Shopmade wooden handles for our turning tools are at least one custom
accessory that we all can afford. They are inexpensive, fun to make and
come in many flavors. They may reflect their owner's turning technics
and philosophy better than the lathe(s) he owns or the work he turns out
or for that matter, the smocks he wears or doesn't wear. Could be, but
the ferrules, size, shape, timber and finish of tool handles all
together count for less than the user's ability. You learn to turn by
doing, not by designing and there's a world of difference between
sitting in a chair for a demo and standing at the lathe for a hands-on.
I heard that!


Preferring the steel or aluminum OEM handles or those made at home from
pipe or steel bar probably suggests more than a willingness to open the
purse or a love of weapons, but I don't know what, so for now, I'll only
consider wooden handles. Besides, I happen to like wooden handles.


Size varies, but the shape and finish of handles that come with store
bought turning tools act as a sort of identity for the company. That's
not always a good thing for some companies. The quality tools made by
Bob Sorby, Hank Taylor and other old friends are often better identified
by the handle than by the shaft. I retain most of my 'name brand'
handles partly to show that I do have a few quality store-bought tools,
not always because I prefer their handles to mine. They are "A poor
thing, but mine own".


It's a wrench to take off a distinctive company handle, but some store
bought handles are just not for me. I turn my own custom handles for
some of my store bought tools and put the store bought handles on my
ugly shopmade tools. That way I get two bragging rights instead of one.
There's a certain swagger in deliberately adding a rough limb or broken
hoe handle to a fine powdered and frozen steel shaft with a high
sounding name. You can boast with excess indifference, can't you?

Personal preference is the master word, but I wonder if purpose and
application shouldn't decide a particular turning tool's handle. Maybe
one shape, size, etc. after all doesn't fit all. I happen to prefer a
relatively short and thick tubular handle with a plain rounded end for
spindle roughing gouges and skews. For spindle gouges the company line
generally suits me though some are pretty short and skinny. Is that to
save money on manufacturing and shipping costs to spend on promoting? I
dunno. For detail gouges and deep fluted swept-back 'bowl gouges' with
vanity names, I like handles long enough to reach my hip or belly and
for deep scrapers even my armpit. Better to swing and sway with the tool
than to flail and wave with it. Sometimes a slow romantic dance holding
your partner close beats jitterbugging.


How long these custom lengths need to be depends on my corpulence at the
time. Sadly, that's a variable since Lori is a very good cook, but she's
also a calorie cop. Being a Yankee, her pot likker is sometimes a
little thin for this Southerner. As for fat back and sow belly, forget
it.

I hope that I've gently annoyed some of you enough that you'll share
some of your prejudices (or indifferences) re wooden turning tool
handles. TIA and all that.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter


http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings