The other day the handle on my long trowel broke.
Now I have to admit that this had probably been left outside too often, but it had done about 8 years of service as my main trowel!
I was gutted, but I decided it was far too good of a trowel to throw away, so time to quickly make a new handle.
I found a piece of beech that was the right length, so ripped it down and got it on the lathe.
Then it was simply a case of turning down the end to take the ferrule and shape the handle.
I then mounted a chuck with a 8.5mm drill bit and bored it out enough to fit the trowel end it into.
Once I was happy with the shape and had it sanded down I burnt a simple design on the handle end and gave it a coat of linseed oil.
Hopefully it'll last me another 10 years now!
Who else likes to rehandle tools to keep them going?
Lovely job, well done.
ReplyDeleteThe best I have done is reuse a spade handle, when my mum gave up her garden, she gave me all her tools, I have her trowel in my shed, I never use it, but I love seeing it there, anyway, the spade handle snapped it was a D shaped one, we did get a new handle, but the top bit I have placed in my garden as a resting point for birds, I often see a robin sat on it and think 'hello mum'
ReplyDeleteI think that's lovely. I have such a friendly robin when I'm digging, always so nice to see in the garden.
Deletewow, even better than before!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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ReplyDeleteIt's a service I'd love to offer, but to make my hourely wages and adding postage two ways into it it would probably be cheaper to buy a new tool. If you lived local to me I'm sure I'd help replace a handle if I could.
DeleteLovely job, Kev. Dan rehandles our tools, but they're a tad more rustic than yours. :)
ReplyDeleteRustic is good. I have a few carving chisels where the handles are actual bits of branch with the bark still on. I guess who ever did it had a busy day in the workshop!
DeleteLooks great, Kev! I love how it is something you just "whipped together".
ReplyDeleteI will reuse/rehandle things until they simple are unusable, but not nearly as elegantly.
IT doesn't take long when you have a workshop set up like mine. I've been writing some articles for Woodturning magazine so the lathe area is on point at the moment! I have two spades to rehandle but it's so hard to get the old bit of snapped handle out!
DeleteAbsolutely but they never look as good as yours.
ReplyDeleteAh, you're too kind!
DeleteThis is WONDERFUL!!! It warms my heart seeing items repaired whenever possible. I hate that our society has become so throw-away that repairs delight me so much, but this has given me a smile. Well done! :)
ReplyDeleteAh, Thank you! I love to repair when I can. One reason the items I make to sell are normally made from wood, the idea being they can be repaired if needed, or at worst they end up heating the house when their life span is done!
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