I have been researching and [...]]]> I will warn you, this walk-through is a big one!  The results, however, will let a woodworker without a lathe or mad shaping skills to have a reasonably high chance of turning a small chunk of wood into a lovely handle that can be held with comfort and pride!

I have been researching and experimenting with tool grips for quite some time. Recently I have begun to solidify my research and decided it was time to figure out how to make the perfect tool handle, make it well and make it consistently. Part of my goal here is to provide a handle form that does not need a lathe to turn. I wanted to make this something that would inspire and allow budding craftsmen to use, make and repair hand tools.

First off is the specialized shooting board for making octagonal tapers!  Then we will make a jig for boring straight holes into the handles. Lastly we will make a bit for drilling straight holes. You will need some decent 1/2″ or so plywood, some screws, a length of drill rod and some nice lengths of stable wood that is about 2″ by 2″.

Here is my shooting board for making handles. Don’t worry too much about it making no sense to the eye. Think of it as Toolmaking Art!

This abstract wall hanging is a tool for making tools! This is a guide for the controlled removal of wood from a handle blank. For this to work well you need a nice and quite square block of wood, a bit longer than the handle you plan to make. The shavings shown are about as thick a shaving as I can make with the plane shown.

All this really is, is a V-Block with a tapers cut into the sides, mounted on a chunk of plywood.

The taper on the left of the V channel is 1 to 16, the taper on the right of the central v channel is 1 to 4.

At the ends of the V-Channel are holes drilled for dowels to keep the handle blank from moving with the plane.

By using this to plane a square block, the corners can be removed to make it roughly octagonal.  Then the original sides can be planed down to match the taper of what used to be corners.  The end result is a nice octagonal cone.

It can take forever to plane down the sides initially, shaving at a time.  so a rough saw cut not too close to the final dimension can help speed up the process.

Then a plane can run along the side of the shooting board and quickly make an nice smooth surface.

Here is the handle blank half finished.  If you look close you can see where the plane made a rough cut into the grain.  Because of the angles involved, this will usually not happen if you saw off a bit of waste first.

Here is the handle nearly finished.  A bit of hand sanding or shaping will still be needed to make the transition between the front and back tapers even and smooth.

Here is how I made the shooting board.  First I started with a V-Channel cut into a block of cedar.  I like cedar because it is inexpensive and reasonably stable.  The V was cut to be slightly less that a 90 degree angle, so that slightly uneven blocks would still be held stable.  Note here, that a block that is not very close to square is used to make a handle, the result will be an handle that is not at all close to octagonal!

Here is the back of the same V-Block.  I am using my reference cone to check the line I drew  for a guide.

Here is how I made the line.  I wanted the taper to be 1 to 16.  For accuracy, I try to use as much length of measuring tools as I have.  So I decided to use a 1.5″ rise to 24″ run.

I ‘Burned’ an inch, that is added an in to the measure, so I was not using the end of the rule.

But instead of doing it right,  and measuring along the length, I measured using the hypotenuse.  Yep, I made a stupid mistake, fortunately I did not use my measurements.

Because table saws are dangerous, I use a rail saw for power cutting.  Since the saw blade runs right down the edge of this aluminum rail, I can place a block of wood beneath it and make a precise cut.  So I lined it up with the cone in the V-Channel.  The cone is not visible since it lines up with the edge of the rail.  But the shadow of the cone is visible .   Then I lowered the rail, adjusted the saw and cut the taper.

See how the cone fits nicely with the taper cut in the side of the V-Block.

The center tool handle was made using the shooting board shown.  The cone and the handle on the right used the  much funkier and less pretty prototype.

Here is the jig for drilling a straight hole.  I used screws to hold this together.  Three square blocks sitting square with two long sections of plywood.  I used a long drill bit, and lined it all up with an aluminum L-Channel to  try and drill a fairly straight set of holes.  Since I had a lot of area for holes if I messed up, I was ready to drill another and try to do better.  The drill bit was tested as straight by rolling it on a granite plate.  Then it drilled the first two holes and made a divot at the end for the tool blanks end point to register with.

Before drilling I make a nice divot in the end of the tool handle to center the drill bit in.

Then the handle blank is centered into place with it’s point in the divot.

I hold the handle while the drill bit cuts the initial hole.  After getting the hole started, I let go of the handle to see if it is centered and straight.

It is easy to see a ghosted edge if the handle is off center in any way.  Below the photo of the spinning handle shows that I have everything right!

Sadly the photo below shows that the end result of drilling gave me an off center hole.  The truth is, I fooled myself into thinking this would work.  I really did not want this project to be complex and require much metal working, so that you the reader might be inspired to actually follow these directions.  Sadly,  my goal blinded me to something I knew.  Most drill bits wander with a deep cut into wood.  Drilling into endgrain is the worst.  Constant force make the bit flex and follow the path of the least resistance.  This compounds and makes for an irregular hole.

What you need for drilling this sort of hole is the same sort of tool that was used in the early days to drill gun barrels straight.  Did I say, used in the early days?  This technology has not changed much, apart from putting a hole through the center of the drill to pump oil through to lubricate the drilling, the shapes are much the same, apart from a hundred or so variations.

So what we need here is a shell auger!  Here is how I made one.  First I took a drill rod blank the size I wanted.  Then I ground a skew on the end and a flat taper from the point to about 4″ back on the rod.  This rod is 1/4″ soft, unhardened tool steel.  Normally this steel is basically shaped, hardened, tempered, and then the finished shape is made.  In this case we are just going to file it into shape and use it.  It will dull comparatively quickly, but it will be easy to sharpen.  Not all edged tools have to be hard.

I filed a flat taper about 1/16″ deep at the end of the rod, so that filing would be less and be easier.  It is easy to skate off of a round surface when filing and scar the exterior that you want to remain smooth.

Here is a nice rounded channel tapering to the point.  The taper is nice, since as I sharpen this, the end will be reduced, and the channel deepened.  The taper means I can keep the same profile as I use and sharpen this tool.

The channel makes a moon shaped profile at the end of the bit.  The deepest part of the channel, just barely reaches the center of the rod.

The bevel on the end of the shell auger drops away from the groove edge and away from the leading point of the auger.  This gives clearance for the cut to be made.

The actual cutting edge of this auger is the intersection between the longer half of the groove and the end bevel.  Because this tool cuts only on the face of the tool, and slowly scrapes material without digging in, it makes a straight and centered hole.

Here it is ready to be used.

Because a shell auger does not start with a center point, I made a hole first with a spur bit to initially guide the auger.

A shell auger is slow, and needs to be removed to clean the hole regularly.  It can also get hot quickly.  Not that I am afraid of ruining the temper of this one since it was never hardened.  It scrapes instead of digging in and cutting so it does not make chips typically, it makes powder.

Here is the tool handle drilled with a shell auger, spinning in place.  Perfectly centered on the alignment divot.

Here is a close up of the handle spinning.  Shell augers work!

Now when I put a tool into the handle it sits straight and true!

The shell auger made from unhardened tool steel needs sharpening after cutting holes in two handles.  With some fine sandpaper on a flat surface the end bevel can be cleaned up.  If the channel needs to be cleaned up too, fine sandpaper bent around another section of drill rod will do a good job of polishing it.

There you go, a compete process for making octagonal and tapered forms.  Keep in mind that a straight octagon can be made with just a v-block cut to size and not taper at all.  Let me thank Ray Gardiner for straightening me out when I was chasing a rabbit down a hole on this, and Steve Wirt for his interest, information and encouragement.  This project took me on quite a few detours and turns and I would have been much, much more frustrated by it without their imput.

Bob

But in every conversation about these tools, someone has to make the cheap shot [...]]]> I love posts about workshops in other countries.   They show other methods of work holding, and working with tools.  Often times you see amazing work being done with a few simple tools.   What I really like is the simple tools.

But in every conversation about these tools, someone has to make the cheap shot about how they are doing better work than you are, with fewer tools than you have.   As someone who designs and makes new tools, this is a rather unsettling thought.  It also speaks to the thought that modern craftsmen have become helpless without our huge collections of tools.    I don’t think that either of these ideas are entirely true.

As a carpenter in the 80′s I kept a knife, hammer, pencil, nailset, chisel, speed square, pliers, chalk box and tape measure with me at all times.  These were in my pouch with an assortment of nails.   In addition,we would usually have  a crosscut saw, circular saw, nail gun, framing square, prybar, block plane, wrenches and screwdrivers.   The difference between the set of tools for a form carpenter, framing carpenter and finish carpenter was pretty much the weight of the hammer.  A framing carpenter might also have a shovel and pick around. but the tools were all pretty basic and universal.

We would make sawhorses and scaffolds when we needed them, so our workbenches were solid and simple.

As I started to try and do more with wood than make decks and sheds, I found that each process was facilitated by one or two new tools.

For example, I just made myself a new tool.  While making this tool, I had to make another tool for making tools with.

I needed to make a hexagonal hole,

Like this.  To make it I made a tool by grinding a high angle edge on a hex key.

Here was my solution for a tool to make a tool. More of a scraper than anything else, with a slight relief opposite so the cut can be started.

To use it, first you drill a hole the diameter of the distance between flats on the hex key. Then you line it up and get it started. Once it gets started, it does a pretty nice job as you rotate it around carving the six sides. It only goes as deep as the bevel allows, and it wants to jam, but it does the trick, for a quick and dirty solution.

If I was making more than a few hexagonal holes, I might make one with tapers for starting holes, and cut into the side of one to make a hex float. Then I would use one with no relief, once the hole was started. But this does a good enough job with a fairly smooth side.

So in order to make a tool, I made a tool to make hexagonal holes.  If I did this much, I might want several variations.  Nomally this is not a tool I need, and I will probably lose this one before I need it again.   So the truth is that a specialized shop will do great with a smaller set of tools.  A designer, pattern maker or hobby craftsman, will be more likely to need a much broader set of tools, depending on the range of work being done.  If they make hexagonal holes occasionally, they might want a few variations on this tool.  Just one simple operation added could add another three tools to the collection.

Coincidentally I also have a neat new tool with a hexagonal hole in it.   This presents me with another problem.  I really want to show it off and show people how I made it and what it does, like I usually do.  This one however is a corker.  It is a tool that I would remake quickly if I lost it.  For me, it is a must have tool.   So I am thinking of offering it to some nice company that would be willing to part with a few thousand dollars for a pretty nice new tool design.

Maybe I should send picture of it to a company and threaten to publish it on my blog if they don’t pay me for the idea.   But I am not sure that blackmail is that good a method to start a business relationship.

Bob

The bottom divider is unmodified.  Works great, and it can hold a pencil.  The top one is modified by having one point ground down.   It will not measure quite as small a [...]]]> I love multifunctional tools. Sadly, most of them don’t really work very well. Here is one that is a real gem.

The bottom divider is unmodified.  Works great, and it can hold a pencil.  The top one is modified by having one point ground down.   It will not measure quite as small a gap.   It is however a much more useful tool.  The leather sheath above it holds extra bits and protects the divider.

The bit pocket has a snap at the top to put bits in and a snap at the bottom to pour them out.  It is a bit flawed as the sharp bits fall right into your hand, so you need to be careful.

This tool will act as a divider, can draw circles, and cut circles.

First I take a normal bit, and grind it down

Original Phillips Bit

Bit ground down partially

Bit Ground to point

Point ground into a cutter

The point can be ground by putting the bit in a drill and spin grinding it with sandpaper.  It can be done faster on a grindstone or belt sander.

Cutting bit in divider

A couple of important points.  The flat of the cutter should go to the outside, and should be ground level with one of the six faces of the bit’s shaft.  This way it is in line when you cut.  The curved edge facing inward, tend to force the cut to maximum allowed diameter, making for a more stable line.

Circles cut and marked by divider

This bit is great for marking wood and leather.  As you can see it will also cut.  Bits can be made with steeper angles so they do not sink as deep, or with finer points to leave a finer mark.  More conventional blades can be made as well.

Blade

Blade

With a nice divider able to cut, scribe, measure, scratch and mark, you have a pretty amazing tool.  With a screw driver handle added to the kit, you can use the blades and points for an even wider range of functions.

I made a better version of the original sheath.  Here it is on a belt with a pair of bottle holsters.

Divider Sheith on Belt with Bottle Holsters

The Bit holder uses one snap, and allows you to see and select the bit you want.  The bit can be grabbed from the bottom to avoid the sharp points.

Improved Bit holder!

I got a bit of feedback desiring one of these made for them.  So I have created an Etsy Store to sell stuff to those who don’t feel comfortable making their own.  Since one of the major goals of Toolmaking Art is to encourage people to make their own tools, the prices will of course reflect this goal.

Bob

This was made from one of the cutters in an old broken pencil sharpener.  It was a bit dull so I sharpened the cutter using the ancient method of soaking it in vinegar.  Now it is nice and [...]]]> I have been wanting one of these for about three years.  I finally made one!

This was made from one of the cutters in an old broken pencil sharpener.  It was a bit dull so I sharpened the cutter using the ancient method of soaking it in vinegar.  Now it is nice and sharp.  A bit of all-thread, between the knobs,  holds  it all together.  Great little tool,  Kind of a cross between a float, file and a spoke  shave.

Bob

The tool is a very stable compass that can cut.  My current need is one to mark a radius [...]]]> Johnathan, recently posted on Woodnet his rendition of an inlay radius cutter.  The design is one that Steve Latta showed in an article on Fine Woodworking.   Lie-Nielsen sells one based on that design.

The tool is a very stable compass that can cut.  My current need is one to mark a radius in steel.  So I threw one together.  It of course is a bit different.

The body is osage, the knob is mesquite, and the angle adjustable cutter/marker holder is ash.

The points where ground from old high speed steel drill bits and tempered hard.  I need them hard because I am marking steel.  In the picture below, you can see the radius cut into the edge of a head knife that I am making.  The red just outside the cut is to show me where I need to grind off steel.  I am using the thread end of a Chicago bolt to put the pivot in to give fine precision.

The arc on one side of the cutter tends to pull in as it cuts.  This tends to reduce slop and make for a more precise cut.

The holder is tapered to fit into a tapered hole.  The drilled hole in the end of the holder was drilled with the same bit that became the cutter.  A pair of slices into the wood makes it grip the blade quite tightly when wedged into a tapered hole.

I even have a point for scribing instead of cutting.  I will make another holder to wedge a pencil into the hole as well, when I need it later.

The hole was drilled, and then I used a sanding fid to taper it.

This is my sanding fid.  A drill bit pushed to hard into wood so it locked in.  Then the wood was turned to make a cone.  A slit was cut in the end.

Now sand paper can be fed into the slit and wrapped around the cone.

Once it is wrapped, is is ready to sand out a nice taper.

The locking mechanism is simple, a threaded insert and a knob turned with a bit of brass thread and a nut epoxied into the end.

Opened up this can make a really big circle.  Best of all, it is rock solid stable once set into position.

Bob