Here we’re showing how to turn wooden tool handles, in this case for carving chisels with both a
- tang, requiring a tapered hole;
- socket, requiring a tapered tenon.
The stock used are ash hardwood dowel rods of 35-mm diameter. Each handle is turned using standard spindle-turning tools, with the handle tapering towards the ends.
The tenon for a socket-type chisel must fit precisely, requiring frequent checks with calipers. For fitting, wrap the iron in a rag, place in a vice and tap the handle on. The last few milimeters should require progressively stronger taps for a tight fit; no glue needed.
The hole for the tang should taper as well. The ferrule prevents the wood handle from splitting as the wedge-shaped tang enters the wood, and can be cut from a copper pipe.
