Replacement Hardwood( Spotted Gum ) Tool Handles

[Greg Thatcher]

Hi Willy,
From that foreign country that uses funny red coloured( spellcheck thinks that is wrong) wood. It was only a few years back that a major manufacturer closed down on your side of the world. Their name currently escapes my worthless memory but I thought it was A....? something. Am I right?
From memory also they mainly used a very dark brown timber for their product.
Kind regards
Greg T

[Greg Thatcher]

Hi Andrew,
Website not available as yet,as we have mainly been operating as wholesalers up until now,selling the EMU brand into the SA, VIC, TAS, NSW & QLD market through a wholesaler. This will be changing over the next few months.....lots to do. FYI Park Handles has been active since about 1950.
Regards
Greg T

[Bushmiller]

Hi Bushmiller, I speak with Michael Hely from time to time, in fact some of the machines we are running came from Hely Bros.

Wow!

That is fabulous. I am not sure if Michael will remember me, but you can tell him when you two next speak that I still have the tin of Silber Gleit he gave to me. I use it sparingly (it goes a long way) . Please give him my regards.

You may also have seen the ancient racing handle I posted in RSSER's Axe Talk thread, which also was a freebee from Michael, but has rather heretically been attached to an agricultural, home made block splitter.

Regards
Paul

[Stu Smith]

Hi Greg,

I am interested in the machines you use to make various tool handles.
Sorry, I am an electrician that works on machine control systems, but have not been involved in the timber industry.

The reason I ask is that I am carving (by hand, slowly....) Japanese wooden training swords, Bokken.

When I look at the curve in them (there are various types/curves) and hold them against tool handles, I find that Adze handles aren't far off.

Do your machines have to be retooled for a new item, or it it something like a pantograph where a shape can be followed?

The reason I ask is that if I am going to compete against the Japanese, hand carving is not going to cut it.

Below are pics of two standard shapes so you can see where I am coming from.

All the best,

Stu


DSCF6897.jpgDSCF6880.jpg

[Bushmiller]

Stu

Greg of course is the best person to reply to your question, but I remember seeing the Hely Bros axe handles being turned when their operation was still running. In principle, there was a metal pattern and four handles were turned at a time. Quite impressive. So I would think that provided a metal pattern can be manufactured, any long shape can be replicated.

Regards
Paul

[Stu Smith]

Hi Paul,
Thanks for that.
That sounds like the go, it will be interesting to see what Greg has to say.

On that, a couple of things:

Do you know what the dark brownish/red timber was that some handles used to be made from?
I have an adze, small axe and hatchet handles put away to copy. The wood is dark brownish/red, dense and gets to a very smooth finish.
The hatchet had a label, I can't find it now, but was Bonser I think.
I would like to get hold of some to make a Bokken out of.

On the subject of an axe lathe or similar machine that can pump out consistent copies of a master.
If someone is sitting on a non working one, I have the ability to get it going, especially on the electrical side.
Feel free to let me know, maybe we can talk business.

All the best,

Stu

[Greg Thatcher]

Hi Stu

Sorry so long in replying. The BONSER brand used to belong to Hely Bros,however since their closure it has been used by someone else, but sadly without the same attitude to quality.
AGK in WA used to use a timber they called mallet,but they closed down more than 10 years ago.
Hely Bros used principally north coast spotted gum from the Hunter region and they closed when our friendly Forestry Commission closed that area to Spotted Gum extraction.
Regards Greg Thatcher