Replacement handle for old chisel

[imageel]

Hi, I was recently abusing a much loved Ward & Payne 1/2 inch mortise chisel and the handle started to split. I say abusing, I was chopping some thick branches of a conifer and since the sap is rising in the fine weather the blade kept binding so I used the chisel to releive the blade by chopping a V out to the depth of the cut, so not very heavy work...
Can anyone advise where I might find a replacement handle?

 

[raffo]

The handle looks like a replacement to begin with. If you search online for rehandling pig stickers you'll find several tutorials.

 

[--Tom--]

The handle looks like a replacement to begin with. If you search online for rehandling pig stickers you'll find several tutorials.

It’s not a pigsticker though.

Couple of options , I’d be tempted by the padauk here Chisel Handles & Ferrules

Or if you know someone with a lathe it would be a nice project to turn another.

The existing handle is boxwood which would be harder to find in a stock replacement

 

[raffo]

The roundish bolster led me to believe it's a pig sticker.

Huw Crompton, on your side of the pond, can sell you some boxwood.

 

[D_W]

it looks like it was a ward oval bolstered chisel at one point and someone ground the bolster to make it fit a typical firmer handle.

 

[Jacob]

I'd either just carry on with it as it is or if really bothered just trim it back and tidy up the end. It's only a chisel - albeit a nice hefty sash mortice chisel.
I have repaired similar by grafting on a bit of beech and re-shaping but in this case it wouldn't stand the battering it's designed for.
PS and don't hit it with a hammer. Wooden mallet only!

 

[D_W]

Regardless, it'll have a long tang that's fairly fat. Turn a handle or make an octagonal handle and drill a stepped hole in the handle.

Fit it by turning out around the tang (as in, use the tang to actually finish tapering the hole somewhat from the stepped drill handle and then drive the handle home.

if you're concerned about fit, you can also drill a looser hole and fit the handle epoxy. I know people think this is "too permanent", but the reality is if the handle ever fails again, you can cut, float or grind all of the epoxy off of the metal easily without grinding away much metal.

The only trick to the "loose handle bedded in epoxy" is that the whole thing will be slick as snot until the epoxy is set, so you'll have to figure out how to hold the handle and bit straight to each other as there's a near zero chance the handle will sit in the wet epoxy straight. That becomes a mess to figure out later - so do it ahead of time.

 

[imageel]

Many thanks for your replies, I looked at the Padauk one suggested by Tom however it's way too small, the ferrule on the existing is 30.6mm dia and that one at Toolnut is only 19mm and the existing barely clears the shoulder of the forging.
I don't have a wood lathe but I do have a Myford 254 albeit no suitable live centre nor turning tools although a tool rest I could fab... maybe it's time to add to my tool-****
Many thanks guys

 

[Hornbeam]

The handle is beech and probably a replacement.
If you cant find a suitable replacement I will turn you one if you pay return postage + £ 1 for the blank
Pm me. Ian

 

[D_W]

if you have a belt sander, you actually have all you need to make a handle that's nearly round.

 

[dannyr]

if you have a belt sander, you actually have all you need to make a handle that's nearly round.

Agree or even a section of broken spade or even better large hammer/pick handle of hickory or ash a bit of a chisel/knife trim and rasp/file, sand if you wish and you have a mortice handle - I've done this more than once, and used but good pstickers often have a similar replacement.

 

[D_W]

hardwood spindles, legs, etc, are ideal because they're almost always good straight sawn timber. If they weren't we'd see broken table legs everywhere and tables with warped legs.

 

[Stevekane]

Its only a flake, why not clean it up and it just becomes part of its character?

 

[bushwhaker]

In the last picture look like have a longer crack.