With the inner template copied onto the sawn-out handle shape (call this line X), we can now begin to round over the edges. This is best done in steps by cutting a few flat facets first, making it much easier to accurately shape the compound curves. Overall this part is probably the most satisfying aspect of making a saw handle for your saw.
Step 1 : The first facet
Start by drawing a few more lines onto the edges which guide the first cut. The first cut is a flat plane (facet) between a line on a side of the handle (line X) and another line on an edge.
Use a pencil with your fingers as a guide to draw a line (line A) in the middle of the edge, and then two more lines (line B) somewhere in between the edge and the middle line. Halfway is a good starting point.
Make a flat facet between lines X and B. This cut will determine the angle between the side and the edge of the handle, so work to the line fairly accurately.
For taking away the material you could use many different tools, like a rasp, a coping saw, a chisel, a gouge or even a carving knife. The inside of the grip is the trickiest part, for which I like to use Japanese half-round carving files. These leave a smooth finish while taking away material fast.
Note: There are dedicated bent handle maker’s rasps for this job for sale, but when making a round over in the steps described here, they do not have that much advantage. With its shape, the bent rasp is trying to avoid damaging the other side of the inside grip. It can also be achieved by making the tip of your rasp or file blunt and rounded. The Japanese half round carving files are perfect for this as they don’t have a pointed tip like hand-stitched rasps.
As you can see in the picture above, at this point the ends of the horns have been rounded over. Draw lines on the top and bottom of the horns and use any of the above-mentioned tools to cut away the wood.
Step 2 : The second facet
A second facet is needed on the grip parts of the handle, all around the inside grip parts and the large sweeping curve under the nose. On the top of the handle a second facet isn’t really needed because the round over is much more shallow and easier to blend in at step 3.
Draw a line (line C) in the middle of the first facet (halfway between line X and B) which you cut in step 1.
Draw another line in between the middle line (line A) and the edge of the first facet (line B). Then cut the second facet in between these two new lines. It should now look like this.
Step 3: Rounding over the facets
The facets still give a rough shape, but the middle of the facets are very close to the end shape. The next step is to round over the edges of the facets and blend them into one radius. A (very) fine rasp or a file does this task very well. Also sticks with rough sandpaper stuck on will be very useful here. Focus mainly on getting the shape even, comparing both sides also, by holding it up to the light and looking at it from different angles to check your progress.
Step 4: the Nose
First draw the boundaries of the bevel onto the nose. Then use a small saw, a chisel or a coarse rasp to cut away most of the material to remove. Finish off with a tool that can make a flat bevel, like a flat file or a flat Japanese carving file.
Step 5: Sanding
Before sanding, look over the handle in the light. Any large cut marks can be removed with a small file or a superfine rasp. Pay attention to blend in what you take away so the overall shape stays in tact.
Next use sand paper strips, preferably around 200 grit cloth backed which is flexible, to smooth all the surfaces. Pay extra attention to line X to keep it in tact. For instance use rounded sticks to back your sand paper in order to keep the line crisp and in the right shape.
