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I tried making a little flag of tape to act as a precise stop...
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...but in the end I found threading the brass washer onto the bolt and then screwing it in until the washer was flush with the end of the blank was by far the easiest method.
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I decided to try a simple turned cone to start with, and then adapt from there. Using the mandrel mounted in my drill chuck worked just fine. A drawbar to prevent the drill chuck working loose is essential. Instructions are given for mounting it in other chuck types too, as well as on a face plate.
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Turning down the blank to create a smooth transition from the brass washer to the wood is easy enough, and I used that technique even on the otherwise unturned handles, but it could be done without a lathe if you took care.
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The cone was surprisingly comfortable...
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...but a little bulky for my hands, so I decided to have a go at shaping it a little.
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Now this is where the difficulties for the non-round handle maker appear, and where we depart from the basics. You need to install the blank on the shave and then mark up where the sole is in relation to the blank. I tried a couple of methods. In this example I simply rested the sole of the shave on the bench, put a rule on edge on the bench, and against the end of the handle, and marked a line. By coincidence it went right through the centre, so I had to mark which way was “up” too. Also mark left and right handles too! DAMHIKT…
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Then it’s a “simple” case of work with the spokeshave (with its stock handles) to shape it freehand. I found the lathe was the best means on holding it steady while I did this one.
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Really I’m more at home with definite guidelines to follow than just using artistic flair, but it wasn’t too bad.
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On this cone-shaped handle I marked a couple of lines parallel to the reference line, and planed the top and bottom down to them to make a very basic flattened paddle shape.
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120g and 220g on the drum sander cleaned them both up very nicely.
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And no, a drum sander isn’t very neanderthal, but it freed me up from worrying about finish and allowed me to concentrate on the artistic shaping stuff...
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