Plumbers Ferrule on Tool Handle

[Flute Maker]

I know Ive seen someone use a plumbers ferrule on tool handles they've made. What was the steps to go about it....holding it, shaping it for use etc...I could experiment and figure it out but I know you guys have done it a zillion times and know the ends and outs of it...Thanks !

 

[CarvedTones]

You mean a simple coupling?
In this thread, there are a couple of pictures of a chisel and carving tools I turned handles for using half a coupling (just cut it with a hacksaw) for the ferrule. I am not sure what you are looking for as input. I just turned the tenon where it very nearly fit and used a mallet to beat the handle in with the coupling on a wood table.

EDIT - I didn't do it, but I do know you can put a little oil on the copper and torch it briefly to make it look like old brass.

 

[Mike Davis]

I.ve done a couple of those with the brass fittings. Let me go in the shop and make a couple pictures and I'll post tonight.

The brass is much nicer and stronger than copper.

 

[Flute Maker]

Re: Plumbers Ferrule/Fitting on Tool Handle

Ive seen some with the brass fittings that looked neat...I know that I could just turn a shoulder to fit the id of the fitting. I was just unsure about shaping or knocking the corners off the fittings and making it nice and round....I guess I could just screw the fitting tightly onto a dowel and use a file and sandpaper on it as it is in the lathe...Should be simple enough..

 

[CarvedTones]

Re: Plumbers Ferrule/Fitting on Tool Handle

I cut the couplings in half and cleaned up the edge I had cut with a file, but only to clean up any ragged edges. I always oriented them so the factory edge was the exposed one and the cut edge was driven down into the shoulder. I think Mike is correct about the strength of brass but I think copper is more than adequate as long as you use a coupling (thicker than thin walled pipe). Brass definitely looks better polished (IMO anyway). I tried dulling this copper one a little, but it ended up looking scratched more than worn:

 

[Mike Davis]

I use brass gas pipe fittings, they come in several styles with tapered, flat, big hole or no hole.

I turn the tenon just larger than the inside of the fitting then use 2 sets of slip joint pliers to screw the fitting on to the handle tenon. Use a piece of leather or cardboard to keep from digging too deep into the wood, but don't worry if you do mess it up a little. You will finish turn the handle to fit the brass after it is screwed tight to the handle. Then with the handle mounted in the lathe between centers turn the brass down round with a carbide turning tool or a big flat file and polish it with fine steel wood or extra fine sand paper. Bore the hole for the tool to fit and drive it into the handle using a block of soft wood so you don't hurt the tip of the tool.

I made the little scribe over twenty five years ago, before I had ever heard of anyone else doing this.

 

[Flute Maker]

Those look good . I have some fittings like those...I sent you an email Thanks !

 

[Mike Davis]

Thanks,

I really should have been turning the last twenty five years instead of wasting my life. Oh, well...

 

[sushinutnc]

I use copper end caps. I like the look of the shoulder. I drill a hole in the center of the end cap to match the size of whatever tooling will be inserted in the handle. Makes of a clean look, IMO.