Making custom tools
Being a little bit of a packrat, over the years I've collected a bunch of
tools. I have several old and mistreated (but not over heated) lathe tools that I can reshape into some custom profiles. I was eyeing up some beat screwdrivers in my junk box and wondering about the suitability of any of those for some mini tools. Has anyone here had luck doing this? Shaping, tempering (if necessary), and using? What sort of stock is good to use for homemade tools? Ed |
Making custom tools
In article ,
"Ed Edelenbos" wrote: What sort of stock is good to use for homemade tools? On the low but effective for mini-tools end of the spectrum, concrete nails - nice, if small, hardened steel. Cheap. Moving up to the good stuff, metalworking lathe tool bit stock - anywhere form 3/16 to 3/4 square, some non-square shapes (including parting tool style), nice high speed steel, fairly inexpensive. From the same suppliers, (MSC, Enco, McMaster-carr etc.) drill rod and flat stock in various grades of tool steel, either pre-hardened or annealed (and then you need to do heat treating - stick to W1 or O1 or O2 for that at home). -- Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by |
Making custom tools
On Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:42:58 -0500, "Ed Edelenbos" wrote:
Being a little bit of a packrat, over the years I've collected a bunch of tools. I have several old and mistreated (but not over heated) lathe tools that I can reshape into some custom profiles. I was eyeing up some beat screwdrivers in my junk box and wondering about the suitability of any of those for some mini tools. Has anyone here had luck doing this? Shaping, tempering (if necessary), and using? What sort of stock is good to use for homemade tools? Ed I make a lot of my tools, but only out of HSS... IMO, screwdrivers are way too soft to cut well or safely.. Files are too brittle.. I've reshaped several HSS lathe chisels into scrapers or other "because I needed it at the time" tools, though.. Especially things like 5/8" bowl gouges that eventually get too short for my sharpening jig to hold well.. Great short, think scrapers or side cutters.. YMWV mac Please remove splinters before emailing |
Making custom tools
On Fri, 16 Jan 2009 8:42:58 -0600, Ed Edelenbos wrote
(in message ): Being a little bit of a packrat, over the years I've collected a bunch of tools. I have several old and mistreated (but not over heated) lathe tools that I can reshape into some custom profiles. I was eyeing up some beat screwdrivers in my junk box and wondering about the suitability of any of those for some mini tools. Has anyone here had luck doing this? Shaping, tempering (if necessary), and using? What sort of stock is good to use for homemade tools? Ed some screwdrivers will be too soft to keep an edge, and may not be hardenable. If the screwdriver *is* hardenable, though, you can get some nice small tool from it. Generally, if the metal is soft enough to cut it with a file and not dull the file... it is too soft. Hardenability in steel is a whole 'nother field of knowledge... analyzing the spark pattern when grinding the metal in question, or simply trial and error are two "tells" for a piece of mystery metal. I've had good results with old files. Anneal, grind smooth, reshape, braze to a suitable tool shaft, and re-harden. tom koehler -- I will find a way or make one. |
Making custom tools
Ed Edelenbos wrote:
Being a little bit of a packrat, over the years I've collected a bunch of tools. I have several old and mistreated (but not over heated) lathe tools that I can reshape into some custom profiles. I was eyeing up some beat screwdrivers in my junk box and wondering about the suitability of any of those for some mini tools. Has anyone here had luck doing this? Shaping, tempering (if necessary), and using? What sort of stock is good to use for homemade tools? Ed I sometimes burn a decorative groove around an object with a wire held between two knobs. In order to start the wire straight I made a very sharp pointed tool from an old screwdriver to cut a shallow v-groove in the wood. It works well for it's intended purpose. -- Gerald Ross Cochran, GA Social Security: World's biggest Ponzi Scheme. |
Making custom tools
Ed Edelenbos wrote:
Being a little bit of a packrat, over the years I've collected a bunch of tools. I have several old and mistreated (but not over heated) lathe tools that I can reshape into some custom profiles. I was eyeing up some beat screwdrivers in my junk box and wondering about the suitability of any of those for some mini tools. Has anyone here had luck doing this? Shaping, tempering (if necessary), and using? What sort of stock is good to use for homemade tools? Ed Here you go. http://aroundthewoods.com/tools.shtml There are some ideas anyway. -- Darrell Feltmate http://aroundthewoods.com http://roundopinions.blogspot.com |
Making custom tools
"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message news:Zw6cl.5192$Db2.623@edtnps83... Ed Edelenbos wrote: Being a little bit of a packrat, over the years I've collected a bunch of tools. I have several old and mistreated (but not over heated) lathe tools that I can reshape into some custom profiles. I was eyeing up some beat screwdrivers in my junk box and wondering about the suitability of any of those for some mini tools. Has anyone here had luck doing this? Shaping, tempering (if necessary), and using? What sort of stock is good to use for homemade tools? Ed Here you go. http://aroundthewoods.com/tools.shtml There are some ideas anyway. -- Darrell Feltmate http://aroundthewoods.com http://roundopinions.blogspot.com Hey guys, thanks for all the replies. Ed |
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