File handles for scrapers - wedge holes and ferrules

[LowEnergyParticle]

Hello all,

I've got 15 or so older way scrapers that I've cleaned up (straighten/ polish/sharpen) and I'd like to make wood handles for them. Way scrapers are used to remove metal from machine slides and ways, both to flatten and to decorate the surface of the machine. New scrapers are usually carbide-tipped, but these are older and just HSS. The mechanical connection to the handle is a flat wedge tenon, identical in shape and scale to those found on hand files. The tenons proportions are constant, but the size increases with the size of the scraper; just as with files.

I'd like to ask 2 questions, please:

1) A matching mortise will need to be cut in each handle to accept the tenon. These mortises will be long and thin, and I'm not looking forward to cutting 15 of them into the end-grain of the handles. Can anyone suggest an easier way?

2) A substantial ferrule needs to be put on each handle. I was thinking of cutting ferrules from 0.125" wall brass tubing and installing them by heating the brass to 800 F or so, sliding on the ferrule, and quenching the handle. I would rather not use any pins or tacks to secure the ferrules, as they always seem to work loose over time. Is there a better way to install a compressive ferrule onto a wood handle?

Thank you very much for your time and help!

Dave

[WoodButcher]

1. The usual method for files is to drill a hole in the end of the new handle just big enough to accommodate the tip of the file tang. Heat the tang to orange heat and force it into the new handle. When it stops burning the wood, remove it and bang out the carbon from the handle. Repeat heating & banging until the tang is seated to your satisfaction.

1. Size the end of the handle so it is just a bit bigger than the inside of your ferrule. Tapering it a bit will help the installation. Make a cone shape on one end of the ferrule to ease installation. Press or pound it on the handle.

If you mess up and make things too sloppy just epoxy it together. If you ever need to remove the handle/ferrule heat will soften the epoxy.

Art

[CW]

Having used these things a lot, I will say that they were typically handled just like a file. If you want to save some time and money, just buy some file handles. If you really want to make them, just drill a hole in the end, The furrel does not have to be shrunk on. Just make it a push fit. As the tang is forced into the hole, the wood will assume the shape of it and will expand the handle making the furrel a tight fit.

[LowEnergyParticle]

WoodButcher and CW,

I thank you both very much! Concensus seems to be:

1) Don't cut a matching mortise, just drill a round hole. (WoodButcher's use of the heated tang to burn-in and seat sounds good, a nice refinement to the round hole approach.)

2) Don't heat-shrink on the ferrule, a press-fit will do nicely. Inserting the tang will expand the wood against the ferrule. I plan to line things up and then use a manual arbor press to seat the ferrules.

3) In case of error, epoxy is your friend. How true!

This new plan is much better, particularly in terms of abandoning the idea of using a small chisel to try and cut out angled, deep mortises. Yeesh.

I thank you both very much!

Dave

[Andy Dingley]

I'd agree with what the others have said,

I've never been able to use a scraper with a file handle on it. Maybe push scrapers, but for triangular scrapers (pulled sideways) I've never had enough control that way. So my scrapers have longer "chisel style" handles on them, not short "file handles".

A long, shallow taper reamer or broach should be in every toolbox (I've a dozen of the things, I'm always using them). They also work well for enlarging a straight round hole into a tapered round hole, before you burn the tang in.

If you use hornbeam for handles, the stuff becomes fireproof once charred. Burning in works, but only for a small depth - unless you scrape the char off back to fresh timber between burns.

I make my ferrules from copper waterpipe, because I'm a cheapskate. I mark three small divots around them and centre-punch them in with a blunt punch. If I want a "rough tool" for on-site abuse, then I make a shallow recess in the timber first with a hand-held countersink. The grip of the divot isn't as tight, but it's going to work loose in the future, not work right off.

Baking your handles out to be really dry before fitting the ferrules gives a better grip. I leave mine on the fireplace hearth for a couple of days first.

If you ever use epoxy, chances are that you ought to fill it with some sort of filler, not just use it bare. You get a much more robust result.

[Father Haskell]

Chisel and epoxy. Just worry about cutting the part you'll see dead- on accurate. You could also laminate the handles knife-style, taking care to orient grain between slabs the same way so shrinkage doesn't create ridges.

How difficult would a wire wrap be?

[Larry W]

It may not work for your scrapers, but I have made file handles by drilling a hole into the endgrain of a dowell, somewhat smaller than tang of the file, then using the file tang itself to ream the hole. Grind the edges of the tang to sharpen them if necessary before reaming. Stop reaming when about 1/3 or so of the tang is still exposed then tap the handle on. (sometimes the handle-to-be breakes at this point) On some of these handles i made a ferrule from a piece of copper pipe or by drilling a hole through a copper pipe cap.