What's the best way to remove used lathe tools from the handle?

[Odie]

What's the best way to remove used lathe tools from the handle?

I been cutting just beyond the steel, and then splitting the handle.

Is there an easy way to do this without damaging the old handle?

ko

 

[hockenbery]

What's the best way to remove used lathe tools from the handle? I been cutting just beyond the steel, and then splitting the handle. Is there an easy way to do this without damaging the old handle? ko

I put the tool steel in a vice.
Put a wrench about the size of the tool over the ferrel and wood end of the handle.
Hit the wrench with a mallet.

This will work if the tool was pressure fit into the handle or glued in with CA.

If someone planned on a permanent fixture with epoxy, you are probably going to split the handle.

I have also put the handle in a wood vice put vice grips on the tool and hit the vice grips with a mallet.
This may marr the handle a bit.

Then put the new tool in the handle hit the end of handle with a mallet to seat the tool or rap the end of the handle on a bench or the floor to seat the handle.
Most of my tools got through life with no glue. If the hole is a bit loose I use thick or medium CA glue to hold the handle in place.
The CA will fracture to allow removal using the methods describe above.

Al

 

[Odie]

Thanks, Al......

I have several handles to remove. The tool steel is too short for more lathe work.

I'll give your first option a try......

ko

 

[Paul M. Kaplowitz]

Heat

I put the wooden handle in a vice or clamp, put a torch on the tool near the handle( not close enough to burn the wood), let it get hot and twist the steel out.

 

[Odie]

I put the wooden handle in a vice or clamp, put a torch on the tool near the handle( not close enough to burn the wood), let it get hot and twist the steel out.

Howdy Paul.......

What is the purpose of heating the steel? At first thought, it seems like this would expand the steel slightly, causing it to be more difficult to remove. Or, does this have something to do with breaking any glue bond.....?

Does this work for you with round, as well as square tangs?

ko

 

[Robert Taylor]

Removing Tool Handles

If the handle was glued in the heat will soften the glue at about 165 degrees so it don't take much heat.

 

[john lucas]

Ditto on the heat and on the wrench. I clamp the tool in a vise heat the metal. Then place a wrench over the shaft and drive the handle off

 

[Dean Center]

Epoxy can be softened with heat. It doesn't care what the source is, so if the torch on steel approach doesn't appeal to you, you could figure out another method. Not quite boiling water is a good, maintainable temperature. You can probably heat grain, like rice, up to an adequate temp, though it might not stay hot long enough to penetrate to the epoxy before cooling back down.

 

[Col Smith]

Quote "I put the tool steel in a vice.
Put a wrench about the size of the tool over the ferrel and wood end of the handle.
Hit the wrench with a mallet."

When doing it this way you can damage the ferrule with the wrench.

I always grip the steel in a vice, then place a length of softwood against the ferrule & hit it firmly with a mallet.
Make sure the softwood piece longer than the steel to prevent catching your hand on the cutting end.

HTH

Col

 

[Paul M. Kaplowitz]

Heat

As far as I know all tools are glued into wood handles. The heat breaks the bond. You don't have to drive off the steel. Just grab it with a pliers, twist and pull. If it doesn't come out fairly easily. heat it some more.