diamond in the ruff. now a gem.

[tobytools]

Nice handle and mallet, Toby

How did you get a good fit for the tang of the chisel in the handle? I made a handle for the mortice chisel I bought last Saturday but I made the hole too tight and the handle split when I tapped it onto the tang - so I'll have to start again

thanks for the comment, well.. once i made the handle i measured the widest part of the tang. (by eye). i cant remember the size of the drill bitts i used. clamped the piece in the vice and just drilled to the requires length, i used a smaller drill bitt first and worker by way up but drilling down less each time. but i think what helped most what using the side of the drill and rotating it around in a circular motion to open the widest part, until i had or believed was a tight fit. every now and then i took the tang and inserted into the handle and when i was confident the fit would be snug enough to hold the tang i put the chisel in the vice with a rag or what not around it so the vice didn't damage it, then banged it home. i put some adhesive into the hole for extra strength. tbh i got lucky as ive done it before and split the handle so its just about taking time.
if i can do it anyone can
what wood did you use and was it green or dried?

TT

 

[rxh]

Toby, thanks for describing your method - I did it in a very similar way but obviously didn't make the hole quite big enough. I think it is a fine line between making it too tight and too sloppy. The wood was an offcut of seasoned iroko. I'll try again over the weekend taking more care, possibly using a piece of fruit wood.

 

[tobytools]

Toby, thanks for describing your method - I did it in a very similar way but obviously didn't make the hole quite big enough. I think it is a fine line between making it too tight and too sloppy. The wood was an offcut of seasoned iroko. I'll try again over the weekend taking more care, possibly using a piece of fruit wood.

thats ok, its not the most extravagant way next time ill have the right size auger bit and use a brace instead of a drill and maby a pound file or something, but the methord i used worked very well so not much need to change anything i guess. if i has a pillar drill ect and all the better gear i would use them but i only have standard clobber for this type of job (if you can call it one)

post how you get on and let me know thanks
TT

 

[rxh]

Today I found a bit of well seasoned cherry branch wood and fitted it to my chisel with a leather washer (without splitting this time ). Then I planed it to an "oval" shape.

 

[tobytools]

very nice job there. well done
TT