I took a piece of birch from mairi2‘s tree. This was a small fragment, not good for much other than making file or chisel handles. There were several such pieces left over after I got rid of the knotty wood. I split it with my froe to yield a sort of square piece. The next problem was to round it. It was too short for my pole lathe, but one of my rounder planes did the job:

The handle being planed is in the vice. Another rounder plane is to the left. Unlike Roy Underhill’s, mine are not adjustable (that is another project).

Rounder planes cut cross-grain and leave a very messy surface. I cleaned it up with a drawknife and Kunz concave spokeshave:

Kunz spokeshaves do not have a good reputation, but this one did quite well with the green birch.

I drilled a hole in one end of the handle and made a ferrule from a piece of copper pipe. Then I put it all together. I tapered the end with a tool that is essentially a giant pencil sharpener:

I rounded over the tip with a rasp. After the wood dries I will sand and finish it.

Not a good job, but the file is usable. I will do better next time.

I took a piece of birch from mairi2‘s tree. This was a small fragment, not good for much other than making file or chisel handles. Continue reading →