Top notch work there! Very nice. The chisel looks kind of neat with all that putting there, it’s a got a sharp edge, will function just fine. The pitting gives it that character. I have a cast iron small cauldron that’s pitted all over even after removing rust from it. The pitting are deep enough such that no amount of polishing will remove them unless you do deep grinding at which point the shape of the cauldron will be distorted. I have come to like it as is, the textured looks different and ok :-),
Nice restoration. I have been restoring some old socket chisels myself and have found a few things that work well. 1) Thread locker holds the chisels in the sockets if they come loose, but unlike epoxy, you can remove the handle easily by simply heating the chisel socket. 2) A stepped drill bit like an electrician uses or a reaming bit quickly cleans out the inside of a socket that some idiot has pounded into a mushroom. 3) A flap disc on an angle grinder does a nice job of making the chisel prettier and removing the pitting (although this doesn’t really affect functionality). These old socket chisels w/o handles are so cheap and you can get some nice tools for next to nothing.
Just thought I'd add that the discolouration after the evaporust was the high-carbon steel portion of the blade etching a little differently to the softer steel it was joined to near the handle.
I agree with what has been said about the slight pitting adding to the chisel, although I am particulary interested in the turning of the handle. What was the large outside diameter of the chisel? what was the size of the two Arch Punches? What was the thickness of the leather used? What was the glue used to bond leather/leather and leather wood? If you could answer these questions I would be very grateful.
instead of epoxy to hold the handle, you should try hair spray. Yes, it works! I think it's just a super thin coat of shellac that really grips the wood to metal join.
I'm fortunate in that my shop is in a heated basement, so rust has never been much of an issue for me. I do use paste wax on cast iron surfaces like my table saw, hand planes, etc. Camellia oil also works, but it's more expensive. I find the best way to prevent rust though is to use the tools frequently so it doesn't have a chance to develop.
Thanks! I have a hodge-podge of lathe tools. I have a few Robert Sorby tools that I purchased new and then I have some older carbon steel tools from various makers that I've picked up at garage sales and tool swap meets. I'm not an experienced turner, so I primarily use scraping tools and a couple of gouges. I've tried using skews, but usually end up doing more damage than good with them.
You made me just a little nervous when you used a cloth instead of tissue paper to buff the finish on the handle while it was spinning. Fabric has been know to catch on the spinning object and pull your hand right in to it.
I replaced the bearings when I restored the lathe several years ago, but it might be time to check them again. Of course, it could just be my poor audio equipment.
