One-Of-A-Kind Antique Screwdriver Restoration 

I'm glad you chose to do another casting video. Variety is the spice of farmcraft

That big screw on the Generator is not a brush cap, it holds the field coils in place. It is better to leave it there unless you have reason to believe it is shorted out or has some other defect. Squatch253 is doing a small series at the moment on his generator and starter off a Farmall and shows all these details. Love the screwdriver.

40:20 - I've burnt in handles all the time on projects that I smithed myself (hobby blacksmith), you should try it sometime it is really easy. Just have to pull it out when you get to the depth you want so it doesn't continue to char the wood and make a loose fitting. 42:18 - yeah you don't need epoxy when doing a burn in. it fits it like a glove. Just wait until it has cooled down, give it a couple of wacks to compress the wood fibers and it won't go anywhere.

nice work put a brass cap on the back to protect it and cover the hole up

A week without your adventures, is like a week without sunshine!

Smelting, lathe work, digger, wood work… you are my hero, John. Nice work!

Name that screwdriver “The Captain”. It deserves its name and place in your workshop. My granddad passed about 50 years ago and I still remember his small home workshop. Most of his tools were hand me downs from his dad and granddad and they were in magnificent condition. He watched them like a hawk and cherished them. After his passing, my dad and I went to clean up his home and went to the workshop first only to find that my cousins had beat us and thrown out all the junk and old worthless tools. Broke our hearts. I have never spoken to them since and never want to see or hear from them again. This vid brought those memories, a tear to my eye and memories of the cranky but loving old fellow we had the honour of calling our Pop.

Wow, that screwdriver is so long you could work from home with that !

John dropped a video, it's gonna be a good weekend for sure, I don't care how much rain we get in the PNW!

a farmcraft101 video on FRIDAY? How blessed can I get?!

I recommend that you move the tool rest much closer to the timber and use a roughing out gauge rather than a bowl gauge . You will get a better result and reduce the risk of a dig in. Run resin into the cracks using a pressure chamber.

That big screw actually holds the pole pieces for the coils in place. Don't take them out unless you absolutely have to to replace a shorted coil. I've done it before, but it required use of a impact driver to break loose.

Nice. Love the walnut grain from the root.

John , I made a large screwdriver to remove stocks . I had to take a stock blank and carve it into a real stock . And you could've put the handle in the lathe , and use a drill chuck in the tail stock . Then pressed it in there . 😊😊

Really glad I found your channel all those months ago, as your videos are always well explained and educational.

Jon.... Very nice tool... Comfy in the hand too, I'll bet... You are a man of many talents...

Walnut and black walnut are my favorite wood

Well done looks Beautiful. You don’t have any problem knowing what your doing.

Great you got back into the wood shop.

There's a local tree service here that also mills and sells rough-cut lumber/slabs and I use them a lot for my woodworking projects. It is amazing the grain and texture you can get from trees that normally would be passed up because of their imperfections. I used some cedar I got from them to make some Adirondack chars and man, they turned out to be some of the nicest ones I've seen. Oh, and I agree with your decision on the new sponsor, sometimes even the best of us need someone to talk to. Thanks.

Love the jack of all trades variety. It’s like a box of chocolates - you never know what you’re going to learn each week! Thank you for doing what you do!!

Nice job, John. I think few people know how much effort goes into a "simple" project like this, or that perfect is the enemy of good. Well done. Looking forward to the engine rebuild.

All I could think was cross drill through the ferrel/shaft and put a brass pin in to hold it in the handle. EXCELLENT recycling

This brings back memories of the first video i saw on the channel of you trying to cast a cannon - so I came for the cannon and stayed for the great content

NIce work! Put a brass driver cap on the back end with a screw in the middle down that hole you have there. I used to live across the street from BSI, and I do mean right across the street. Nice folks working there. Small world! Can't wait to see what you're gonna do with that Deere...

This one was outstanding..........as are they all.

That turned out great. Thanks for sharing!

well done jon!! glad you took the time to have a nice finish!!

Is that rain I can hear on the tin roof Jon? Nothing better than being in the shop on a rainy day!

Man that was epic. I could watch this all day

Magnificent job on your screwdriver

Man, that thing is nice! The brass and walnut really complement each other. One little suggestion/idea: maybe make a brass cap for the butt end of the handle, like a pein? Nearly flat but with a slightly convex dome that tapers down to nearly flush with the outer edge... Mushroom-shaped. It could fit into that centering hole on the end nicely and a little epoxy would ensure it stays put.

Awesome job on the screwdriver !

A fun project to watch. Thanks for sharing the craftsmanship and your thoughts as you progressed.

John, you know you make good content when you have all of us watching close to an hour of refinishing an old screwdriver lol. Very interesting. Good work

Yet another fabulous video. Thank you!

I've done 2 part handles (or multi) to get a solid lock on the bit being held. Doing it this way - you can get a a fit with zero play. Make your splitting cut with a thin kerf blade and chisel out the shape of the bit on both sides. Pin it or painters tape + CA, turn it down, then - pop it apart, insert the bit, and glue up the two halves. Works beautifully.

Wow! You took me down an interesting path! Thank you! RWB ❤🎉

John it looks beautiful! Love the video! Thank you for all you do!

Love your videos. The wood looks like it could be ash which was traditional for handles, at least in france. I'v done a lot of wood chisel handles by burning the drilled hole as you did. They very rarely got loose. The trick is to be very fast, being carefull not to over burn the handle, and not to burn to the depth you want the finished tool. Then to hammer in in when cold to the correct depth. Thanks for the great content!

Cool project. From the casting to the really nice lathe work.

Thanks for the update John, appreciate the variety of content

Handle came out Beautiful Jon for this Screwdriver 44:19 @FarmCraft101

If you don't have an impact screwdriver get one- it's super handy especially working on old tractors that use all those flat head screws. The thing I'm talking about is a screwdriver you put in the screw slot and then hit it with a hammer and it pushes down and turns at the same time👍

My "Chainsaw Pants" were flannel track pants. Very comfortable. I ensured safety by keeping my chains nice and dull so they wouldn't cut too deep when they jumped onto my legs. The track pants were absolutely laced with cuts by the time I was done with them. My legs survived just fine. No scars.

To make a handle safe use a very thin structural epoxy and pressure pot. CA glue is brittle. Adding wood powder to hide a fill works extremely well, does not weaken the joint.

Nice work! Way to save that tool!

That is a work of art - and it is still an heirloom

Looks like a table leg. Glad to see a wood working video.

a happy lil' screwdriver, good job sir!

Another compelling video. Thanks for sharing

Your channel reminds me of a show that I used to watch as a kid, "Mr. Wizard". Thanks John for the always entertaining and educational videos.

Well thought out and executed Mr. Craft

Happy to see your video pop up! That grain is absolutely gorgeous. Jon your IG story was funny, poor Jen lol. Viewers give this man a like, his videos are the best!

Thank for the video Jon!

Wow! That was a great video. I’ll be honest I didn’t think it would be as interesting as it was.

Well, knife makers here in Germany use the saw blades from hand-held jigsaws. They make a small (makeshift) handle and use it to widen the opening in the tool-knife handle. Simple, cheap, efficient.

The screwdriver came out nice, don't worry about those cracks, its all part of the 'patina'. But seriously, trees live up to a ripe old age and the grains and cracks are part of its history.🌿

Great sponsor spot. You're right, therapy may apply to everybody at some point in their life, and you delivered that in a no nonsense way.

Fun Video. Love the Walnut. I especially love the "cracks" in the handle....... gives it character. A lovely piece for the shop. Nice job!

It has a nice flat shaft just below the handle where you can use an adjustable spanner to get more purchase without risking splitting the handle again. Nice tool thanks for the content John

I'm glad when you tackle complex challenges. What is "'good" for me is when you present the talks smoothly and with gentle tenacity. I lose what I came to your site for - the gentleness and smoothness - every time you speed up the video. I don't come to "Save Time". I visit your sight to maintain my calm gentleness!

Awesome job

That grain is stunning Wow Jon 20:30 @FarmCraft101

Those defects give it some character

Maybe put a brass wrap around cap on back end to protect that chunk...beautiful

Love your casting videos

Ever thought of taking walnut shavings, then soaking em in slow setting 2 part epoxy, making a tube mold (say in a paper towel tube), compress it/pack it tightly, then turning down a handle...only problem is...wood turning "plastic" takes special precautions because the fumes and whatnot? I have like 2 5 gallon buckets of bullet brass I got at the range, and the same metal smelter...so cool! "A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one" Keep em coming!!!!

I have been rebuilding starters and generators for 40+ years, here is a hint, tap on the case with a hammer and then use an impact screw driver and hammer and they will come out. Of course I use a big clamping tool and proper bits to get them out, but this tip will work for you.

This is awesome content Jon. I love your work! Can’t wait for the next video.

I have been making handles for things as a hobby. So many I might seem insane. Mostly chisel handles in the metal lathe and knife handles on the bridgeport.

Very talented and a beautiful tool

That's why I love your channel, beautiful job.

Proud owner of a new driver.

Good idea using ca glue for the finish since you had to use it to prevent the cracks from being a problem and it makes the handle look old and polished by being in many hands over the years.

Wow making the handle out of Walnut Tree Root that is going to be neet and interesting. I Remember when you removed that stump Jon 14:00 @FarmCraft101

Its amazing how such simple things as tools can grow such large attachments to us. I have tools that I got passed down from my grandfather, father, they are not quality tools no one in our family cold afford them. so they were the "Cheap stuff from local dept stores etc. but we all took great care of them refurbished them when needed. kept them clean working edges etc. and I've had them over 60 yrs now and still use them to this day. and can remember times when I seen them in my grandad's hands and my father's hands and mine. You can't but that respect and or memory's. Thanks for sharing some of yours. great job. ECF

What a great find. You did a wonderful job refurbishing the screwdriver. It’ll last another 60 + years.

Thanks for doing a sponsorship for a therapy match service. Therapy isn't the derogatory "think your way out of a problem" thing that men have been saying it is for the last 40 years - it's more like changing the oil on your diesel - you gotta do maintenance on your inner self as much as the things you use, and we do that through CBT / DBT. It's not just for "people who NEED it lawl" - it's for everyone. Everyone has missing things in their life, and it's a therapist's job to help parse through them and be a sounding board and source of constructive support.

Beautiful soil around that stump

Good Job. Enjoyed as always.

I had my doubts about the handle about the handle, but it turned out beautifully.

You should make you “extra” brass scrap pieces smaller (so they can fit into your crucible) for easy remelting next time.

It’s nice having a break from the mechanic video, but I can’t wait for the next John Deer video.

Someone is an artisté! You can do everything well!

Nice job well done JOHN looks beautiful

Awesome screwdriver John. Liked your lathe work. Ive been a machinist over 40 yrs now and wearing long sleeves, rings and gloves could come back to bite you. Stay safe. We all need more Farmcraft vids.

A "worK' of art in a lot of ways. "Turned" out v well from my pov. Nice to see a wood working project after my favorite work on "Big Stuff." Ha Ha!! Always look forward to your weekly postings. Peace and comfort in an otherwise turbulent world. Sine Nihil Laborem!!

After seeing you use your Nata, It inspired me to get in the shop and make myself one out of some walnut & old mower blades. It looks like it is a pleasure to use. Nice job on the handle.

That brass Farrell came out Very Nice Jon 12:40 @FarmCraft101

There's a chance that it could be beech which was commonly used for good inexpensive tool handles.

John, When this handle breaks try this: First mill a true blank, maybe 12 inches long by 2 inches square. Then on your bandsaw, cut it in half, lengthwise. Open up each half and mark out the profile of your screwdriver tang including a few inches of rod and be generous. Choke up and basically make the handle cover about 10 inches including some of the shaft. Carve out each half handle blank to take up this 10 inch (handle end) of your screwdriver. Epoxy both halves together around the screwdriver. When the epoxy is hard, chuck the screwdriver shaft into your lathe (3 Jaw chuck should work fine). This makes the handle concentric with the shaft and allows you to shape the handle as you want. You'll have to carefully measure the handle ferrule recess and you may loose concentricity by having to unchuck it several times to check the fit up, but no big deal. Then glue and hammer on the ferrule.

Hello John, tahts are not bruchscap schrews, but fieldwinding holders Gr from the Netherlands

Wow. Well done! That’s what we have come to expect here.

In the future, if you split it instead of cut it. You will get rid of the cracks and be left with stronger wood. Just use the existing cracks to split it until you get the size of piece you need.

If it does crack on you its because your feral was not tight enough. So before taking apart wrap the handle water tight right up to the feral and wood then soak for a week in warm water. Your little wedges will drive in easier and the cedar will bind even more to the steel. You will be happy if you get it right. Try not worry about the wood cracking in the feral. Hope this helps.

Nicehat you took on this project! It turnrd out great!

Nicely done. Very nice tool.

Nice work on the handle. I like the cast brass ferule. A friend of mine on the Old Tool Mailing List told me about using a brass fitting for flared copper tubing as a ferule. The internal threads can be used to mount the ferule on the wood. Brass can be turned with wood turning chisels. The handle can be turned to size. Then with the brass fitting attached the final shaping can be done. Much quicker than making a brass ferule. When casting a slug for turning I use a piece of steel pipe and pour the pipe full. When the brass, copper, or aluminum cools it shrinks more than the steel and falls free of the pipe. I have a box of turning slugs that I made that way. Most of mine are 8" or less but there really is no limit if you set up for contiuous cast. UTC had a rod mill that cast aluminum that was rolled into continuous rod and finally wire.

I just attached handles to several files using the burn method. It’s easy and holds well. I suggest getting a few file handles and trying it out on your screwdriver shaft before burning your walnut handle. No need to go red hot. Just searing hot like 800F or so. Have water nearby to minimize deep burning. I think burning is the best way to make intimate contact with the wood fibers and it will still absorb epoxy. In fact it may enhance absorption of epoxy.