Monday, April 26, 2010

Getting a Handle On It Part 3 etc...

This is the final entry about rehandling drawknives, but first, I'd like to show a few recent events here around the homestead. Before he left for Alabama, Seth turned some new mauls from my hickory log. I couldn't resist setting a new one amongst the mauls that I've been beating on for the last few years. I don't think of myself as nostalgic, but I can't bring myself to burn the old ones after their service.


Here is Bill Burslem with a chair that he made with me a few weeks back. Bill is a retired doctor who spends his time making stuff and volunteering in Ethiopia and the Gulf Coast. It's a pleasure to work with someone so accomplished and generous.


Below is our little goat Maggie who is very pregnant and has us on the edge of our seats. It's no exaggeration to say that I check on her every few hours (she's happy to see me at 3 a.m.).
She's quite a trooper carrying all that extra weight on her little frame, we think it might be twins!


Back to the drawknife. After the peening to remove the cap, the end of the tang is work hardened and would be difficult to repeen. So I anneal it with a torch (a gas stovetop would also work). Get the end cherry hot and let it cool slowly, certainly don't quench it, which would harden it.


Next is driving the handle on. If you've sized the holes right, you should be concerned about it splitting. I use a board with a hole in it to pound it into position.


Use the end cap to check if the tang is sticking out enough.


And finally peen over the softened end to hold the cap and handle in place.

Here is the finished handle. I replaced the other one and am happy to have this old tool back in service. All that's left is to peel the protective tape (it's there to protect me, not the blade!) and get back to work.


I've got lots of new stuff happening in the shop that I'm excited to share, from fluorescent glue to diamond paste, so check back soon.

8 comments:

Greg Pennington said...

Pete,
I turned some cherry handles tonight and finished with walnut oil. I was able to fit the rusty caps back on the handle and sand on the lathe at high speed to really clean them up. I guess I got carried away. I will peen these on tommorrow when I'm more awake. I did bend the handles to make a bevel up knife without heat. It didn't have to be bent much. Keep an eye on the blog for some pictures later. Thanks again.
Greg

Peter Galbert said...

Greg,
Glad to hear it. Perhaps you should write up a post about the handle bending, reasons and process, I'll link to it (why should I have all the fun!) Beautiful job on the bench by the way, they sure found the right guy for the job.
Pete

Tico Vogt said...

Hi Peter,

Have you used elm to make froe clubs or mauls? Where we live there are so many elms that die when their diameter reaches 10-12" and I think about the uses they can be put to.

tico

jaupnort said...

Another very helpful post Peter.I guess I am going to have to sign up for a class so I can see all your livestock. Makes an old farmboy homesick.
On the drawknife. I need to check your older posts to see when a draw knife is defined as bevel up or down. I have quite a collection and when I see a good one at a flea mkt I can't keep from bringing it home.
That being said I would like to bend one of the handles straight out to use for carving the seats.
Another member of the chair making teaching fraternity (I'll not identify him) uses such a knife rather handlely but not so much that I want to pay him about $150 for the tool.
The annealing should provide the answer much more economically. John Anderson

Andrew Jack said...

flourescent glue? what's next? a blacklight in your kiln? stoked to see you are back on a posting schedule, friend. still cold calling local folks about logs, still hoping to find the person that wants to deal with the small fish. talk to you soon!

Peter Galbert said...

Tico,
I haven't used elm, but it's cross fiber structure should work great for mauls, lemme know how it goes

John,
If the back of the blade is in line with the handles, then it's a bevel down user, if it's canted then it's a bevel up. Make sure to wrap the blade in a wet cloth to prevent annealing the edge when you heat the tang to bend it straight. Good luck

Andy,
Just put on that sad puppy dog face and offer to wax their truck. Let me Come see us soon,
Pete

Tee, Kerry's wife said...

Did Maggie have her baby(s) yet?

Peter Galbert said...

Tee,
I am actually heading out to check on her now, but no kids yet. We've started to see some signs that delivery might be soon. I can hardly contain my excitement! I'll post photos once we see the little beasts,
thanks for asking,
Pete