Recent Comments

How to Make an Octagonal Handle, Shell Auger and Straight Drilling Guide

I will warn you, this walk-through is a big one!  The results, however, will let a woodworker without a lathe or mad shaping skills to have a reasonably high chance of turning a small chunk of wood into a lovely handle that can be held with comfort and pride!

I have been researching and experimenting with tool grips for quite some time. Recently I have begun to solidify my research and decided it was time to figure out how to make the perfect tool handle, make it well and make it consistently. Part of my goal here is to provide a handle form that does not need a lathe to turn. I wanted to make this something that would inspire and allow budding craftsmen to use, make and repair hand tools.

Lots of handle blanks

Continue reading How to Make an Octagonal Handle, Shell Auger and Straight Drilling Guide

February 27th, 2011 | Category: Metalworking, Sharpening, Tool Making, Tutorials, Woodworking | 9 comments

Do You have Enough Tools?

I love posts about workshops in other countries.   They show other methods of work holding, and working with tools.  Often times you see amazing work being done with a few simple tools.   What I really like is the simple tools.

But in every conversation about these tools, someone has to make the cheap shot [...]

November 28th, 2010 | Category: Hand Tools, Metalworking, Tool Making, Tutorials, Woodworking | Leave a comment

Multi-Functional Divider

I love multifunctional tools. Sadly, most of them don’t really work very well. Here is one that is a real gem.

Divider, holster and Modified Divider

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.

Continue reading Multi-Functional Divider

December 22nd, 2009 | Category: Hand Tools, Metalworking, Tool Making, Tools | 2 comments

Pencil Shave

I have been wanting one of these for about three years.  I finally made one!

This was made from one of the cutters in an old broken pencil sharpener.  It was a bit dull so I sharpened the cutter using the ancient method of soaking it in vinegar.  Now it is nice and [...]

July 27th, 2009 | Category: Hand Tools, Sharpening, Tool Making | 8 comments

Radius Cutter/Scribe

Johnathan, recently posted on Woodnet his rendition of an inlay radius cutter.  The design is one that Steve Latta showed in an article on Fine Woodworking.   Lie-Nielsen sells one based on that design.

The tool is a very stable compass that can cut.  My current need is one to mark a radius [...]

July 21st, 2009 | Category: Hand Tools, Metalworking, Tool Making, Tools | Leave a comment
 
  Older Entries »