I have a Barton mortise chisel I need to rehandle. It’s a big pigsticker with the sort of triangular tine shaped spike on the opposite side of the bolster to impale the oval wooden handle. I think I’ve read a description of how to do this one time, but having never tried it, I thought I’d seek out tips in hopes avoiding mistakes.
I’ll us some hard wood – likely maple for the handle (better woods for the job necessary? Samson wonders).
I figured I’d rough it out, but plan to do most of the shaping after I mount it on the steel (better to shape it first for some reason? Samson wonders or shaping after allows room for correction if tine and wood do not equal straight line with blade? Samson wonders).
I figure I should use a drill (or maybe chop? Samson wonders) to remove most of the waste from an undersized hole approximating the shape of the tine (how undersized? Samson wonders).
I then understand that I should heat the tine with a torch (how hot? and and how best to hold the chisel for the process? and is a heat sink for the rest of the blade necessary? Samson wonders) and and impale the wood on the hot tine so the tine burns a snug fit.
Leather washer or not? (and how to put one on with a hot tine and not burn the leather? wet the leather? Samson wonders) Ray Isles says not in the literature with his models – best examples = no leather. Ray Isles also drills a small hole through the top of his handles (to allow smoke to escape or something when mounting? Samson wonders)(Does Samson need such a tiny chimney? he wonders).
Thanks for any help.
Replies
I wrote a tutorial on this a little while ago. It can be found at http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/dCohen/rehMorticeChsel/rehMorticeChisel1.asp
I used a drill, scrub plane, spokeshave and sandpaper.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Thank you, Derek. That's very helpful.
Derek
I take it that the handle is a friction fit on the tang? No glue or epoxy necessary? Great instruction. Tom"Notice that at no time do my fingers leave my hand"
Hi Tom
I have done several handles this way. One or two benefitted from a little epoxy to replace a tad too much waste removed. Most were a close fit. I aim for a friction fit. Depending on the wood's brittleness, one might only require 1/8" - 1/4" excess for a tight fit. I did split a few handles finding this out.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Drill the first hole as far into the handle as the length of the tang (but a bit less then drill a second hole to enlarge the first hole only to a depth half way into the first hole also a little less than the thickness of the tang. Finally, enlarge the lastlarger hole only 1/4 way in and a little snug. Also, forget about burning in or the tang will get too soft and bend. Steinmetz.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled