"Universal" hand tool handle

[Shainarue]

I've been sketching out ideas but I've only managed to fill up two pages with crossed out ideas. I also did a search online but not finding what I'm thinking of.

I have a variety of hand-held top tools (punches, chisels, fullers). Some are made with an index, some have a hex body, some have a round body. 

I apparently can't manage to use hand-held tools without eventually missing & wacking my hand. Usually one of the knuckles of my pointer finger. Last night it was the metacarpal of my pointer finger and I legit thought I finally bungled up everything and broke my hand. I had to call it quits early because I couldn't hold anything with that hand anymore. Today it only hurts when I press on it so thankfully it's just bruised. But that was a scare.

I've tried using vice grips to hold the tool but they aren't optimal. The vibrations from the hits is wears down the spring (I'm guessing) and they come unclamped, sending the top tool skittering off. Obviously, I'll go back to using the vice grips until I have something better. Because a skittering tool is better than a broken hand.

Of course I *could* re-make all my hand-held tools so they can be handled, and that's a consideration (just adding a neck of sorts which a pair of tool tongs can grip). And then of course I'd have to heat treat & temper the tools again. Or I *could* make a handle for each individual tool - and then build a tool rack to hold them all since they'd no longer fit in their tidy cups.

But I'd rather make one handle that could be adjusted to tighten around any of these existing tools without modification to the tools. 

Anyone feel like helping me brainstorm some ideas? 

[Goods]

Can you make a pair of tong just to hold the tools? Maybe like pick-up tongs with a tong clip. You may feel feed back in you hand if the tong clip is slipping.

The other thing that came to mind is to weld a piece of pipe to a handle (bar stock, round stock, fancy basket twist, whatever you like) the drill a hole in the pipe and weld a nut to it for a locking screw. Put the punch in the pipe, tighten the screw and off you go.

Just ideas…

Keep it fun,

David

[Shainarue]

Your second idea is exactly what I was trying to sketch up but was just going at it way too hard, lol

I have a pair of tool tongs that are designed to fit in a groove around a tool body - I'll try those tonight to see if they'll grip. I'm embarrassed to say I hadn't even tried.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I use a couple of pairs of wolf jaw tongs (different sized jaws) and a tong clip. Works well for me, unless I totally miss the tool it's holding and hit the tongs. That's a surprise and quite a shock, thankfully I haven't missed in years.

[Frosty]

This is a quick concept sketch of what I use. I started just using a pair of tongs and holding the chisel, punch, etc. inside the rivet. Then one day I made a pair just for holding top tools. I just sketched round notches I recommend V notches and make the tool end thicker so it grips more of the tool shank. Making it from split 1/2" pipe would have a longer contact distance and holding two points would grip solidly.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Shainarue]

I love that design Frosty!

I adjusted my tool tongs to fit the punch I was using and made sure they still also fit the tool set they came with (which I have yet to forge to the shapes I want, lol). That worked well for the indexed punch. I'm saving Frosty's design though.

Irondragon, oddly enough I have yet to ever miss when using a handle but for some reason I do miss when it's my hand. I don't get it.

Anyhoo, thanks y'all for the input!

[George N. M.]

I have seen drawings of a clamp type device, hinged at the front, like a nut cracker, that will hold various top tools such as punches chisels, etc..  The tools had a hexagonal area which was clamped by an area of the same size and shape in the clamp which had a latch at the end of the handles to keep it secure.  IIRC these were patent drawings dated to the 1920s.

I just saw Frosty's post and the clamp I describe is hinged like his drawing.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[BillyBones]

Odd, i have had a small set of vise grips i have used for years now to hold top tools. Are you using cheap vise grips? 

You could also get some 3/8" or 5/16" round bar and forge wrap around handles on all of your top tools. I have a few large punches that i did that with. 

 

[JHCC]

Check out this thread:

 

[Frosty]

I don't k now where the inspiration for the punch tongs I use came from but I do know I didn't originate it. 

I like John's punch tongs, Top tool tongs(?) I just don't spend enough time at the anvil to make new tools unless I really need them.  

Thinking about the top tool handle with tubing and a set screw, I'm thinking a short length of angle iron perpendicular to the handle backed by a wing nut set screw or a cam type lever lock would work and be easy to make.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Stash]

I took some liberties with something I saw atNESM. Threaded shaft left behind from a power co pole guy wire repair. Shaft is 5/8”, nuts are 1” - they fit in my hardie hole so no tools needed. 10” of 3/4” pipe. The tool hole is 3/4” dia. I make a lot of my tooling from 3/4” 5160 drops. Other size tools I use tongs and s hook clamps.

Steve

[gewoon ik]

The threated one you made looks like the commercial ones you can buy.

I have a collegue at work who uses one. He needs to hardstamp a lot (goes thru a couple of hardstamps yearly on mostly brass and steel plates) and since a workrelated accident (after stamping several plates with his proofmark and certificatenumber, he was tired and hit his thumb. The thumb was broken) his department made them mandatory.

But those are some sort of plastic. Good for weight, can handle the hits, but in our application probably useless, because heatresistance will not be good.

[Daswulf]

Steve, that is a great idea. I like a lot of ideas in this thread including Frosties sketch. 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

The tongs in the last picture Stash posted are the ones I use for the larger shank tools with a tong clip to hold them tight. I have several sizes so I don't need to adjust the jaws. For the small shanks the Wolf jaws hold just fine, no messing with tightening nuts or bolts. My thought taught to me by my grandfather is KISS.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

[Stash]

Yeah, I find myself using the tongs with a clip most of the time. KISS indeed!

Steve