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TL-29 Whittler

dma1965

dma1965

Joined
Mar 9, 2013
Messages
467
I enjoy whittling and was reading this month's issue of Woodcarving Illustrated, where someone had written an article on how to modify an old TL-29 into a locking whittler. In the article, the writer modifies both the main blade (which does not lock) and the stripper/screwdriver blade (which does lock). I found a lot of 4 Camillus USA TL-29's on eBay for under $20, and went for it. Here is an example of one as it arrived (on top) with all the corrosion, and the one below that I modified (which also was very corroded):

TL29Whittler_zpsd1ee87b0.jpg


I spent quite a bit of time cleaning it up, and it took a long time to thin the blade so it was good for whittling. I still think it can be thinner. I also had to tighten the joint in a vise and peen the pins, followed by lots of sanding and buffing. Overall it is a very nice piece of kit for whittling. I have 3 more to practice on until I get it perfect.
 
Very nice job! I keep on meaning to pick up an extra tl-29 for a mod project. Keep up the good work!
 
A nice mod dma1965. The new blade should be strong. I wonder if the steel is the same as the main blade steel ? Good work.
 
Man, that looks good, dma1965!!:thumbup: What kind of grind and angle did you put on your whittling blade?

-GT
 
Thank you for the kudos! The blade is super strong due to the thickness. It takes a great edge and holds it very well, but it is not ideal for fine detail work. It is perfect for carving hard woods, like olive wood, which I have an abundance of. Olive wood dulls my knives very fast, and if you need to carve end grain it is sure to nick the blade or break off a tip (which has happened many times). This knife did not have any problem with the hard wood. I used it to carve this pumpkin:

8b3b4259-05d4-4a12-89e9-a0dabb3dec93_zpsbf7be5e6.jpg


I flat ground it and sharpened it to around 12 degrees on each side. I was going for a true Wharncliffe, but the difficulty is getting the tip to remain pointy. I have 3 more to practice on, so I will keep at it.
 
interesting. I have a few TL-29's. the screwdriver blade is not so useful in this day and age as a screwdriver but would be good like you said for conversion to Whittler.
I will give it a go.

thanks for posting
buzz
 
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