I need a socket handle for a mortise chisel soon . I have a lathe so the wood part shouldn't be much of a problem, I'll just do an American pattern. However for the leather part, what is the quick and easy. I have a thrift store belt but I only have cheap Chinese gasket punches up to 3/4".
It's not going to come out like those beautiful ones Gregory did, chuckle.
Most people turn a tenon on the top of the handle, punch several thicknesses of leather to fit tightly over the tenon, glue the leather in a sandwich over the tenon, then (after the glue dries!) do a final turning of the handle and leather together for the outer diameter. So your punches should work fine. Tin snips or heavy shop scissors should cut the leather.
I found a pack of bird toys online. Leather washers with a perfect sized hole in the middle. Go to the on line auction site and search for leather washers. I just found some for use with a hi hat drum set. They are 1 5/8" diameter with a 1/2" diameter hole.
I turned the tenon and glued the stacked leather washers in place. Then I cut the stack down with a boxcutter and finished with sandpaper.
Here's a link to a post on another forum that shows how to make reproduction handles for the Stanley 750's. If you scroll down to Mike Brady's post, about the 4th or 5th one, he explains the process of making the leather washers. I've used this dozens of times and it works great. Dominic Greco also has some great info for dimensions.
I hope it is helpful, and I'm sure your handles will be fantastic. Chisel handles aren't that difficult to get good at making, after 3 or 4, you will have it down pat. If I can make them, anyone can, trust me.
Another tip:
If you have a piece of 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" pipe laying around, you can sharpen the edge of it (grinder does this well) and use it as a punch to cut your leather disks. You will still end up turning them to final shape after gluing them to your chisel, but this speeds up the process a lot.
(12-08-2016, 01:16 PM)Downwindtracker2 Wrote: [ -> ]I need a socket handle for a mortise chisel soon . I have a lathe so the wood part shouldn't be much of a problem, I'll just do an American pattern. However for the leather part, what is the quick and easy. I have a thrift store belt but I only have cheap Chinese gasket punches up to 3/4".
It's not going to come out like those beautiful ones Gregory did, chuckle.
DWT:
I have a bunch of NOS leather punches over one inch. Send me the size and I can send you one or two. We are in the same neck of the woods.
Dave B
THX. Gregory got me thinking about what I had around the place. I knew I didn't have 1 1/2" or 1 1/4" pipe, there being no reason, but I did have a chain link fence connector. Sharpened, it worked fine.
For the wooden handles. Back in the early '80s,Lee Valley sold a set of NOS Greenlee detail unhanded lathe chisels in one of their sales. That was 20 years before I even bought a lathe. When I turned handles, no two were the same.
Down the road I hope to make Swedish and London pattern handles for those fleamarket finds.
I made handles for two full sets of chisels and used zero leather. What is the appeal? I like hitting wood!