Marples/Stanley Chisel Challenge

[No skills]

I've been eyeing up various electrical fittings (used for armour cable entry into fuse boxes/junction boxes etc) for possible ferrule material (cutting off the bits I need) - not sure if their solid brass but theres loads of different sizes. I tend to get the odd few from repairs I do at work, might be usefull for the odd tool.

I've got a few of the older marples split proof (pre irwin) some where, my handles have become odd shapes another thing on the 'to do' list.

 

[jimi43]

I've been eyeing up various electrical fittings (used for armour cable entry into fuse boxes/junction boxes etc) for possible ferrule material (cutting off the bits I need) - not sure if their solid brass but theres loads of different sizes. I tend to get the odd few from repairs I do at work, might be usefull for the odd tool.

I've got a few of the older marples split proof (pre irwin) some where, my handles have become odd shapes another thing on the 'to do' list.

There are quite a few bits and bobs that I find at bootfairs which yield suitable tubes....worth scouring the next one. The problem is...whereas last year they were relatively popular with the scrap collectors...this year they are likely to be gold dust...what with the price of brass an' all!

It also helps if you have a lathe...you can modify quite a lot of strange sizes to suit then.

Jim

 

[No skills]

I'll keep an eye out should I get to any fairs this coming season. The nearest I will ever get to a lathe will be a drill powered effort :shock:

Shame the melting point is so high with brass, the amount of euro cylinder locks I change I could start melting the buggers down and make the ferrules from scratch

 

[adidat]

Brass is quite low in comparrison at about 950 C

Adidat

 

[AndyT]

If you have any unsuitable brass scrap lying around that you don't want don't chuck it ...
I took an old shower mixer bar and some taps to a local scrap dealer recently and was paid £2.50 per kilo even with the chrome plating, plastic bits etc. Mixed copper would pay £3.50 per kilo, ali 60p and lead 80p. They didn't seem to mind dealing with my little carrier bag, rather than a whole skip!

 

[No skills]

Brass is quite low in comparrison at about 950 C

Adidat

I assumed that brass had a high melting point, probably from its use in old machinery I've seen - shouldnt assume I supose


Andy

Fear not, very little brass or copper gets thrown away by me :wink:

 

[Harbo]

At the ME Show a few weeks ago, "new" brass was priced at £12.50/kg!

Rod

 

[jimi43]

I thought I would reactivate this thread because I have another Stanley/Marples vintage chisel...part of the bootfair hauls this year...suitably "dipped" and derusted in Corro-Dip...but still with the horrible black plastic handle.

As with the other two...this one is really nice steel...with a bit of pitting but not enough to just throw it away...

I chose not to use African blackwood this time...for a couple of reasons...the most important of which is I don't have any more at present! :mrgreen:

I do have some billets of pear though...which was given to me by my mother who is always on the lookout for felled trees for me...and these were rived and waxed for quite a few months to dry out to about 20%....so I roughed one out on the lathe to see how it worked...

I love the look of fruitwoods...since seeing them in use on the Two Lawyers saw handles...they have an understated majesty...and subtle grain...and I was surprised to see...very white!

So I had a nice little thought about my growing collection of rehandled chisels...what if I make some black...and some white...cool!

First to saw off that abomination of materials...the plastic....

...this is done with a hacksaw just above the tang (roughly!)...and then using a Mole wrench, the rest twists off easily.

Done!

Rust has even got inside owing to water ingress courtesy of capillary action....this needs to come off...

....by brushing with a copper brush and then filing to rough up the surface....

Care is taken here to take any rough casting from the top of the flange..this would make the washer stand proud otherwise...leaving a gap.

The pear turned very easily...I really have to turn some more of this again...I spend most of my time with wild woods!

It really is white!!!

The shape was checked for size by the Grand Master Craftsman...ALFIE.....

...who advised a tad more from the flute....which the apprenticed did...and then it was drilled to 10mm and the tang force fitted...with the washer in place...

Now all that is needed is a few coats of Tru-Oil and polishing with 3M Micromesh and we are done...

But for now..I like the contrast....

Off to the bootfair tomorrow...I need to find one in between size to do another white pear one!

Jim

 

[Richard T]

Very very nice Jim. I like Pear wood very much. I know that Apple and Pear are traditional for saw handles and I hope it stands up to being a chisel handle.
Will be interesting to see how it stands up to bashing.

 

[Kalimna]

Very nice indeed. I really must make the effort to get to some bootfairs up here in Alloa-land. And also make an effort to make some new handles for some older plastic handled chisels my dad had (I have no idea what they are, some are black, some blue, some red). But heres a notion to throw a spanner in the works - on your other thread, you ask which is better, wood or plastic (and aside from what is actually meant by 'better'), well how about acrylic-infused woods such as some BS birdeye maple bench chisels I acquired when I got married a couple of years ago? Wood *and* plastic - best of both worlds, no?

Adam

 

[bugbear]

Very very nice Jim. I like Pear wood very much. I know that Apple and Pear are traditional for saw handles and I hope it stands up to being a chisel handle.
Will be interesting to see how it stands up to bashing.

Pear was the "goto" wood for ebonising.

BugBear

 

[condeesteso]

That's a massive improvement Jim - I like the very blond pear, I got some steamed pear (by mistake, kind of) and it is way too pink, so it's just sitting in stock.
The plum that Two Lawyers use is also very attractive, so keep en eye out for a plum tree!
And I am still convinced those oldish Stanleys and Marples are really excellent chisels - I use mine more than my LNs and they take a finer edge no doubt (the Lies being A2).

 

[Mike Wingate]

I got hold of an old Stanley 5001 with a white washer. 1" bevelled edge. The blade is cleaning up well and the handle came off really easily after reading the above. I have a set of original new ones that I still use that I bought before going to college in '69.

 

[MickCheese]

I know this is an old thread but it's taken me four years to get around to this.

Here is my novice attempt at a bit of turning. In the woods near me the farmer had a good deal of ash trees taken down. I grabbed a few bits that were not to heavy to carry and left them to dry for a while before turning these handles.

The one with a white plastic shock absorber is an old Stanley 5001. The metal shock absorbers are pennies that I drilled into and then made fit.

The problem I had with the pennies was that I didn't flatten each side so the heads and tails make it look like there is a small gap, which there is. I also didn't realise that pennies are not bronze in colour but steel coloured once you get past the top surface.

Anyway, I'm happy with my first attempt.

Mick

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Pre 1982 pennies are copper all the way through - after that they became copper plated steel.