H & C handles

[sanch]

OK so I've read many posts on Hammer and Chisel work but would like to "see" some examples of the HANDLE end of your gravers H&C people please chime in here I will post a pic of the "handles" I made when I get a chance :hammer:

 

[Brian Marshall]

My vote goes for the simple, ugly ones made of square stock. 2 holes. One for the graver & one for the setscrew.

Plus square stock or keystock is cheap!

You index your graver when you put it in the handle and once you've got the handle gripped with the point down - it will ALWAYS be down.


Not so, for me, when I tried some round ones... especially in summertime when your hands are slippery anyway.


Brian

 

[sanch]

My vote goes for the simple, ugly ones made of square stock. 2 holes. One for the graver & one for the setscrew.

Plus square stock or keystock is cheap!

You index your graver when you put it in the handle and once you've got the handle gripped with the point down - it will ALWAYS be down.


Not so, for me, when I tried some round ones... especially in summertime when your hands are slippery anyway.


Brian

good point, sounds like mine may be problematic in this regard. I have some old mild steel square stock that I may just twist in the forge to aid in the indexing the SS ones I made are round....DOH!!!

 

[Brian Marshall]

Take a look at some of the fancy filework done by knifemakers.

That will dress "ugly" up a bit...


B.

 

[sanch]

Take a look at some of the fancy filework done by knifemakers.

That will dress "ugly" up a bit..
B.

YUP! filework is fun also!

 

[sam]

Mine measure 3-3/4" from the end of the brass ferrule to the end of the wood. The diameter is 3/4".

There's no standard for chisel handles. Europeans use longer steel handles. Mine are patterned after McKenzie's. They worked for him and they work for me. Try 'em all see what feels best to you.

 

[sanch]

Sam, the wood handles look nice mostly all of my leather working tools are handled in some sort of dark color wood, but I wanted to go with stainless steel I feel the heft and diameter is comfortable as well as the 4.5" length. The gravers (when I finally receive them) will go in 3/4" hopefully it works!

 

[sam]

They look really heavy. I'm sure they'll work. I'd make some different sizes including some wooden ones and see what feels and works best for you.

 

[sanch]

Sam, they are TANKS! I kinda applied a little of what I know about my self when I turned them for example when I shoot I am more accurate with a heavier firearm, when I am tooling leather I use my heavy maul and larger diameter tools also when carving the designs in the leather to tool I use a swivel knife that I made it is also a TANK SS and brass...so hopefully they will work as intended if not I will chuck them back in the lathe and put them on a diet! I do plan on making some wooden handles also I have a few pieces of 100 year old cherry wood that's needing a little attention! I love copper so the ferrules will probably be copper!

 

[tim halloran]

Sanch:You might want to make your handles out of aluminum, this will cut down on the weight. I used to make my H&C handles out of broom handle stock. The large wide push broom handles . Just drill a hole slightly smaller than the size of the graver, then you can take the graver out of the handle and sharpen it by hand, or use the original GRS sharpener or the multi angle sharpener to sharpen a 90 degree graver. It will work for you, all you need to do then is remember to make sure that the width of the heel is the same on both sides so that the tool will track straight. I made my own hammers in the beginning, so i also made a very light hammer head for one hammer for fine work. I saw an article in a magazine about an engraver that made a hammer head out of aluminum so he could work late at night without awakening anybody. I've been at this for almost 29 years so if you need to you can PM me or call me at 563-260 8464 and we can talk about it. There is a lot of info i could give you that can't be given here without writing a book.

 

[sanch]

Sanch:You might want to make your handles out of aluminum, this will cut down on the weight. I used to make my H&C handles out of broom handle stock. The large wide push broom handles . Just drill a hole slightly smaller than the size of the graver, then you can take the graver out of the handle and sharpen it by hand, or use the original GRS sharpener or the multi angle sharpener to sharpen a 90 degree graver. It will work for you, all you need to do then is remember to make sure that the width of the heel is the same on both sides so that the tool will track straight. I made my own hammers in the beginning, so i also made a very light hammer head for one hammer for fine work. I saw an article in a magazine about an engraver that made a hammer handle out of aluminum so he could work late at night without awakening anybody. I've been at this for almost 29 years so if you need to you can PM me or call me at 563-260 8464 and we can talk about it. There is a lot of info i could give you that can't be given here without writing a book.

Thank you kind sir!

 

[atexascowboy2011]

I'm of the shock absorbing wood theory.
As Sam stated McKenzie and he both use(d) them as well as Frank Hendricks and I believe Weldon Lister.
As a blacksmith you've probably beat on some cold steel and received a jarring shock vs. hot steel with a soft thump.
But, as Sam said ,try them all.

 

[sanch]

Hmmm??? Sounds like I may have made some really neat ice pick handles or something...!! Red wood oak dowels!!!! That was oNE of them splitpifhanys thing there that's what that was!!!

 

[DKanger]

Europeans use longer steel handles.

Sam,
Do you think that's because their work is almost always at eye level and where our gravers may be at an angle of 15-20 degrees, it seems like theirs is just slightly above parallel. A longer handle allows hand clearance beyond the vise and also allows greater flexibility when cutting small detail, ie, each degree of a 4" handle is smaller than each degree of a 6" handle.

 

[sam]

Sam,
Do you think that's because their work is almost always at eye level and where our gravers may be at an angle of 15-20 degrees, it seems like theirs is just slightly above parallel. A longer handle allows hand clearance beyond the vise and also allows greater flexibility when cutting small detail, ie, each degree of a 4" handle is smaller than each degree of a 6" handle.

I never considered that but you might be onto something. McKenzie claimed that he got less broken points with wooden handles as opposed to steel, so that was his reason. Churchill uses wooden handles but I never asked him if why that was his preference. I'll try to remember the next time I talk to him. Maybe Alain or Martin Strolz can comment on this.

 

[dimovengraving]

My metal H&C square handles (type "stationary knife")

They work good

 

[Weldon47]

I was trained using wood handles & that's what I still prefer. I've tried steel & I've got a couple set up that way on my bench now. I use them for specific purposes not for the major cutting I do.
In the end it'll be what you get used to and practice with that'll seem "normal" to you.
For my opinion I think your steel handles might be a little heavier than they need to be unless...you're really hogging out some extra large work.
My thoughts anyway!

Happy New Year,
Weldon Lister

 

[airamp]

Hi,

I took some classes with Brian Bridges who was working with Lynton McKenzie when he moved to Arizona.
Brian and Lynton both use wooden handles for H&C work. The wood is the key ingredient in this type of graver handle.
They use Osay Orange. This wood was used by the native American Indians for making Bows due to its strength and flexibility. I have made and used this wood to make H&C handles and they work great. If done properly and the graver pressed or glued into the wood these leave almost no chisel marks in your cuts. Give it a try you will like the results.

AirAmp

 

[sanch]

Hi,

I took some classes with Brian Bridges who was working with Lynton McKenzie when he moved to Arizona.
Brian and Lynton both use wooden handles for H&C work. The wood is the key ingredient in this type of graver handle.
They use Osay Orange. This wood was used by the native American Indians for making Bows due to its strength and flexibility. I have made and used this wood to make H&C handles and they work great. If done properly and the graver pressed or glued into the wood these leave almost no chisel marks in your cuts. Give it a try you will like the results.

AirAmp

I will be trying wood (various types), aluminum, and smaller diameter SS as far as using anything like the osay? don't know about that I have some cherry and red oak, pear wood...Also brass but it may be to soft possibly some bronze...??? (heavy) dunno?!!

 

[airamp]

Hi,

Do yourself a favor and go to a wood shop. Pick up some osay orange and try it. If you need to do deep, heavy cuts you can run a steel rod through the osay to the back of the graver for less flexibility. Google osay orange for the history of this wood..

AirAmp