I have been buying shovel handle blanks and cutting them down to make handles. It time to get rid of them and make some nice handles. I have five glue ups. Here are three and the other two are in clamps drying. Waiting on the adapters to finish.
-
Congratulations to David Wyke, People's Choice in the April 2026 Turning Challenge (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Ted Pelfrey for "Cherry Blossoms on Cherry" being selected as Turning of the Week for April 27, 2026 (click here for details) -
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
Tool handles
- Thread starter Rusty Nesmith
- Start date
Nice blanks, I prefer to turn my own handles vs one that come on gouges
I too like shop made handles. I have large hands. I don't want my thumb touching other fingers when I grasp a turning tool. We who sharpen handled tools have to adapt at the grinder or sander. This (IMHO) is a minor adaptation.
lIke wise around 80% of my handles are shop made
I buy all of my tools without handles. Much cheaper that way.
I put handle adapters in my handles so I can sharpen with the handle off.
Interesting. What is your source for the adaptors?
Looks like the Dway adapter. - https://d-waytools.com/d-way-handle-inserts/
I have the one by Cindy its well made and fixed my over boring on my first handle (colors are a nice touch) -https://www.cindydrozda.com/html/Handle_Adapters.html
if you feel like your wallet is too heavy I would get the robust collet handle system for quick access - https://www.turnrobust.com/product/tool-handles-robust-collet-handle-system/
I make my own collets from aluminum bar. I use set screws and not as nice as some to the commercial ones, but a whole lot cheaper.
I also prefer shop made wood handles for larger tools that can be cumbersome to sharpen, such as 5/8 shaft bowl gouges and some scrapers where the handle gets in the way of the grinder platform. I also have quite a few shop made hollowing tools with shop made handles. The oem handles on smaller tools, 3/8” bowl gouges, spindle gouges, etc tend to work fine for me.
I like Cindy Drozda’s adapters. I recommend using a ferrule of some type - I had an adapter with 5/8” BG break out of a handle once. I was making pretty heavy interrupted cuts, and lickily it let go kinda of slowly, so nothing went flying. I use copper tube for ferrules on smaller tools but did not have large enough tube for these 5/8” adapters. Used heavy thread with CA glue. Its been 7-8 yrs and no more adapters have broken out.
I like Cindy Drozda’s adapters. I recommend using a ferrule of some type - I had an adapter with 5/8” BG break out of a handle once. I was making pretty heavy interrupted cuts, and lickily it let go kinda of slowly, so nothing went flying. I use copper tube for ferrules on smaller tools but did not have large enough tube for these 5/8” adapters. Used heavy thread with CA glue. Its been 7-8 yrs and no more adapters have broken out.
I like that knurling on those handles! Now i gotta go make a new handle. Was that with just a texture tool or a dedicated knurling tool from a metal lathe?
Yes the are the D-Way adapters, 1/2” and 5/8”.
I Like the Jimmy Clewes quick change adapters.
Nice, real purty!
Seen peeps with the D-Way receivers, i have been using the Robust collet system, dont need a wrench to open and close them, are nice and streamline too,
