Making a Plane Handle with my New Hobby Band Saw
So I'm finding my way with the band saw, and figuring out what kind of curves I can make, and when I need to track back. I think a band saw is really a great beginner tool, because it's not nearly as intimidating as a table saw or a miter saw. Besides, there are so many cool projects you can do with it.
When I used the full 2 inch piece of mahogany, I realized it was bit too big to go through, so I had to trim it a little. Then I had no problem. I took my time with all the cuts, and I used a table saw jig as a fence to slice off a piece.
I brought out a chisel to round the corners and just shape it some. This wood was a real pleasure to work with. Working with sharp chisels is quite fun.
I was trying to be mindful of the wood grain when shaping it, and switch the direction I was working in whenever I hit a curve where the grain changed.
To make it even rounder and smoother I used a beltcsander that I secured to a vice, this works quite well. And I finished hard to reach areas with a rasp.
I finished the handle with raw linseed oil and drilled the holes to fit the plane. You don't really have to wait too long to dry the handle before attaching it.