i like to follow the basic principles of those that came before me alot of the time, and one principle that i particularly enjoy emulating is the creation and repair of tools.
i know that my great grandfather fixed and made many tools, as well as some impressive shelves and specialized boxes.
in antique stores i sometimes run across a small bundle of old things, such as knives with a homemade handle with a wire bolster of sorts, to keep the wood from splitting. i often see files stuck into often-times hand turned handles ground down into various marking knives and awls.
after reading some stories in which JACKKNIFE mentions the sears 4-in-1 keychain screwdriver his dad often used to fix things, i looked for one, only to discover that they were no longer being produced. so i headed down to the basement workshop and made something that would do the same job. i cut a peice out of an old shovel with a broken blade and ground it down into a two ended screwdriver for my keychain. the small end i based on the phillips screwdriver on the can opener of my swiss army knife:
also in the photo is a worn out file i ground into a chisel to fill a need for a particular size, along with a small shop knife i made from a worn out reciprocating saw blade. also a scraper made from the same shovel as the screwdriver
i also like to make my own handles for things when i can, especially when i buy hatchet and hammer heads at the local antique shops. i also don't see much point to paying for a file handle that i can whip up myself in a minute or two. the awl is a replacement made for another one much like it that i managed to lose somehow, made from a large nail and a peice of maple.
my uncle found an old case fixed blade out in the woods a few years ago, and tossed it in a drawer. he showed it to me about a year ago, and saw that i was interested so he gave it to me. the leather washer handle was rotted and loose, and the blade had some surface rust. i cut away the leather washers and cleaned up the tang. i put on a new handle made from a single peice of purple heart wood, sealed with danish oil. i lightly sanded the blade and sharpened it up. the previous owner had turned the saber hollow grind into a scandi grind, and it cuts quite nicely. very small in the hand though;
i didn't really feel like buying a bowsaw when i needed one, so i bought a 24" crosscut saw blade instead and built a frame from some scrap lumber. the first version didn't work, so i made this one to replace it. this picture came out badly
and to make sure this is relevant to this forum, a pic of the good ole boys, also not a very good picture;
anyone else like to make do and build their own goods when they can? pics and experiences more than welcome
i know that my great grandfather fixed and made many tools, as well as some impressive shelves and specialized boxes.
in antique stores i sometimes run across a small bundle of old things, such as knives with a homemade handle with a wire bolster of sorts, to keep the wood from splitting. i often see files stuck into often-times hand turned handles ground down into various marking knives and awls.
after reading some stories in which JACKKNIFE mentions the sears 4-in-1 keychain screwdriver his dad often used to fix things, i looked for one, only to discover that they were no longer being produced. so i headed down to the basement workshop and made something that would do the same job. i cut a peice out of an old shovel with a broken blade and ground it down into a two ended screwdriver for my keychain. the small end i based on the phillips screwdriver on the can opener of my swiss army knife:
also in the photo is a worn out file i ground into a chisel to fill a need for a particular size, along with a small shop knife i made from a worn out reciprocating saw blade. also a scraper made from the same shovel as the screwdriver
i also like to make my own handles for things when i can, especially when i buy hatchet and hammer heads at the local antique shops. i also don't see much point to paying for a file handle that i can whip up myself in a minute or two. the awl is a replacement made for another one much like it that i managed to lose somehow, made from a large nail and a peice of maple.
my uncle found an old case fixed blade out in the woods a few years ago, and tossed it in a drawer. he showed it to me about a year ago, and saw that i was interested so he gave it to me. the leather washer handle was rotted and loose, and the blade had some surface rust. i cut away the leather washers and cleaned up the tang. i put on a new handle made from a single peice of purple heart wood, sealed with danish oil. i lightly sanded the blade and sharpened it up. the previous owner had turned the saber hollow grind into a scandi grind, and it cuts quite nicely. very small in the hand though;
i didn't really feel like buying a bowsaw when i needed one, so i bought a 24" crosscut saw blade instead and built a frame from some scrap lumber. the first version didn't work, so i made this one to replace it. this picture came out badly
and to make sure this is relevant to this forum, a pic of the good ole boys, also not a very good picture;
anyone else like to make do and build their own goods when they can? pics and experiences more than welcome
