When grinding down a few old drill bits to make other tools, I noticed that the spiral on a point was quite lovely. This inspired me to produce this design.    This is a scratch awl, for leather and woodwork. The awl itself is made of M2 tool steel. The handle is ash and leather with [...]]]>

When grinding down a few old drill bits to make other tools, I noticed that the spiral on a point was quite lovely. This inspired me to produce this design.    This is a scratch awl, for leather and woodwork. The awl itself is made of M2 tool steel. The handle is ash and leather with a stainless steel ring.  The grip by the way, is wonderful.  I am tempted to make several gouges and chisels with this grip.

The awl is made from a large metal cutting drill bit. This was first parkerized in zink bearing phosphoric acid. Then it was blued with Oxpho Blue. Afterwards it was ground down to a point leaving the spiral in dark blued steel as a contrast to the polished M2.

I love making awls, but I must admit to having more than enough of them.  So, I put it up for sale on my Etsy Page. This way, if it sell, I can get a bit more leather to learn on.

Bob

In western woodworking, one of the common rites of passage is the manufacture of a tool [...]]]> One thing I have not seen, apart from a tool roll, is a leatherworkers holder for tools, made from leather.  Kind of hard to find in a search, since leatherworkers make aprons, rolls, holsters, belts and pouches for everyone else.

In western woodworking, one of the common rites of passage is the manufacture of a tool box.  It is certainly a good test and demonstration of skill.   It is also a nice way to showcase your skills.

Because of these things, my fascination with tool containers, and my desperate need to organize my tools, I decided to make a leatherworker’s tool holder.    Of course I decided to try to be a bit artistic and to make the holder have a timeless sort of quality.

It holds quite a range of tools convenient and ready to use.

From left to right, Top row, Head Knife made with O1 steel and osage.  Scissors, Fine Point Awl, Groover,  Spiral Punch, Overstitch Wheel, Overstitch Wheel, French Edger, Stitching Fid, Edger,  , Stitching Groover,  Sharpie, Pencil, Brad Pusher, Strike Awl, Marking Awl, Adjustable Groover, Awl Point Holder.  Bottom Row, Head Knife, 4 in 1 Punches, and Reading Glasses.

A much smaller set would work for occasional use,

I left out the Mallet, Square, Multipurpose Dividers, Canvas for Burnishing, Knife, Sandpaper and Needles that I find quite handy to have present.

Here are a few detail shots of the tool pouch,

There are so many things I would do differently if I made it again. Making this taught me a lot and that was really the point. I am still pretty new at leatherworking and I have a lot to learn.

Bob

The bottom divider is unmodified.  Works great, and it can hold a pencil.  The top one is modified by having one point ground down.   It will not measure quite as small a [...]]]> I love multifunctional tools. Sadly, most of them don’t really work very well. Here is one that is a real gem.

The bottom divider is unmodified.  Works great, and it can hold a pencil.  The top one is modified by having one point ground down.   It will not measure quite as small a gap.   It is however a much more useful tool.  The leather sheath above it holds extra bits and protects the divider.

The bit pocket has a snap at the top to put bits in and a snap at the bottom to pour them out.  It is a bit flawed as the sharp bits fall right into your hand, so you need to be careful.

This tool will act as a divider, can draw circles, and cut circles.

First I take a normal bit, and grind it down

Original Phillips Bit

Bit ground down partially

Bit Ground to point

Point ground into a cutter

The point can be ground by putting the bit in a drill and spin grinding it with sandpaper.  It can be done faster on a grindstone or belt sander.

Cutting bit in divider

A couple of important points.  The flat of the cutter should go to the outside, and should be ground level with one of the six faces of the bit’s shaft.  This way it is in line when you cut.  The curved edge facing inward, tend to force the cut to maximum allowed diameter, making for a more stable line.

Circles cut and marked by divider

This bit is great for marking wood and leather.  As you can see it will also cut.  Bits can be made with steeper angles so they do not sink as deep, or with finer points to leave a finer mark.  More conventional blades can be made as well.

Blade

Blade

With a nice divider able to cut, scribe, measure, scratch and mark, you have a pretty amazing tool.  With a screw driver handle added to the kit, you can use the blades and points for an even wider range of functions.

I made a better version of the original sheath.  Here it is on a belt with a pair of bottle holsters.

Divider Sheith on Belt with Bottle Holsters

The Bit holder uses one snap, and allows you to see and select the bit you want.  The bit can be grabbed from the bottom to avoid the sharp points.

Improved Bit holder!

I got a bit of feedback desiring one of these made for them.  So I have created an Etsy Store to sell stuff to those who don’t feel comfortable making their own.  Since one of the major goals of Toolmaking Art is to encourage people to make their own tools, the prices will of course reflect this goal.

Bob

I have been looking for a waterproof, food safe glue for quite a while.    A lot of people advertise that their products are made with food safe glue, and a lot of people say that this or that glue is food safe, but when [...]]]> My next glue purchase is going to be a gallon of Ecopoxy.

I have been looking for a waterproof, food safe glue for quite a while.    A lot of people advertise that their products are made with food safe glue, and a lot of people say that this or that glue is food safe, but when you research the final results, they don’t pan out.    Some will talk about the safety of the product, but their web sites and literature don’t make the same claims.     Just because a salesman has made  a claim, and people believed  it and repeated  it, does not make it true.   The only conclusive evidence of  food safe glue, that I have found up until now is Tightbond III.  It is rated for indirect contact with food.  As a result a lot of people prefer it for making cutting boards.

Ecopoxy is currently not being marketed as a glue, but I think this will be just the thing.   I have not tested it as a glue, but from the specs, it looks like it will be ideal.  No glue is perfect, but this looks like a dream glue.

It has an unlimited shelf life.  (heat may damage the resin)   This by itself is amazing.  An unlimited shelf  life means you don’t have to replace it every year.  You don’t have to worry that the glue you bought may already be three months old and only half as strong as it was.  This is a big advantage.   This puts it in the category with hide glue for longevity.

Probably using Knox Gelatin as hide glue is the safest glue you can get, but apart from peanut allergies possibly causing a problem while the glue is curing, or the BPA issue rearing it’s ugly head, this is as safe as any glue I have seen.  It is rated for holding potable water, so food contact is not an issue.   From the specifications I have read, I would trust this more than the plastic bottles or metal cans we drink from regularly.   The metal cans are usually lined with this sort of epoxy anyway, and this looks to be the best of them.

The other advantages are reduced odor, VOC and environmental  issues.   Gluing up a boat in your garage would be quite a bit safer with this epoxy.  This is made from soybeans, beans and peanuts, so the carbon footprint is much lower than most glues.    The one downside is the curing time.  It is typical for a glue to be fully set either overnight or a full day later.  This will reach full strength in three to five days so for a rush job or impatient craftsman, this will not be ideal.    A lot of the toxicity of finishes and glues comes from the materials used to speed the setting time, so I am not about to complain about the speed.  I would much rather have safe materials.

Here are a few thoughts on usage.  Cutting blocks come to mind immediately, but this product may allow for some really neat things to be made.  Imagine  taking 6 board feet of oak, and making a stackable one foot oak cube that holds  five and a half gallons for brewing wine in.    Or imagine gluing together three sections like the picture below and making a wooden flask.  It would look really nice with a square cork.  There is no reason at all that this flask is not triangular or round or whatever.

One neat application they list is using it with sand to make a non slip surface.   A food safe, marine grade epoxy that is tough enough to use to as a floor coating sounds pretty wonderful to me.  I want to make a cedar hot tub with it to put next to a small cedar swimming pool.  Put that on a cedar deck, with a non-slip walking path and you have a pretty wonderful back yard.   If you masked off a pathway, you could make a neat non slip path.   This path could be intact or done as if stepping stones.    I am sure you could do this with a lot of other epoxies, but I would feel much better soaking in a hot tub that was food safe!

I cannot give any advice based on personal use yet, but as soon as I can I will do an update on this.  I have enough of a sample to do some quick testing, so I will be reporting on this as I go.     In any case, this epoxy looks like a game changer.

Bob

This tool is the result of playing around.  The tip is m2 hss tool steel, the hoops are stainless steel and the wood is mesquite.  I call this tool,  ‘Davros.’

It was rather fun to make, and I rather like it. I doubt I will make anymore like it as the materials cost is a [...]]]>

This tool is the result of playing around.  The tip is m2 hss tool steel, the hoops are stainless steel and the wood is mesquite.  I call this tool,  ‘Davros.’

It was rather fun to make, and I rather like it. I doubt I will make anymore like it as the materials cost is a bit high.  I am rather fond of making scratch awls, they are useful for layout and marking, and they are fairly easy to make.  The hats in the background are made by my brilliant wife!

I love the cap she made me!

As a shameless plug, she sells the pattern, and sometimes the hats on her Etsy shop.

Her deerstalker design is my real favorite!

Bob