Making a Chattertool Handle

by Ken Grunke

Parts needed:

• Lagscrew, 3/8 or 7/16 in. dia., anywhere from 2 to 6 in. long
• Setscrew, 1/4-28
• A collar with a close fit on the lagscrew. I drilled out a 1/4 in. pipe nipple, and cut it to the length of the shoulder on the lagscrew, which should be about 1 in. long.

Tools needed:

• A jigsaw (sabersaw) with a metalcutting blade--16-20 tpi
• Electric hand drill, or drillpress
• centerpunch
• A threading tap and drill bit for the setscrew
• A 1/4 or 17/64 drill bit for the clearance hole in the collar

  The slot for holding the chattertool blade is cut acrosss the points of the lagscrew's head, and as straight as you possibly can right down the center of the screw. It helps to start a guiding cut with a hacksaw and/or a triangular file, then clamp the screw horizontally in a vise for using the sabersaw. I tried a hacksaw to cut the whole slot, it just wasn't wide enough for a 1/16 in. blade.

Next, drill and tap through the shank of the lagscrew 1/4-28 (10-24 or 12-24 will be fine as well). It should be 1/4 to 5/16 in. from the bottom of the hexhead. Make sure you centerpunch the spot first. Here's a trick for getting right on, or very close to center:
____Lay the screw flat on a surface with the slot horizontal, a flat on the screw's hexhead will be the guide. Place a flat file on the screw's shank, and making sure the file is parallel to the surface, drag it to make just a bit of an impression on the highest spot of the shank, which should be right on center.
If you didn't saw the slot right on center, choose the thicker side to drill and tap the setscrew hole in.