# walnut for lathe tool handles?



## jimmyjames (Apr 30, 2013)

Well you guys turned me to the dark side! I'm going to attempt making some stuff on a lathe, my friend has a small lathe with a 14" swing, I figured I'm going to need some handles for my lathe tools someday so why not turn some handles? I know most use rock hard ash for this but would walnut be suitable? My favorite wood is walnut and I have a ton of it!


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## Final Strut (Apr 30, 2013)

jimmyjames said:


> Well you guys turned me to the dark side! I'm going to attempt making some stuff on a lathe, my friend has a small lathe with a 14" swing, I figured I'm going to need some handles for my lathe tools someday so why not turn some handles? I know most use rock hard ash for this but would walnut be suitable? My favorite wood is walnut and I have a ton of it!



I say if you have a ton of it use it. I have an abundance of lighter colored real straight grain walnut that I don't have a lot of use for and when the need for a handle came up I said what the heck and used it. I have had no issues with it thus far so I say go for it.


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## duncsuss (Apr 30, 2013)

jimmyjames said:


> Well you guys turned me to the dark side! I'm going to attempt making some stuff on a lathe, my friend has a small lathe with a 14" swing, I figured I'm going to need some handles for my lathe tools someday so why not turn some handles? I know most use rock hard ash for this but would walnut be suitable? My favorite wood is walnut and I have a ton of it!



It worked for me ... walnut handle with a brass ferrule (made from a water pipe coupling, so it screwed onto the tenon nice and tight), with the Doug Thompson spindle detail gouge that it fits.

(Tip: if you're going to use epoxy to fix the tool in place, drill a small "relief hole" from the side of the tool into the bottom of the hole that receives the tool. This will let surplus epoxy ooze out, but more important it relieves the pressure that builds up when you ram the steel into the hole. Before drilling that hole, wrap that area of the handle with masking tape so the epoxy doesn't stain your beautiful handle.)


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## Mike Jones (Apr 30, 2013)

I get walnut stained hands when I work with it.....coat it well and it should make excellent handles.

PS. Lemon juice wash-up eliminates the stain on hands.


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## woodtickgreg (Apr 30, 2013)

I use walnut for lathe handles, it looks good, is strong, and dense so it gives the tool good balance. I just finish as I would any turned piece. I epoxy them in and use a copper ferule from some heavy wall copper pipe.


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## jimmyjames (Apr 30, 2013)

Mike Jones said:


> I get walnut stained hands when I work with it.....coat it well and it should make excellent handles.
> 
> PS. Lemon juice wash-up eliminates the stain on hands.




No kidding? My hands are black right this very momment from sanding walnut, I will have to give that a try! You have no idea how many times people have asked what's wrong with my hands because they are almost black.....


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## woodtickgreg (Apr 30, 2013)

jimmyjames said:


> Mike Jones said:
> 
> 
> > I get walnut stained hands when I work with it.....coat it well and it should make excellent handles.
> ...


I must be immune to walnut, no black hands, no breathing problems, no itchy anything. As a matter of fact I have yet to find a wood that bothers me....except for poison oak, and that's not really wood, but it will send me to the hospital. Happened many times when I lived in Cali.


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## DKMD (Apr 30, 2013)

I've got a couple of tools with walnut handles... It works fine. 

BTW, the hand staining doesn't seem to be an issue once the wood is dry, but Mike is right on about the lemon juice. In fact, it's the only use I've found for that nasty stuff that comes in the lemon shaped plastic containers.


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## Mike1950 (Apr 30, 2013)

DKMD said:


> I've got a couple of tools with walnut handles... It works fine.
> 
> BTW, the hand staining doesn't seem to be an issue once the wood is dry, but Mike is right on about the lemon juice. In fact, it's the only use I've found for that nasty stuff that comes in the lemon shaped plastic containers.



I was wondering about the black hands- I always have played with it dry. I know if you wear a white T-shirt while sanding it ends up pink :dash2::dash2::dash2:


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## winters98 (May 2, 2013)

looks nice good work on the handles. Where did you find lathe tools with out the handles?


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## jimmyjames (May 2, 2013)

What's everybody's method for inserting square tools into the handle?


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## woodtickgreg (May 3, 2013)

jimmyjames said:


> What's everybody's method for inserting square tools into the handle?


I make them round.


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## duncsuss (May 3, 2013)

winters98 said:


> looks nice good work on the handles. Where did you find lathe tools with out the handles?



Doug Thompson makes some of the best lathe tools available -- not just my opinion, several turners I have great respect for say this. (Donna Zils Banfield, John Lucas, Ernie Conover, Mike Hawkins ...)

I've got a 1/2" bowl gouge (don't remember if it's V or U shaped) and a 1/2" shallow detail gouge, they both take a better edge than my other tools and hold it longer.


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## duncsuss (May 3, 2013)

jimmyjames said:


> What's everybody's method for inserting square tools into the handle?



I grind the corners off but don't have the patience to make it perfectly round.

The gaps around the tool shaft act as a pressure release, a perfect fit acts like a piston and compresses the air behind the tool steel, forcing it out again when you let go ... epoxy makes the seal even better!


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## wyowoodwrker (May 3, 2013)

I make the hole in the handle a 32nd smaller then the tool and get it good and hot with the ol mapp gas torch. Just stay away from the business end but the tool will slide into the handle with a little resistance let it sit overnight to cool off and the wood will swell up around the tool. Thwn just fill the rest of the gaps with epoxy


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## Kevin (May 3, 2013)

It always gives me dark purplish to brown hands. I don't see how to avoid it.


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