk, with about half of it being sapwood. Nice two-tone effect. Copper ferrule is from a 1/2" coupling cut down. That and the tool gets epoxied in place. Nice fun project that doesn't take very long, about a half hour.
Mike Hawkins


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## dmh (Sep 18, 2010)

Very Nice!


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## RDufner (Jun 23, 2011)

very nice handle. a lathe is something i want down the road. time and $$$ permitting.


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

Nice handle, Mike.

I've been thinking of making a handle so I don't have to keep swapping out my bowl gouge and detail gouge (also Doug Thompson tools). In what sequence did you drill, shape the tenon, turn the handle, etc?

Thanks!


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

That looks great Mike. They should bring in some good coin for sure at the auction. Nice work.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

I like it!


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Beautiful work Mike.


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## Taylormade (Feb 3, 2011)

Wow! That's a great looking handle Mike! Whomever wins that is a lucky man (or woman I suppose).


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

Nice Mike....Thanks for showing us that
Can you help us with the ferrule process?
What do you use?


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

tcleve4911 said:


> Nice Mike....Thanks for showing us that
> Can you help us with the ferrule process?
> What do you use?


For this particular handle, I used about 1/2 of a 1/2" copper coupling. I just bought some 3/4" couplings for the rest of them. I cut them in half and get two ferrules out of each one. You could use a piece of copper pipe also and just cut some 1/2" long pieces off it with a tubing cutter. The only thing you have to do is file the burr off the inside from the tubing cutter. I have a tutorial on making tool handles. If anyone wants it, send me an email at:
[email protected]. It's free, in pdf form, step by step with a pic for each step.
Mike Hawkins


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## rhunnell (Sep 7, 2007)

Nice work

Robert


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## cody.sheridan-2008 (May 23, 2010)

Beautiful!


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## don716 (Mar 1, 2008)

Great looking work Mike:thumbsup:. I like the 2 tone colors. Anytime I turn something I try to find the different colors together. Makes items look better.


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## hughie (Mar 22, 2008)

Very nice, Paduak will make fine handles.


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## txpaulie (Jul 21, 2010)

Very nice!

I can't believe that it took me so long to see this...:blink:

Expect an email, soon!:yes:

p


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

*Few more handles*

Here's three more. The bigger one is actually mine. While turning the others, I found I had a 3/8" spindle gouge that I bought from Doug at one of our meetings awhile back and forgot about it. So I made a handle for it out of a piece of maple. The middle one is mesquite, the bottom is osage orange.
Mike Hawkins


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## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

Great job! Very professional looking.:thumbsup:


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## ronjboucher (Jun 28, 2010)

*ferrule instalation*



tcleve4911 said:


> Nice Mike....Thanks for showing us that
> Can you help us with the ferrule process?
> What do you use?


 For me, I lost tract on how many handles I,ve made over the years and as hard as I tried , I could never get the hole in the handle for the tool just right on dead center. Made me so mad. Really no big thing, off just a little, but I knew it was off center.
Solution, HD plumbing section, I get 3/4 in. copper end caps. 
I made an wooden adapter that screws in the head stock that has a stub to hold the copper end cap. Need a 1/2 hole, Jacob chuck/tail stock I installed a starter drill,for a o/c starter hole, then carefully drill a 1/2 in, hole in the end cap. Remove burr. 
I mount the square stock in lathe, app. 2 inches in from the tail stock, I make the stock round, about an inch wide. Remove tail stock mount my steady rest, and re install the blank. Adjust the steady rest at the 1 inch round stock. Double check everything, now I rework the end of the stock for a good snug fit for 3/4 inch ferrule. Then I re install Jacob drill,starter drill just prick the wood so the 1/2 brad drill, the point has a place to start, and finish my 1/2 hole, to the correct depth. Now when you look down the end all you see is a nice clean round 1/2 hole, the end cap kind of makes it neat looking. Remove steady rest, install my revolving cone, keeps everything o/c, and finish fabricating handle. Don,t forget to buff the ferrule to high cooper gloss, Ron Marietta Ga.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Ron,
you're doing it the hard way. I start off between centers, round the blank. Then I cut a tenon to fit the inside of my chuck jaws. I remound the blank in the chuck, using the tailcenter to make sure it stays centered up till I tighten the chuck. Then I drill the hole in the end for the tool shank. Once I have the hole, I put a cone center in it and turn the tenon for the ferrule. Epoxy it in place and finish turning the handle, including sanding and lacquering. I turn the butt end down to an 1/8" and then stop the lathe and saw it off with a fine tooth jap handsaw. Sand off the little nub and it goes to the buffer. Everything it turned with the hole already drilled so the handle stays concentric to the whole. Very easy to do. 
Mike Hawkins


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

*Made three more today. Two left to go.*

Made three today, as I skipped yesterday. Have two more to make. Made another padauk, maple, and a walnut one.
Mike Hawkins


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

*Finished today.*

I made the final two handles today, one was padauk, the other was a mystery wood. The tag was faded to where I couldn't read it. It is an exotic, very waxy feeling while turning and sanding, and it smelled good. Here's some pics of all eight that are headed for the auction.
Mike Hawkins


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## dmh (Sep 18, 2010)

Boy did those turn out nice! Good luck with the auction.


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## rejames44 (Nov 9, 2011)

I just turned a handle for my new tool from Capn Eddie and it just didn't come out looking just right, Your's looks Great.

Thanks for sharing!

Bean


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

Great set of tools there, Mike :thumbsup:


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Very nice,classic look.BW


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## rejames44 (Nov 9, 2011)

Hey Mike! 
Thanks again for the tips on creating my handle, here is what I came up with. An old piece of Cherry turning stock that was given to me by a fellow turner in Owingsville, KY Paul Preston as a matter of fact he gave me a 5 gal. bucket full of these pieces ranging between 15 and 20" in length.
I went by the size of the old Windsor Design tool handle that I had and I used the 3/4" copper coupler instead of the 1". the price of the 3/4 was 0.92 and the 1" was $2.94 but I believe it will work out fine.

Thanks again for sharing!

Bean


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

Man Mike those came out nice. 



RDufner said:


> very nice handle. a lathe is something i want down the road. time and $$$ permitting.


Double whatever your budget is. I bought the lathe for $550 and spent at least that on accessories yet I will probably have to spend that much more to get the other things I still need /want. Ok triple your budget.:laughing:


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

rrbrown said:


> Ok triple your budget.:laughing:


... and then add on the number you first thought of ... :yes:


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

rejames44 said:


> ... here is what I came up with


looks great -- very nice job :thumbsup:


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Bean,
Nice job. Use those with pride. You did a fine job on those.
Mike




rejames44 said:


> Hey Mike!
> Thanks again for the tips on creating my handle, here is what I came up with. An old piece of Cherry turning stock that was given to me by a fellow turner in Owingsville, KY Paul Preston as a matter of fact he gave me a 5 gal. bucket full of these pieces ranging between 15 and 20" in length.
> I went by the size of the old Windsor Design tool handle that I had and I used the 3/4" copper coupler instead of the 1". the price of the 3/4 was 0.92 and the 1" was $2.94 but I believe it will work out fine.
> 
> ...


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Well,
we had our auction today. The spindle gouges were the first thing on the block. They went for $45 each and were gone in about 30 seconds. The people that bought them liked them. Doug was there today and also liked them. All in all, we had a lot of fun today and raised about twice what we normally do. 
Mike Hawkins


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Congrats on a sucessful auction Mike. It's not hard to see why they went so fast. They all look fantastic. Great work once again.


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## Lilty (Dec 20, 2006)

Great job on the handles nice looking set.


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