Tools of the Trade

[gaid]

DW,

I like the look of the stitch pricker, it makes the job well too. It is just another look.

Wild Bill will send me one of his by post, I will try it on the next pair.

Janne Melkersson

[dw]

Janne,

Thanks. Post a photo of the tool that Wild Bill sends you, and, of course, a pic of your results.

BTW, I've been meaning to ask...the fudge wheel you use...what size is it? How many "fudges" (stitches)per inch?

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[dw]

I really wanted to put this over in The Gallery just because I'm nearly as proud of it as a pair of boots. But I thought better of it...

Here's a shot of a awl haft I made from Bocote (Mexican rosewood). The brass ferrule is the result of a collaboration with Dick Anderson (one of many) and his superlative machine work.

2207.jpg

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[Tex Robin]

DW,

You have been too quiet lately. Have the fish been been biting? Nice awl haft. I am going to contact Dick and have him make one of my design. It is longer and has a ferrule that tightens. The one I am using currently is built up with epoxy for the palm swell..TR

[jake]

D.W.,

That's just plumb "pertty"!

Great work! (both You and Dick)

[dw]

Thanks to both of you. Fishing is always good...it's the catching that's poor--still a little too warm.

BTW, for those of you who aren't sure about this style of awl haft...I understand. I used screw type hafts for many years and was very doubtful about the kind of haft where the awl is driven into the wood inside the ferrule. But I've been using this style for about five years now and I haven't had a single awl come out. I broke one awl and had to extract the tang...which left a diamond shaped hole in the haft. Into which I simply drove a glue coated peg, and re-seated another awl. No problems with that haft for the last several years and still going good.

Also the size..again, I used to use a much longer haft. But actually I am much more comfortable with the whole haft enclosed in the palm of my hand and my index finger and thumb close down around the ferrule...giving me a greater degree of control that I had before. Of course, I have small hands and the size of haft I use may be too small for some. But Dick makes three sizes now, I think.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[gcunning]

Dick now has mesquite wood. It is really pretty when turned. We'll see if he will post some examples when he gets his computer fixed.

[Tex Robin]

DW,
Well, I hope the fishing improves. I wouldn't mind slinging a few flies myself but I broke my fly rod on a large carp. I thought it would be fun to catch one on the fly rod and it was till It broke in half. Oh, well...That was 30 yrs ago and I haven't had to go fishing much since..

The reason I don't like the drive in ferrule is I have a habit of jerking my awl out of the punched hole when inseaming to save time. I still have several of the old(40yrs or older) ferrules left and will send Dick one to use. I also like the longer slimmer hafts and I usually build up the back with a knob with epoxy to save my palm. It works but a purtty one would sure look nice to use with the old idiot strings. Anybody have Dicks e-mail add?...TR

[Mike Strong]

DW

It is a thing of beauty. I would like to have one just like it. BTW is the new shop your building is it going to be a boot shop or a wood working shop?(big grin).

I have used my awl a couple of times now and I just can't say enough good things about it. Keep up the good work.

Mike

[marc]

I have a stupid awl question. I have one similar to the one DW shows that I've been using as a closing awl (i.e. a smaller size blade). It was dropped and hit just wrong so the setting point of an awl blade snapped off deep inside the wood. I'm not really happy about the idea of taking a drill to dig it out, and just jamming another blade in there doesn't seem to hold very well. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Marc

[dw]

I don't have any answers...just a sob story and a hypothesis..'

Recently, I turned a beautiful awl handle out of tulipwood. It's a little denser and harder than maple or boxwood but it's just gorgeous--a cream coloured wood with an antique pink grain running through it. When I finished polishing it, it was like marble--so glossy and smooth, it was really beautiful. I thought I would put one of those German style sickle awls in it. So I went through the drill--clamping the blade between two pennies and driving the haft onto the tang of the awl. I don't know whether it was because the wood was so dense or because the tang of the awl was so brittle...or both, but the tang broke off inside the ferrule.

I tried to drill it out but the metal was just too hard and the wood just too soft (relatively) and I ended up with a mess. Finally, I cut the ferrule off the handle just to salvage the ferrule. And the haft is now just junk. (Although having said that, I'll try again with the tulipwood, you can be sure. )

Anyway, I think that if a person is going to use the sickle awls you have to be very careful. I don't know how many companies are making them but the few I have been able to get my hands on were all one make and they do seem a bit over-tempered. The next time I try to mount one, I'm going to use a propane torch to take a bit of the temper out of the tang at least, if that's possible.

That's the only time and the only kind of awl that I have had trouble with, however. I've broken tips and had to pull the blade but never broken the tang before.


Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[D.A. Saguto--HCC]

Marc and DW,

Since I only use non-screwed, friction-fit hafts, I know this dilemma well. The only solution I have found is to saw the ferrule, with the wood neck and broken tang inside, neatly off of the haft. Remove the ferrule to salvage it. Make a new neck piece out of a wooden dowel, refit the ferrule to it; drill-out the main body of the haft maybe 1/2" deep, insert and epoxy the new neck of dowel with salvaged ferrule back on. If done neatly, the base of the ferrule butts right up to the original haft, and nobody can see the repair. Not "perfection", but it's better than throwing hafts away whenever blades break-off inside.

BTW, I always drill a tiny pilot hole in the wooden neck first, to set the tang angle so the awl blade's point, when inserted, is in line with that imaginary center-line running through the middle of the haft.

If you want to draw the temper on the awl tangs, be careful to heat-sink the working portion of the blade with something--a baby potato works well. You don't want the tang totally soft though, or your blade will bend out of line with the first piercing. A few bendings back and forth, and it will fatigue, snap off inside the haft, and you'll curse the day...

[dw]

Al,

The trick with the dowel is great! My mind was just beginning to think along those lines but I'd not come up with anything concrete...a person only has so many hours in a day. I think I will try it though. The only real problem I have is that I don't have a drill press and I don't have a chuck for my lathe, either, so drilling the hole straight and true is a problem. Maybe you've got a tip there as well?

I understand about using the heat sink (I generally wrap the metal tightly with a wet cloth but the potato sounds good...and afterwards you can always pour a little catsup on it and have a quick snack of hash browns) and thought I would draw the temper only in about two thirds of the tang. I'm not sure how to control how much of the temper I draw, however. There again, if you've any suggestions, I could use them. All of my metallurgical experiments heretofore, have been more in the nature of alchemical blunderings ala the sorcerer's apprentice--think Mickey in his loose cassock, arms raised in a desperate counterspell Any successes that I have had are pure accident.

PS...are you posting from your new confuser, yet?

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[D.A. Saguto--HCC]

DW,

------------------
" Maybe you've got a tip there as well?"
----------------

Buy a drill press

Besides the invention of paper towels, the drill press is the only worthwhile contribution to civilization in the last 1,000 years IMO.

An old sword-smith told me about using potatoes as heat sinks, which works great. You can hold the work by the potato too--no tools needed. And he did say they'd stick potatoes all along to heat-sink the sword blade when tempering the tang, then eat the potatoes later. I wasn't sure if he was pulling my leg though.

-------------------
"PS...are you posting from your new confuser, yet?"
-----------------

No, not this weekend either, got too much shoe-work backing-up in the shop, plus cleaning house for some "persicular" [Note: family vernacular for "particular" plus "persinicky" (i.e., very picky) ] house-guests bootmakers arriving next weekend from Oregon

[marc]

Besides the invention of paper towels, the drill press is the only worthwhile contribution to civilization in the last 1,000 years IMO.

*cough* Not the development of the right side out welted shoe?

The replacing the ferrule idea is an interesting one, although I will likely try getting a really small Dremel bit first and drilling. And if I screw it up - I can still replace the neck later - so it definately opens up some options. Thanks.

Marc

[dw]

Al,

Heck fire, you don't have to clean up. Just lay in some fresh straw out in the barn...we'll throw our bedd'n roll out there.




Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[D.A. Saguto--HCC]

DW,

Why son, this is ol' Virginny--we have our reputation to uphold. The regional labor situation has gotten dramatically tight since 1864, but not our standards for hospitality. Do you prefer a mint on your pillow when your bed's turned down in the evening, or just a good cigar?

[marc]

Just thought I'd mention - encouraged by a working back-up plan, I took a small drill and went in through the side of the awl neck and extracted the tip of the tang. I've plugged the hole and am waiting a few days for the glue to dry before putting in a new awl.

Thank you.

Marc

[D.A. Saguto--HCC]

Marc,

"Adapt and overcome". Yes, drilling a parallel hole next to the old tang, then plugging the whole mess is perfectly fine, just drill a fresh pilot hole, centered and angled, for inserting the new blade.

[gaid]

All,
I have been asked to post the addres to the company which make the tool I use for making notches
Here is a photo showing the result

2211.jpg

and here is the tool.

2212.jpg

The address to the company is;
Precise Component
Harper Lane, Radlett
Herst WD7 7HU
U.K.

[Dick Anderson]

Janne,

What sewing machine are you useing. What was the cost of the notching tool?

Dick

[gaid]

Dick,

The sewing machine is an old Swedish Husqvarna. My friend in London use the same tool mounted on a Singer 31 class machine. I don't remember how much the tool costed but I think it was about £15.

[Dick Anderson]

Janne

What would that be in US dollars?

[gaid]

Dick,

About $23.3.

Here is the address to a currency converter which works pretty good.

http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

[judy]

Would anyone be able to suggest sources for adjustment instructions/parts list for an ESTO hand skiver machine. Many thanks. Judy