Tiller handle

[Jerra]

16 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

More to the point, the handle is only as strong as that armature in the centre, about half the diameter of an uncut handle. 

Surely the glued decorative bits give strength as well.  My cabinet maker mate uses some sort of glue where the wood breaks rather than the glue.

[MtB]

7 minutes ago, Jerra said:

Surely the glued decorative bits give strength as well.  My cabinet maker mate uses some sort of glue where the wood breaks rather than the glue.

 

Yes but the grain is the wrong way to give strength in the photos. It needs to be in line with the length of the handle.

 So pretty as they are, I'll give them a miss thanks.

Show the pic to your cab maker and ask him if he thinks they will be stronger of weaker than a plain handle. You know in your heart what he will say...

[GUMPY]

16 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Yes but the grain is the wrong way to give strength in the photos. It needs to be in line with the length of the handle.

 So pretty as they are, I'll give them a miss thanks.

Show the pic to your cab maker and ask him if he thinks they will be stronger of weaker than a plain handle. You know in your heart what he will say...

 As far as I can tell from my pics it runs the same way as the main handle......... think of what would happen if the grain was the other way when you try to tun the handle to shape on a lathe.

I will look at the handle when I get home to verify the grain direction.

Edited August 7, 2017 by Loddon

[Jerra]

5 minutes ago, Loddon said:

 As far as I can tell from my pics it runs the same way as the main handle......... think of what would happen if the grain was the other way when you try to tun the handle to shape on a lathe.

I will look at the handle when I get home to verify the grain direction.

As far as I can tell having looked at both shots the grain appears to run as you would expect in the same direction as the rest of the handle.

My slight experience of wood turning suggests it would be difficult to turn the handle if you set the bands cross grain to the rest of the handle.

[MtB]

17 minutes ago, Jerra said:

As far as I can tell having looked at both shots the grain appears to run as you would expect in the same direction as the rest of the handle.

My slight experience of wood turning suggests it would be difficult to turn the handle if you set the bands cross grain to the rest of the handle.

I disagree. I made several fruit bowls on the lathe at skool and there I was turning across the grain. Never any problem with that at all. 

But yes if the grain runs longways anyway, not much loss of strength. Provided he uses waterproof glue, which pva is not. 

[Jerra]

3 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

I disagree. I made several fruit bowls on the lathe at skool and there I was turning across the grain. Never any problem with that at all. 

But yes if the grain runs longways anyway, not much loss of strength. Provided he uses waterproof glue, which pva is not. 

For a bowl you are turning cross grain within a single piece have you ever tried turning a section which is cross grain in the middle of other wood running the other way?

If I hadn't parted with my lathe I would do one and post  a pic.  I can't see why anyone making the item in question would choose to put in bits which didn't follow the grain, it doesn't make sense.

[blackrose]

17 hours ago, Jerra said:

Surely the glued decorative bits give strength as well.  My cabinet maker mate uses some sort of glue where the wood breaks rather than the glue.

Even with ordinary PVA the wood will break before the glue. However, it will generally break across the wood adjacent to the glue, so the point is that whatever glue is used the decorative bits will weaken the structure compared to a solid piece of wood.  

[Peter-Bullfinch]

In the winter time I make simple tiller handles on the lathe at home. They have to be made fairly accurately to fit the various tiller tubes. I give them away to boating friends. Each one takes me towards an hour in total  which includes finding suitable blanks and then a few coats of varnish.

Occasionally some use a wind or two of ptfe tape to keep them tight. If mine get loose in prolonged dry spells I dip them in the cut and the unvarnished end swells and stays tight. I don't cut wedge slots but a couple of friends have cut their own in handles I've made.

The long tiller pictured here is one I use on long river runs, the Bridgewater or the Ribble crossing for example. It reaches further so I can stand more comfortably in the back cabin opening near the stove on cold days!

[Ray T]

Peter, I've been to Specsavers but I cannot see a picture.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

In the winter time I make simple tiller handles on the lathe at home. They have to be made fairly accurately to fit the various tiller tubes. I give them away to boating friends. Each one takes me towards an hour in total  which includes finding suitable blanks and then a few coats of varnish.

Occasionally some use a wind or two of ptfe tape to keep them tight. If mine get loose in prolonged dry spells I dip them in the cut and the unvarnished end swells and stays tight. I don't cut wedge slots but a couple of friends have cut their own in handles I've made.

The long tiller pictured here is one I use on long river runs, the Bridgewater or the Ribble crossing for example. It reaches further so I can stand more comfortably in the back cabin opening near the stove on cold days!

[jddevel]

12 hours ago, Peter-Bullfinch said:

in prolonged dry spells I dip them in the cut and the unvarnished end swells and stays tight.

Ask any builder or farmer what they do with a spade, shovel or fork etc when the wooden handle becomes loose. Leave it in a bucket or tub over night.