home made awls

[rancid badger]

With our bark container workshop tomorrow, I decided to make some new awls a week or so back but got carried away with one or two

I made a good slack handful of plain one's, then decided to have a doodle.

I used a combination of my Bernie Garland bushcrafter, home made whittler and my old chip carver. I "aged" them with a bit of dark tan kiwi!

Thanks for looking
R.B.

 

[topknot]

Hi,
the knot one looks good to me .
Topknot.

 

[Globetrotter.uk]

Hey they are really good, any chance of selling me one.

 

[g4ghb]

Nice - what did you use for the 'spike'?, is it hardened at all?

 

[rancid badger]

Nice - what did you use for the 'spike'?, is it hardened at all?

I used a "needle" from a descaling gun. These are very hard, the "guns" have about 20 of these needles fixed into them. They are used for rust and paint removal.

I acquired a pack of replacement needles a few years ago and have made all sorts of things with them.

For a bark awl, you don't really need the steel to be super hard, in fact, you could make an awl from a bone or even a piece of sharpened hard wood.

cheers
R.B.

 

[rancid badger]

Hey they are really good, any chance of selling me one.

Thanks very much, unfortunately, I'm still not subscribed as a maker yet, so I can't really sell them, sorry.
I'd consider a trade for something though

Any particular one?

R.B.

 

[rancid badger]

Hi,
the knot one looks good to me .
Topknot.

I must admit, I think that's probably my favourite one too The carving just went ok from the start, I scribbled the knot pattern on the wood and set to with the chip knife, and a few hours later-ta dha!

cheers R.B.

 

[SOAR]

Very nice work, again I love the top one.

 

[John Fenna]

Dammit man - you are a true artist and I lust after your work!:notworthy

What is the wood you have used here?

 

[Paulm]

Those look great !

You can use obo type masonry nails, easy to get from B&Q etc, already hardened too.

Shape the point on a belt sander, grinding wheel, or bit of wet and dry. Can also chuck them in a power drill and run them against the abrasive if you want a smooth point version.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Hoodoo]

Nice! Very nice!! The handcarving really turns a nice simiple tool into art. Very well done!

 

[Bernie Garland]

Belting job there Steve,I like the top one, it looks like one of the rock carvings on Easter Island.

Bernie

 

[brancho]

They are all nice:You_Rock_

 

[rancid badger]

thanks for all the kind compliments,It's a funny world you know, I sit and tootle on with these odds and ends and when I finish something, I might ask the family; "what do you think?" almost always It's; "alright" quite often it's, "and where are you going to put THAT?"

It's really nice to have somewhere to share my "bit's and bob's" and if I can inspire one or two to have a go, then I'm happy

The wood used was just an old hazel walking stick blank I had hanging in the garage for about three years. I thought it would be difficult to carve but it was no bother, although I did have to sharpen my chip knife a time or two. ( it cost me £4 so not the best quality steel)

I was thinking of the "iron giant" I think that's what the character was called, when I was hacking out the head shaped one.I can't remember the comic now it may have been the Valiant?, but that's where it came from.

The knot pattern one went exactly where I thought it might , Traded for a traditional strike alight from Eric's collection, today, at our container making event.

More on that later

Sincere thanks again
Steve

 

[Eric_Methven]

My God Steve, am I that predictable?

Eric

 

[rancid badger]

My God Steve, am I that predictable?

Eric

Not really , but you know when you make something and you think; " I know who'll like that"?
I just had a feeling

Actually, I kind of had you in mind while was making it,

Is that serendipity by any chance?:bluThinki

anyway, I'm off to set to, with a bit of a report on yesterdays carryings on

Cheers
Steve