Hi Darrell, Thanks for gifting us with another good project; useful and
clearly presented. I realize that it's primarily an exercise in laying
out and turning useful objects to designed measurements, plus turning
coves, beads and tenons and making ferrules. Here are some alternative
methods that you know about of course. Variations not improvements.

Some timbers have grain patterns such that if drilled in the handle's
tenon might divert a drill bit off center. Using a center drill is a
cheap and handy way for assuring an axially centered hole. Some
beginners might want to drill the hole in the blank first and hold it
with a tapered tail center. ie. turning the blank to the hole instead of
drilling the hole into the finished handle.

For not having to take the handle off the lathe, a short ferrule
slipping freely over a
rotating tail center can be pushed against a tiny taper on the end of
the tenon to mark for a tight fit. A piece of the original ferrule stock
can be used to press the ferrule onto the tenon, square & tight. A
handled cut nail with a diamond point makes a useful tool for trimming,
deburring and burnishing a rough ferrule while it's on the lathe.

One method of insuring a smoothly rounded & tapered central point
without a jig is to chuck the nail in a hand drill and rotate it against
a rotating grinder.

Drilling the hole for the nail to extend right thru the handle, even
leaving the head on, allows the awl to be hit without cracking the wood
or driving the nail further into a blind hole. Good for making center
dimples in hard wood. Not so good as a scratch awl and somebody will
surely ask, "why not just use a naked nail"?

Hope I haven't offended Milton, Wohler ....or Feltmate.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter


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