Turning gouge handles

[moosehead]

Ladies & Gentlemen,
I am a novice to woodturning and have joined the local AAW on Cape Cod as well as the National Association. A mentor has recently assisted(completed) a nice bowl that I hollowed too far and went through the bottom. (another story). He has gone south for the next month or so(smart fellow) and so today I started turning a handle for my Thompson bowl gouge that I received this week. It doesn't look toooooo bad but when I attempted to drill out a 1/2 inch hole for the gouge, it started to get off center (It is in an old Nova scroll chuck) I wasn't using a brad point bit- perhaps that was the problem. Is there a a special technique for drilling or am I going to end up with a handle 14 inches shorter than it is now?

Thanks for any advice. I'll be going to the AAW meeting nest Wednesday so I'll be asking them also.

 

[john lucas]

I always drill my tool handles first. Then put the tailcenter in the hole and turn the handle. the hole will always be centered this way. I prefer to use a live center tip that will fit the hole exactly and I've made a few out of wood that fit over the original live center point. However a standard 60 degree point will work just fine.

 

[moosehead]

John,
Thanks for the reply. Is there a problem when turning the end with rip out because the tolerance is so close with the hole already drilled? I mean the stock has to be taken down to maybe 3/4 inch, and with a 1/2 inch hole there already, only 1/4 inch or so to play with. Is Cookville near Fairfield Glade? My wife's Aunt used to live there.. Cumberland Plateau I believe. Nice area.
Regards,
Bob

 

[Steven Antonucci]

Same as John

I also drill holes first.

Here's my process in summary.

1.) Grip the blank in a chuck.
2.) Drill the hole
3.) Live center in hole
4.) Turn round
5.) Size tenon for ferrule
6.) Install ferrule with CA glue
7.) finish turning and or sanding
8.) part from chuck
9.) install tool into handle with CA glue

Takes about 10 minutes end to end if I am making them in batches...

Steve

 

[ihmserv]

bob,

for a 1/2" bowl gouge I personally wouldn't take the end down below 1" .

3/4 seems a little thin to me.

on a foot note, depending on where you are on the cape I am close to you in acushnet.

IAN

 

[john lucas]

Bob Fairfield glade is about 35 miles from me. I go to a woodturning club in Crossville and we have several members from there.
I have not had a problem with area outside the hole being small. I do as Steve does. I mount the blank between centers using the hole. I turn the tenon for the ferule and then glue it on. Then when you remount it you won't have a problem with it splitting. I use a very sharp 4 prong drive center so it doesn't take much pressure on the tailstock.
The method I prefer is to make a wooden adaptor that sits on the live center and has a tenon the same size as the hole you drill in the handle. This prevents any splitting problems. I have a Nova live center and it has a center that has 1/4" and 3/8" points. This is what got me started doing it. It worked so well turning handles with those size holes that i made the larger ones for other sizes.

 

[moosehead]

John, Ian & Steve,

Thanks for your help. I'll cut off the mess I made and start by drilling that hole first. Then take it down for the ferrule. I'll see if I can get a larger compression nut. I'm in Chatham.

Regards,
Bob

 

[John Lawson]

Let me add aother question to this, as a novice turner who intends to make tool handles as an early project. What sort of "finish" would one use on a tool handle? There's some disagreement in the books I have.

 

[GeorgeH]

Well, John, finishing a tool handle is a matter of preference. I wish you had started a new thread - cuz we've hi-jacked this one from moosehead and I suspect it's going to increase in size.
I don't' finish my tool handles to any great extent. I make them from inexpensive wood (fir or similar material) and either give them a coat of Carnauba/bees wax mix or plain old linseed oil; that's it. Some of the turners I know want to display their turning tools and they use expensive hard woods (sometimes exotic woods) but I'd rather save that stuff for the items I want to turn and give to others or display in the house.
I've seen turning tool handles finished in abrasive materials (non slip, I guess) but that's not something I would do. I want to be able to roll the tools in my hands without the drag of a non-slip surface.

 

[john lucas]

I make a lot of tool handles for everything from my files to lathe tools. I use these as experiments for finishes or coloring because in the long run I don't really care what they look like. I may play with some new dyes, or try something like sponge painting. I do put some sort of clear coating on them and it's fun to see how they hold up.
If I was smart (I'm not) I would use colors to mark tool types like blue for bowl gouges, green for spindle gouges, red for skews (because they are so deadly), etc
My first experiments with fluting with my new router set up were done on some new tool handles. It turns out I really like how they feel.

 

[MichaelMouse]

For those who don't do hole first for whatever reason, including CRS, all is not lost. You just have to get your steady on the handle-to-be up close to where you're boring it. Since you'll be driving a ferrule later, there's usually a nice flat area to do so.

Brad points are fine, though an auger is the definitive. Go slow and make sure your tailstock is clamped, with the quill almost locked to provide the best stability. On Ol' Blue I used to push the whole tailstock rather than drive the quill, because it was easier. Don't start waaaay out there. Longer the cantilever, greater the flop, so use the bit shanked up close, with as little quill extension as you can to start, then clear often so the bit guides on its sides, not on the shavings.

What wood do I use? Whatever's at hand of suitable dimension. Not a lot of stress on a turning tool handle when you cut wood rather than butcher it. What finish? Sweat and sebum is good enough to work with. If you're going for show, sky's the limit. If you need flutes or checkering to help hold on to the tool, I'd suggest a review of your cutting technique.

 

[john lucas]

MM It's often quite cold in my shop so fluting or texturing the handle makes it easier to grip and get a feel for what I'm doing. It's not a matter of the tool slipping since my cutting technique allows a very relaxed grip. It's just a more positive feel of what's happening.
I just played with the 3 flute grip of Johannes Michelsen's new tools and I could really learn to like those. You definitely don't need a fluted grip to force the tool. I'm sure Johannes finesses a tool about as good as anyone. You can't turn that thin if you don't.
I also just like the way they look. when your somewhere teaching or demonstrating your tools tend to find their way back to you when the handle is radically different than everyone elses.

 

[hughie]

for a 1/2" bowl gouge I personally wouldn't take the end down below 1" .
3/4 seems a little thin to me.

I agree my standard ferrule is 1" and on some I go up to 1.25"