Using Mortise Drill bits for tool handles

[Cary Power]

I am in the process of making several different carbide tipped tools and was thinking about using using Mortise Drill bits for the ones that use square stock instead of drilling oversize holes or rounding off the tail to fit.

Any thoughts on this? Has anyone have any success doing this? Any tips?

 

[Bill Boehme]

They don't work very well when trying to drill end grain. They also require a lot of force compared to other drill bits, so trying to hold the tool handle straight in a drill press while drilling would be a big challenge. Just drill a round hole slightly undersized, partially fill with epoxy, and drive the tool in. It only needs to go in about two inches.

 

[hockenbery]

I do what Bill says except I rarely glue my tools in wooden handles
I use a tight fit and seat the tool by hitting the end of the handle on a concrete floor.
Mostly they never need glue.
If the tool ever becomes loose I add some thick CA and seat the tool again.


I saw a design for a split handle glued together two pieces with a routed slot to make the square hole. Elegant solution. Too much work for me.

 

[Owen Lowe]

I am in the process of making several different carbide tipped tools and was thinking about using using Mortise Drill bits for the ones that use square stock instead of drilling oversize holes or rounding off the tail to fit.

Any thoughts on this? Has anyone have any success doing this? Any tips?

You can also drill a hole of the same width as the tool shaft and use square or rectangular files to cut in the corners.

 

[john lucas]

If I'm reading you correctly, you want to put a square peg in a round hole. Just drill the hole to the diameter of the flat side. Then heat up the end to red hot, let it cool just a little and then drive it in the handle. The heat will burn the wood into the square shape. Then cool the tool with cold water while it's still in the wood. You won't need any glue after this. I do that with both square and triangular tool shanks.

 

[Bill Boehme]

If I'm reading you correctly, you want to put a square peg in a round hole.

They could put that on my tombstone.

 

[Ronald Plumley]

If I'm reading you correctly, you want to put a square peg in a round hole. Just drill the hole to the diameter of the flat side. Then heat up the end to red hot, let it cool just a little and then drive it in the handle. The heat will burn the wood into the square shape. Then cool the tool with cold water while it's still in the wood. You won't need any glue after this. I do that with both square and triangular tool shanks.

John - Don't you run the risk of potentially messing up the temper of the tool steel by heating it up that way?

 

[Michael Mills]

If you wish to swap tools and have just one handle you may want to take a look at square hole sleeves.
Like this on Amazon but they are out of this one right now ... available elsewhere, usually about $11.
They come either square all the way through or with one end threaded to accept about a 3/8" bolt/rod.
https://www.amazon.com/Square-Hole-...31504439&sr=8-6&keywords="square+hole"+sleeve

 

[Bill Boehme]

John - Don't you run the risk of potentially messing up the temper of the tool steel by heating it up that way?

It's a bar of cold rolled steel that I doubt has been heat treated for hardness. Even if it were, it's just a holder for the carbide cutter.

 

[Ronald Plumley]

D'oh. I breezed by the part about the carbide cutter...

 

[john lucas]

No it really only heats up the first inch or so to annealing temperature and that's with High Carbon steel tools. With HSS tools you don't need to worry about it. When I do that with files I put a pair of vice grips on the shank just above where I heat. That's makes a great heat sink to absorb any heat away from the tool.

 

[Cary Power]

If I'm reading you correctly, you want to put a square peg in a round hole. Just drill the hole to the diameter of the flat side. Then heat up the end to red hot, let it cool just a little and then drive it in the handle. The heat will burn the wood into the square shape. Then cool the tool with cold water while it's still in the wood. You won't need any glue after this. I do that with both square and triangular tool shanks.

I have done that before to seat Knife tangs.