Wooden-handled screwdrivers

[Pete W]

Since I currently have no money for tool-purchasing I'm planning my future tool-purchasing .

One of the things I'd like to do is replace my plasticky rubbery handled screwdrivers with traditional wooden-handled ones. I've seen a few flat-bladed types on eBay, and I've also found a few suppliers of new flat-bladed models, but can't find wooden-handled Philips screwdrivers anywhere.

It must be possible because I've seen them in Andy Rae's Hand Tools book, and in Jim Tolpin's Toolbox Book.

Has anyone come across a supplier in their travels?

Pete (who shamelessly admits the collectorish nature of this post )

 

[dedee]

I do not think these are the type of handles you are after but they are wooden

http://webserver.diygear.com/acatalog/D ... H_371.html

AndyP

 

[Alf]

Pete,

I've come up blank on that one too. Way down my "tuit" list is a plan to replace the tacky plastic handles on a couple of freebie cross-head drivers with wooden ones myself - a tip on how to turn the oval handle can be found on my site amongst the Galootish Gleanings, fwiw. Sorry, not much help.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Pete W]

Andy, thanks for the link, but you're right - not really what I'm hoping for.

After I posted the question, I found these at Garrett Wade's site...
http://www.garrettwade.com/jump.jsp?lGe ... tID=101559
which are nicer but still not quite right.

If Alf has been looking in vain it sounds like somebody's missing an opportunity. Perhaps Mr Lee might be persuaded...

PS: Alf, thanks for the galootish turning link, but I didn't understand a word of it! What are the pros and cons of attempting to recycle some oval handles from old eBay flatbladed models?

 

[Alf]

What are the pros and cons of attempting to recycle some oval handles from old eBay flatbladed models?

The blades they were designed for will have had a tapered tang, like this:

so you'd have a tapered hole to cope with. It could probably be done, but I'm not convinced it'd be worth the time and effort, to be honest. At least I assume they're all tapered; this is the only one where I've ever had the handle off...

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

Fitting tapered tangs is a snap. You can drill a two step hole as ALF indicates if the tang has a large taper but I normally just drill a single hole. Just heat the tang with a torch and pound the handle onto the tang, it will burn itself in place. Ah, the flame and smoke make it a fine neanderthal ritual! Stop driving the handle about 1/4" short of the bolster, allow the tang to cool and pound the handle on down for a perfect tight fit.

 

[Pete W]

Ah, the flame and smoke make it a fine neanderthal ritual!

Now I'm really excited :lol:. Thanks Roger... this just zoomed upwards on my To Do list!

 

[Alf]

Don't get too excited, guys; where are you going to find a tanged cross-head screwdriver blade? (if you know of a source, tell me! Quickly!)These plastic-handled monstrosities generally have useless little "ears" or serrations which is fine for a two-piece moulded handle, but lousy for wood. My thinking was based on removing same and ending up with a plain rod and lots of epoxy, which needs a snug fit I'm thinking, not an old tapered tang hole... Would any modern blade have enough meat on it to grind your own tang? :?

Anyway, I had a little play trying to make an oval handle as per instructions - the lack of a picture of the result should tell you all you need to know. A second attempt will have to be made. :roll:

Cheers, Alf

Who favours the stepped bore rather than the smoke 'n' flame approach 'cos of the wooden wall and plastic roof to her workshop... :shock:

 

[Chris Knight]

Just do a bit of blacksmithing. Heat the end that lives in the handle and hammer it flattish.

 

[Alf]

Just do a bit of blacksmithing.

Ah yes, of course. Push me down that Slope, why don't you? I mean I must have a spare seven seconds somewhere in the next 30 years... :roll:

Cheers, Alf

Who is absolutely not getting into heating metal of any sort beyond the bottom of a saucepan.

 

[mudman]

Just heat the tang with a torch and pound the handle onto the tang, it will burn itself in place. Ah, the flame and smoke make it a fine neanderthal ritual!

You know, I've been wondering about doing it this way. I remember well the excitement of putting the handles on the trowels and forks we made in school metalwork. Great fun. Just assumed that you shouldn't be doing it to something a little more classy. :wink:

 

[tx2man]

WH wrote

just do a bit of blacksmithing

Someone told me recently that a blacksmith's place of work
is called a 'smithy', if so, would it be '' a bit of smithying'' :?

i digress.................................

TX

 

[Chris Knight]

Who is absolutely not getting into heating metal of any sort beyond the bottom of a saucepan.

And here I was thinking that all old tool curators were essentially metal bashers at heart. How can you hope to fix anything that needs a bit of TLC beyond a good clean without some knowledge of hammer and anvil?

(I speak as someone who went on a blacksmithing course at West Dean a few years ago. and learnt that there is a fine line between getting your steel hot enough to bend and setting fire to it, since when I have not actually done any and am ashamed to admit I don't even own an anvil - come to that nor a decent hammer)

 

[devonwoody]

To Alf,

I have no experience of wood turning but if I wanted an oval handle, how about making a round handle oversized to start with, and then planing it down on two sides.

 

[Alf]

JJ, Yep, could do. I do have a couple of screwdrivers with handles like that. Called me cussed, but I'm determined to crack this on the lathe. It may not be soon, mind you... Although the less-than-perfect attempt does show promise, I just need to be more careful in my planning rather than winging it as I tend to do on the lathe.

Chris, Ah well, there you see the misunderstanding. I'm a woodworker see? Not an old tool curator. Yep. That's for sure. Uh-huh. No question. :roll:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Chris Knight]

I'm a woodworker see? Not an old tool curator. Yep. That's for sure. Uh-huh. No question

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[Anonymous]

Definitely what Chris said :lol:

 

[Alf]

I'm terribly hurt and upset by this unseemly laughter. Yep. A terribly hurt and upset woodworker, that's me...

Cheers, Alf

 

[Midnight]

I have no experience of wood turning but if I wanted an oval handle, how about making a round handle oversized to start with, and then planing it down on two sides.

Devon... wouldn't this simply produce a round handle with a pair of flats..?
I reckon to go oval' you'd need a "master" of the shape you want.... then crank them out on a gun-stock duplicator...

 

[woodshavings]

My brain hurts ! doesn't this article from Alf's own site tell how to turn an oval handle for screwdrivers etc??
http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk/wwtipstwo.html
Cheers - John