making a new chisel handle, worth it or not?

[thetyreman]

I have a split handle on my narex 1 inch chisel, wondering if it's worth making one, the steel is fine but I'm worried it could be a huge time investment, it'd likely be octagonal and made with hand tools, I don't have a lathe,

has anyone done this specifically with narex chisels? the fat handled ones?

cheers,

Ben.

 

[Lons]

I have a lathe so just make up simple handles but if it's a chisel you like and have the time and timber it sounds like a nice little project the end result being a handle you're definitely going to like.
Could be the start of a slippery slope though.

 

[MikeG.]

Absolutely definitely 100% worth it. If you don't have a lathe then it's good spokeshave and chisel practise, but if you have a pillar drill you could probably do the finishing touches on that.

 

[worn thumbs]

Definitely worth doing.I've made handles for a couple of chisels and found the most difficult part was getting the ferrule to fit.The rest was easy and you need to take particular care to drill it with a series of drill bits of decreasing diameter at increasing depth.Otherwise the nice positive fit that you thought you had when the chisel was nearly seated can turn into a split handle with just one more tap of the mallet.I believe the traditional way was to heat the chisel tang and burn it into the handle,but I don't own a blowlamp.I like octagonal handles and have one or two that are of the traditional pattern which is turned everywhere but the grip and one carving gouge that has the octagon tapering down to the ferrule diameter.They all work and the great thing about making your own is that if you don't like the first one,it takes a bit less time to make the second one.

Of course,once you have done it once or twice,you never look at those ultra cheap chisels with split handles quite the same way again.There are some quality tools to be had at car boot sales and the like for very little money if you are happy to make the handles.It also means that if-heaven forbid-you split a chisel handle on a Sunday afternoon,you can make a replacement and get back to work before the weekend is over.The whole process puts you one step closer to being independent as your own resources can be called on to keep projects moving.Its a bit like the difference between being able to sharpen your own saws or having to wait for them to come back from a specialist.

 

[thetyreman]

alright you've convinced me, I'm gonna give it a go, now the fun begins, first step is getting the blade off the handle :lol:

 

[MikeG.]

If it doesn't come off straight away, get a bigger hammer.

 

[Distinterior]

I've had a load of old chisels in the back of a drawer in my workshop for ages. They were my Grandfathers (he was a builder,joiner, bricklayer amongst other things....). The chisels themselves all needed to be sharpened, not a problem but quite a few of the handles were in a sorry state, so I decided to make new ones on my lathe out of some Ash that i was given.
The ferrules were nearly all Steel and some were quite badly rusted, so I made a few new ones out of some Brass I had knocking about.

I finished the handles with sanding sealer and then Microcrystalline Wax.

The lathe saw blade / handle I made myself from scratch and is a bit bigger than a chisel handle, but the same technique was used on all the handles.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Scarcely worth making your own.
http://www.gandmtools.co.uk/shop/28-x-b ... -80209789/

 

[Trainee neophyte]

My Lidl chisels are all round handled and roll off my rickety workbench all the time. It's been on my mind to change them, but there's nothing actually wrong with them, and I have other things to do...

I assume you have seen the Pask Makes bandsaw jig: just in case someone hasn't: [youtube]AUkFxkWYZCI[/youtube]

 

[El Barto]

Scarcely worth making your own.
http://www.gandmtools.co.uk/shop/28-x-b ... -80209789/

Ooof useful link!

 

[thetyreman]

in the end I reshaped the handle and removed the crack which went down about 1/2 way, it's ugly but it feels much much better, I will make a better handle at some point, I'm going to have to modify all the other handles now, the difference is amazing.

 

[Lons]

It's a working tool, doesn't have to pretty as long as it's functional. =D>

 

[Chisteve]

I make my own handles 34 odd years ago made by hand, this included a mallet with a plumbers lignum vitae lead pipe shaper, now I’m retired using them a lot and also have have a lathe well worth the effort