I’ve made gouge handles out of ash, olive wood, Osage so far. I really like the weight and density of osage for a large bowl gouge. Show off what your tool handles are made of!
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Those who make your own handles: what’re your go-to woods?
- Thread starter Chris Rauber
- Start date
Nothing fancy here - primarily maple and elm for larger handles. Made a small handle for a hollowing tool out of rosewood, since I had a piece of scrap lying around.
Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
I’ve used ash, bocote, lignum vitae, zebra wood, and Purple Heart. All have worked well
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- Apr 27, 2004
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- Lakeland, Florida
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- www.hockenberywoodturning.com
I use what I have. Cherry, walnut, sapeli
I have used Purple Heart used to get it cheap from a mill scrap bin. It is too heavy for a bowl gouge.
Fo my bowl gouges - lately I have been using sapeli- one of our club member brings cut off for the taking to meetings.
Two Jamieson gouges with sapeli
Weight is a personal preference. I like lighter less to hold up.
Sapeli is a nice weight for me.
I have used Purple Heart used to get it cheap from a mill scrap bin. It is too heavy for a bowl gouge.
Fo my bowl gouges - lately I have been using sapeli- one of our club member brings cut off for the taking to meetings.
Two Jamieson gouges with sapeli
Weight is a personal preference. I like lighter less to hold up.
Sapeli is a nice weight for me.
Nothing too fancy for me. I made some nice layered ones with contrasting wood, and some with a lot of embellishment, earlier in my turning journey. Tend to keep them simple now. Any good, sound hardwood. Mostly used walnut, cherry, maple, white oak, which I turn a lot of. Cut the piths out of big logs and then use that slice to cut handle blanks and set them aside to dry.
Maple and elm here too. Mostly due to local availability.
Dogwood, no finish
Mostly Ash, because I have a bunch around the shop. First picture shows 5 handles. Top one I made about 40 odd years ago, middle three are current renditions and the bottom is the Robert Sorby handle I shamelessly copied - I happen to like the shape! Second picture shows two handles on some drawbars (1/4" and 3/8") I made and a brass knockout for MT tools in the headstock spindle (black walnut). Finish in all cases is just a thin application of natural Watco Danish Oil.
WWW
Cheers. Be safe and stay well.
Barry W. Larson
Calgary, Alberta, Canada eh!
WWWCheers. Be safe and stay well.
Barry W. Larson
Calgary, Alberta, Canada eh!
I prefer a straight cylinder. As for wood, mostly what ever is handy. A number of madrone, walnut, ash, hickory, even glued several layers of baltic birch ply for one handle. One I haven't tried was a David Ellsworth one where he used a green wood spindle, did 2 centers so it was oval, and then he wrapped the ferrule with some colored nylon twine and chased it with CA glue. Not sure if I would like the oval handle or not. Might have to try it, if I can ever remember to attempt it....
robo hippy
robo hippy
Whatever I have on hand. Euro beech, walnut, Bois D'arc.
Recent walnut handle for Hunter Hercules with copper ferrule. Danish Oil finish.
Recent walnut handle for Hunter Hercules with copper ferrule. Danish Oil finish.
When I turn tools for the Pyrotechnic Guild many of them are turned from good quality Pine which works just fine.
Pretty much whatever straight-grained hardwood I have on hand. But I keep a look-out for suitable handle wood, at the moment I have some old Iron Bark that came out of a house renovation, estimated to 100 or so year old
Mostly black locust. Use it because I have a lot of it.
Ash, by far our most prevalent urban wood. But I heard about someone who years ago, when it was still feasible, making all his tool handles out of ebony. Apparently, the dense wood makes excellent handles.
I use whatever harder wood is handy when I need one - maple, cherry, locust, walnut - but the ones I like best are madrone. Its got the best balance of density/weight and great feel lightly sanded to 150 or so. Try to keep a few pieces of the quarter sawn sections from cutting out the pith around just for milling lumber and handle stock.
Mostly maple for me. I did make one out of Chestnut, but I like the feel of maple better.
I like Ash the best, especially the ones that I've treated with shou sugi ban (surface scorched & wire brushed). Yields a comfortable non slip texture that I like.
A bunch of Black Oak handles. Like Black Locust and Black Acacia wood also.
Have used Black Walnut, but think it is too light. Have broken a couple of them.
Some Red Gum Eucalyptus which is a nice wood as it is heavy and hard.
Have used Black Walnut, but think it is too light. Have broken a couple of them.
Some Red Gum Eucalyptus which is a nice wood as it is heavy and hard.
Most of my tools were bought with handles (Ash) but for a few that I made handles for, metal with plastic cover (high pressure water hose), some real small tools got mostly Maple handles with copper ferules.
A friend who teaches woodturning and metal spinning uses garage sale baseball bats for handles. Easy to find, strong wood and inexpensive.
I should have mentioned that I drilled right trough the handles, from end to end, and then drilled two different sizes in the ends, just one setscrew holds the tools in tight as the openings fit the tools very close.
I then got the high pressure hose, stuck it in hot water so I could slip them onto the handles, sit nice and tight and I do use the larger one very often for roughing out, the weight helps with it.
Got most of my larger tools in a bucket, so I can take it and set close to the lathe I'm using, and take it along to offsite places.
I then got the high pressure hose, stuck it in hot water so I could slip them onto the handles, sit nice and tight and I do use the larger one very often for roughing out, the weight helps with it.
Got most of my larger tools in a bucket, so I can take it and set close to the lathe I'm using, and take it along to offsite places.
I will offer another another vote for ash. I like it for handles and lots of other projects as well.
I second the baseball bat handles. I keep my eyes out a Goodwill and Savers.
I buy a shovel handle at Lowe’s and cut to size. They already fit my hand good.
I like Bois D’ Arc for the handles that I make.
Hey Chris. I love this thread. You could actually use the title for your signature with a small addition:
Those who make their own handles do not use handles made by others.
For some strange reason I think I’ve heard something very similar before.
Hey Chris. I love this thread. You could actually use the title for your signature with a small addition:
Those who make their own handles do not use handles made by others.
For some strange reason I think I’ve heard something very similar before.
I agree Ric, I’ve made a couple from Ash with Jimmy Clewes inserts. He has a video where he appli so that surface treatment. I liked the feel of the scorched and brushed surface so much I’ve also “converted” most of my tools bought with handles.
I put the Thompson inserts in my shovel handle.