Loose gouge

[Paul Hannaby]

I was rough turning the outside of some natural edge yew bowls over the weekend and moved the rest to cut the rim on one and felt a bit of a wobble on the gouge before I took the next cut. I stopped the lathe to investigate and when I gave the shaft of the tool a tug, it came out of the handle! There was nothing wrong with either the handle or the gouge shaft so I knocked it back in by hammering the end of the handle. It was such a tight fit I had to do plenty of hammering which ended up splitting the back end of the handle so I ended up gluing that back together too! I don't think it will come apart again! :-)

[Twisted Trees]

Is your workshop really cold overnight? Steel contracts wood doesn't. 

I never glue my handles, but I do use water as a lubricant when fitting them, then generally with a good grip in the blade I thump the base of the handle onto the work bench which sets the blade in, give it a day for the water to dry and they are at least as solid as anything that was glued in.

[bodrighywood]

I make my own handles and usually glue them in as this can happen if the humidity or temperature changes dramatically. Not worth the risk of the tool suddenly spinning and digging in.

Pete

[burywoodturners]

I have had this happen with tools over 25years old, I put them back with epoxy and they dont come out again. There seems to be a feeling that anything not traditional, is wrong. be a bit mor pragmatic, if it works, and is safe, then use it
Ron

[Bill21]

Most of my gouges seem to be a press fit. I find some of them easier to sharpen if I temporarily remove the handle so I’d never glue them in.

[Twisted Trees]

Actually rethinking my response, there is a lesson in caution for us all here. Temperatures are extreme at the moment would be worth learning from Paul's experience and giving our handles a tap on the lathe bed each morning before use until temp change isn't a bit less flexible.