Making My Own Diamond-Shaped Awl.

[ToddB 68]

Howdy !

Trying to make my own diamond-shaped awl. ( have a haft with adjustable chuck.)

I started with a "square-cut" concrete nail, because it's hard and already tapered lengthwise.

Using my bench grinder, a flat file and a bucket of cool water, I worked the nail down to a more slender size while maintaining a lengthwise taper and cross sectional rectangular shape.

Now I need to add the diamond shape.

Does anyone have a design for a fixture to make an awl cross sectionally diamond shaped ? I am looking for something that could be made from hardwood and/or metal in my workshop. The fixture does not need to hold tight tolerances on the finished product (the awl). I would be satisfied with a close approximation of a diamond shape. In fact, what I mostly need is a design concept and then I can work out the construction details and fine-tune the fixture to hold my personal accuracy requirements.

Thanks for whatever help you can offer.

ToddB68

[dirtclod]

Clamp it between two pieces of wood cut on a 45 degree angle and file away. That should work for the fat part. The end you could probley work that down on a stone or you could work the whole thing down on a stone.

[ToddB 68]

Clamp it between two pieces of wood cut on a 45 degree angle and file away. That should work for the fat part. The end you could probley work that down on a stone or you could work the whole thing down on a stone.

Thanks dirtclod !

In all fairness to you, my post was misleading. Modern day concrete "cut nails" are still commonly referred to as "square nails", but are actually rectangular cross-sectionally. I should have clarified that in my post. Sorry about that. Nevertheless, your basic concept is feasible. As you can see from the attached photo, distances "A" and "B" are not equal, so I'll just need to modify the angle to something less than 45 degrees.

I was both surprised and pleased at the simplicity of your solution ! WTG !

I'll let you know how it works out.

ToddB68

Edited September 14, 2010 by ToddB68

[dirtclod]

You could try some cut flooring nails. Their sort of square to start with the driving end is fat and tapers down. When started doing carpenter work back before Hilti guns and the anchors they have now we used them for concrete and they would work pretty good. Only thing is their pretty hard.

[Mick]

I've been making a few also...also using concrete nails, except mine aren't the square cut nails, mine are more round. I used my bench mounted belt/disc sander, just using the belt, dipping into a cup of water to cool it. when it got down to a small enough size, I went to my bench stone, and stropped it. Seems to work pretty well.

RE diamond shape...isn't a diamond a square turned a bit?

[Ferg]

I've been making a few also...also using concrete nails, except mine aren't the square cut nails, mine are more round. I used my bench mounted belt/disc sander, just using the belt, dipping into a cup of water to cool it. when it got down to a small enough size, I went to my bench stone, and stropped it. Seems to work pretty well.

RE diamond shape...isn't a diamond a square turned a bit?

I guess strictly speaking it would be but in the case of the AWL, that is not true. Suppose you could call it a flat diamond

ferg

[ToddB 68]

I've been making a few also...also using concrete nails, except mine aren't the square cut nails, mine are more round. I used my bench mounted belt/disc sander, just using the belt, dipping into a cup of water to cool it. when it got down to a small enough size, I went to my bench stone, and stropped it. Seems to work pretty well.

RE diamond shape...isn't a diamond a square turned a bit?

Mick,

Here's a website address where you can see an illustration and definition of the "diamond" shape used for Awls. The name of the shape is called "Rhombus" and it also appears on page #8 of Al Stohlman's book titled The Art of Hand Sewing Leather .......................http://www.mathsisfu...rilaterals.html

Also see the sketch attached to my above post #3.

ToddB68

[Hilly]

You can make a fine awl blade out of a bicycle wheel spoke.

[Reaper]

Hardened Framing Air Gun Nails. might work and they already have the diamond cut you could work the tip and shank as you like for the finished size?

[ToddB 68]

Hardened Framing Air Gun Nails. might work and they already have the diamond cut you could work the tip and shank as you like for the finished size?

Reaper...........Any chance you could post a photo of the nail described ?

Thanks,

ToddB68

[electrathon]

I would recomend using an antenna off a car. They are plentifull and are very hard. Stainless too so they will not discolor your leather like a will.

Aaron

[ToddB 68]

Howdy !

Trying to make my own diamond-shaped awl. ( have a haft with adjustable chuck.)

I started with a "square-cut" concrete nail, because it's hard and already tapered lengthwise.

Using my bench grinder, a flat file and a bucket of cool water, I worked the nail down to a more slender size while maintaining a lengthwise taper and cross sectional rectangular shape.

Now I need to add the diamond shape.

Does anyone have a design for a fixture to make an awl cross sectionally diamond shaped ? I am looking for something that could be made from hardwood and/or metal in my workshop. The fixture does not need to hold tight tolerances on the finished product (the awl). I would be satisfied with a close approximation of a diamond shape. In fact, what I mostly need is a design concept and then I can work out the construction details and fine-tune the fixture to hold my personal accuracy requirements.

Thanks for whatever help you can offer.

ToddB68

Hi All !

Attached are photo's of my completed Awl Blade, i.e. a full view of the awl mounted in an old haft I got from my Dad years ago,

along with a side-by-side sample of the concrete nail used. Also, three sectional photo's of the completed awl blade, for close-up views.

This, my first attempt at making an awl blade, turned out a little too thin in the forward section, but will still work for the leather tool sheath I'm in the process of making. I tested it and by using Bees wax on the blade, was able to push through two dry layers of 12oz. veg-tanned leather without the blade flexing. Of course, I had to take it easy and push slowly. In the future, I plan to make another blade, but it will be somewhat thicker cross-sectionally throughout the entire length.

ToddB68

Edited November 2, 2010 by ToddB68

[ToddB 68]

Hi All !

Attached are photo's of my completed Awl Blade, i.e. a full view of the awl mounted in an old haft I got from my Dad years ago,

along with a side-by-side sample of the concrete nail used. Also, three sectional photo's of the completed awl blade, for close-up views.

This, my first attempt at making an awl blade, turned out a little too thin in the forward section, but will still work for the leather tool sheath I'm in the process of making. I tested it and by using Bees wax on the blade, was able to push through two dry layers of 12oz. veg-tanned leather without the blade flexing. Of course, I had to take it easy and push slowly. In the future, I plan to make another blade, but it will be somewhat thicker cross-sectionally throughout the entire length.

ToddB68

Whoops ! Forgot to attach the photo's........see below.

Edited November 2, 2010 by ToddB68

[Albe]

Thanks Guys. Just made me one after my shop bought awl snapped last night close to the end of my first project.