JJ Ryan No300 12in Wrench Grip Perfect Handle Screwdriver

[Blacky's Boy]

Hi gang,
It's been a while since I posted here. Life and my other hobbies have kept me away from wood working for the past couple years. Plus, I lost my mojo for wood working due to REALLY being burnt out from running a side business. Over the past year I've been steadily getting back into wood working and here's a recent project.

I had this beat up old "Perfect Handle" screw driver sitting in my junk drawer for about 10 to 15 years. There were some markings on it and I found that this was made by the JJ Ryan Company. It turned out to be a 10" No300 Wrench grip (because of the hex cast into the bolster) Perfect Handled Screwdriver.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aofzd5qHeO9ChT8oToiB...k?e=UPQezL

Here's a link to the catalog page.
https://archive.org/details/RyanToolsCat...3/mode/2up

I removed the scales and made new ones out of apple wood.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aofzd5qHeO9ChUR5ubJa...0?e=u2swmB

The body was pretty rusty so I used a wire wheel followed by sanding with a 1" x 30 belt sander. I took it all the way up to 400 grit and then moved to a sanding pad at the drill press and went to 1200 grit. I then polished it with Autosol.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aofzd5qHeO9ChUPIn146...M?e=vPZ3Mn

I used 1/4" brass for the rivets and glued the scales in with epoxy. I glued on scale in at a time and drilled holes for the rivets after the epoxy cured. I then glued in the other scale and allowed that to cure and then used the first set of holes as a template to drill through for the other side. The brass rod was then glued in place and allowed to cure.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aofzd5qHeO9ChUFJtMAZ...6?e=RC5VZY

I used the belt sander to get the shape down and sanded it to 600 grit. The handle them got several coats of TruOil followed by buffing after the finish had cured.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aofzd5qHeO9ChUJ6brcT...f?e=RWAqVY

Thanks,
Dominic

[brianwelch]

I was going to ask you why you selected apple, and then I saw the final product...
Nice work!
Brian (a fellow Bucks Countian...)

[Blacky's Boy]

Thanks. Apple is one of my favorite wood for tool handles. I was going to use Jarrah but that proved to be a real pita. It was like working with rock! I guess I just wasn't used to working with it.

[Pedder]

Hi Dominic,

good to read you again!
Very good work on the screwdriver!

Cheers
Pedder

[Timberwolf]

Hi gang,
It's been a while since I posted here. Life and my other hobbies have kept me away from wood working for the past couple years. Plus, I lost my mojo for wood working due to REALLY being burnt out from running a side business. Over the past year I've been steadily getting back into wood working and here's a recent project.

I had this beat up old "Perfect Handle" screw driver sitting in my junk drawer for about 10 to 15 years. There were some markings on it and I found that this was made by the JJ Ryan Company. It turned out to be a 10" No300 Wrench grip (because of the hex cast into the bolster) Perfect Handled Screwdriver.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aofzd5qHeO9ChT8oToiB...k?e=UPQezL

Here's a link to the catalog page.
https://archive.org/details/RyanToolsCat...3/mode/2up

I removed the scales and made new ones out of apple wood.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aofzd5qHeO9ChUR5ubJa...0?e=u2swmB

The body was pretty rusty so I used a wire wheel followed by sanding with a 1" x 30 belt sander. I took it all the way up to 400 grit and then moved to a sanding pad at the drill press and went to 1200 grit. I then polished it with Autosol.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aofzd5qHeO9ChUPIn146...M?e=vPZ3Mn

I used 1/4" brass for the rivets and glued the scales in with epoxy. I glued on scale in at a time and drilled holes for the rivets after the epoxy cured. I then glued in the other scale and allowed that to cure and then used the first set of holes as a template to drill through for the other side. The brass rod was then glued in place and allowed to cure.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aofzd5qHeO9ChUFJtMAZ...6?e=RC5VZY

I used the belt sander to get the shape down and sanded it to 600 grit. The handle them got several coats of TruOil followed by buffing after the finish had cured.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aofzd5qHeO9ChUJ6brcT...f?e=RWAqVY

Thanks,
Dominic

............................
Hi Dom.....great to see you posting again!!!!!! Nice work as usual on the old screwdriver....Happy New Year!!!!!!

[Ron Brese]

Refurbished and ready to go. Very nice,

Ron

[2beast]

Nice Work Dom

Good to see you back

[Stwood_]

Very nice Dom.
Hey, post more!!!!

[Hank Knight]

HI, Dom. Great to see you back and I hope you become a regular again like the old days. I've been out myself for a year or so, but I expect o be back in the saddle again soon. Look forward to seeing you here again.
Nice work on the old screwdriver.

[TraditionalToolworks]

Nice job Dominic!

Those long screwdrivers are kinda rare, I have one, I grind the edge more parallel and flatter on the end, more like a gunsmith screwdriver, if you're familiar with those.

I gave a really cool perfect handle to Arlin with some other tools recently, I hope he puts new scales on it. I gave him one of the shorter ones with wings on the sides. Not too many of those either. The perfect handle I use the most is adjustable wrench, and occasionally the pipe wrench, but the adjustable wrench is like a vintage crescent wrench, it's really handy.

That apple wood looks great. One day I'll finish making scales for the ones that need it. Some people really abused them, beating the screwdrivers with hammers and such...

You making any saws these days?