Playing around

[oneminer]

After seeing all the great work on the forum, I decided I needed a pebble type matting tool. A quick search of the tool box lead to several stainless steel bolts of perfect size. A little grinding and polishing and I had a great blank. A little dremel work with diamond burs and I had matting tool. Then I figured I would try it out on a sheath I had been wanting to make for my bench knife. A little while later, wa-la... What I fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

[sdkid]

I like it. The sheath and the tools look great.

[Big Papa Leather]

Great job! I have a couple bolts and they are on the "gonna do list" just like you did, a pebbler matting tool.

Did you "free-hand" the holes or did you use a drill press for the dremel?

Allen

[oneminer]

sdkid, thanks for the encouragement.

Great job! I have a couple bolts and they are on the "gonna do list" just like you did, a pebbler matting tool.

Did you "free-hand" the holes or did you use a drill press for the dremel?

Allen

I first did the pebbling freehand with a small spherical diamond coated burr. Worked very well, but I didn't have precise control over the location of the divots. As I added more divots, I wanted to be more precise. So I tried a standard drill press. Didn't work at all. The drill press was too slow, and the burr is not designed to work on its axis. A carbide cutter might have worked, but I went back to using the diamond burr by hand. I liked the results well enough, but I might try something else. Be sure to post your results.

Edited January 29, 2009 by oneminer