I am thinking of buying an old set of Stanley 750 socket chisels but the handles are missing. I can turn the handles OK, but can someone tell me how it sould be attached inside the socket.
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Replies
friction fit
AH Ha, that accounts for why so many old ones have no handles.
Thanks Samson
Friction fit yes. But I sprinkle in a little crushed up rosin in the socket to boot. Lathe tool handles also.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Turning the taper is interesting, cause it seems socket chisels have various tapers.
When I did some a way back, I measured the top of the socket for width with calipers. That gives you the shoulder width for the taper, then stuck a half inch dowel in and measured how far it went in, transfered those dimensions to my turning with a parting tool and used a skew chisel to cut an even taper.
You may still have to use a scraper for final fit though.
The suggestion about resin is good, never tried it though.
good luck
Eric in calgary
Thanks, Eric, I had not thought that far yet. Now I don't have to.
Thanks again
One trick is to turn the taper as best as you can, the stick the fresh clean handle into the socket and give it a twist. The areas of contact will be evident as rust spots or worn areas on the taper. Turn those away carefully until full contact is achieved.
The other trick is to always leave 1/8" of gap between the top of the socket and the shoulder.
Adam
The old Stanleys left 3/8" which is just right.
Some will call me an idiot for this but ........
I purchased a set of new LN socket chisels. The chisels themselves are great but they are constantly dislodging from the wood sockets no matter how and often I tried to reseat them. I finally just mixed up some epoxy put a few drops down in the sockets and it stopped the falling out.
But my point is, even a professionally reputed manufacturer makes sockets that are not always the most perfect.
I have the same problem. The LN handles seem to be particularly susceptible to weather changes, even in a heated shop. I tap them on the bench before using, but they still fall off at inopportune moments. The wood is very hard and very smooth. I wonder if roughing up the socket end would help? So far I've resisted gluing mine because I'm thinking of making replacement handles with a bigger grip. I have large hands and some arthritis. I know that LN make longer handles, but when I bought mine (from Rob Cosman) there were none available. I think I'll try out some unfinished maple. Should be tough enough, and I've got lots lying around.
Jim
You might have something there, Jim. If you could mebbe make an "L" hook on the end of a pin nail or awl, then drag out some vertical channels on the inside of the socket, it might be enough to hold it better.
It pisses me off when I go to use a chisel and the summbatch falls on my concrete floor. I feel like boxin em up and sending em to LN so they can re-sharpen em.
blew,
You know, it strikes me as rather odd that more than just a few folks have reported the same problem with them expensive chisels from LN. What does LN have to say about it?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
They offered two things. To send them back so they could resharpen the fallen/damaged chisels, and to re-seat them by whacking them on a table (which doesn't hold them). Neither action solves the problem.
Wow, that just seems odd coming from LN...........
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I asked them about gluing them in. They were a bit wishy washy on the answer.
Hi blew,
I know I should be doing something else but I did some roaming around and found this problem is all over the place. One mentioned that they are designed to be removeable to allow for longer handles should one want them.
Many folks suggest whacking them several times every once in a while and they seem to get better, especially in winter when it tends to be dry in some climes. Sounds like a common issue with the LN chisels and it must be a bit disconcerting every time you pick one up to use it.
I'm certainly no expert on adhesives but I would try to find something that would bond wood to metal that can easily be removed should one want to.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Well, as the previous poster said, the epoxy connection can be removed with heat. But personally I have no desire to remove a chisel handle.
The main reason I purchased the LN chisels was I was in need of chisels for generall woodshop use and their reputation with planes and steels was so good. (I have a dozen of their planes.)
These were a disappointment because of the handle issue. While I fixed MY problem with them I'm still subconsciously nervous when I go to pick one up. Having to grind a bunch of steel off of the end of new chisels half a dozen times (because they decided to have a relationship with my concrete floor) will do that to ya.
Of course, to some, the solution to my poorly made chisels would be to take the government approach: don't fix the chisels: just put a soft surface on the floor.
Scuse my rant.
blew
I had a similar problem with my LN chisels when I first got them. I epoxied the handles in, and they've been great since. I've enjoyed them so much, I actually bought a second set with the long (I believe) Rosewood handles (or cocobolo, can't remember) and set them up for paring with a 20° bevel. LN won't recommend it, but they work beautifully!!
Once you get past the anxiety of the handles, I believe you, too, will love the chisels.
I've had several different mfg.'s socket chisels over the years, and none of the handles stayed on. I guess it's just the danged humidity swings here in Chicagoland.
Jeff
Like you said, "get past the anxiety".
Chicagoland, huh? We get some pretty wide humidity swings here on the east coast, too. Stay warm.
Awe, just rant on. Don't like it, don't read it. :-) As for me, I usually get something out of most of 'em.
That's what I meant by the disconcerting feeling, always expecting the chisel to fall out of the handle at any given moment. I also have a disdain for concrete floors in a woodshop. But sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Better to epoxy than grind right.
I've contemplated getting a set of the LNs for some time now but the CFO thinks otherwise, at least for now. I bought a used set of the Stanley 750s from an old chap that couldn't use them anymore. Got a real sweet deal and I really like them.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I have a couple articles here in the subscription section on making and installing socket chisel handles. Both with and without a lathe. The denser the wood, the more seasonal movement. Hornbeam is a dense wood than accounts for LN and other chisels coming loose in the dry season. I have the same problem with the dense local madrone I use. Happens most anywhere. Pick the chisel out of its place by the handle after not using it for months and the blade falls off and hopefully only hits the floor.
I epoxy all my sockets. I work too much on scaffolds to risk hurting someone or something below, let alone damaging my tools. Epoxy seals the tenon and reduces seasonal movement as well as gluing it in.
Done properly, you don't see the epoxy at all in the joint. Thickened epoxy provides a microscopically-perfect fit that lengthens the life of the handles. Removal is with gentle heat applied to the socket steel. Place the chisel blade in a padded vise, play a propane torch gently on the socket with your other hand grasping and twisting the wood handle. Off in three seconds with no damage. I imagine the only reluctance manufacturers have in recommending this is that a surprising number of folks don't know how to cause the epoxy to release and among those who do, few will recommend applying heat.
The old gunsmith's saw about having to whittle off a stock that was mistakenly glass-bedded without release agent is nonsense. It doesn't take much action from a heat gun on the steel to release even a large amount of epoxy.
Edited 2/1/2008 12:50 pm by BobSmalser
THANKS, BOB, THAT IS VERY HELPFUL!!!!!!!
CROC
Hi All of you with the troublesome socket chisels.
I solved my problem by puting the whole chisel in the kithen stove, heated the chisels to approx 60 degreas celsius for about half an hour and then tapped them to my workbench. This make the iron expand a little and also dry the wood quit a lot, so when the chisel is cooled down, the handel is fixed like in a vice.
Regards from Norway
Dear Croc,
If you're a subscriber to FineWoodworking.Com, you can check this article from the archives about making your own chisel handles.
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=2425
Good luck,
David Heim
Managing Editor
FineWoodworking.com
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