soccerdad Report post Posted July 12, 2013 I'd like to turn my own awl hafts but cannot find chucks of the kind I see on manufactured awls. Can anyone point me to a chuck supplier? Thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shtoink Report post Posted July 13, 2013 You might look at pin vices. There are roughly the size you want and should be able to shove one into a haft of some sort. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtclod Report post Posted July 13, 2013 I have had and may still have some awl hafts that the blade just sticks in the end of the haft. Pictures i have seen where they used that kind they put the blade in between 2 pennies and put that in a vice and drove the handle down on to the blade. All of the blades i have seen have ridges on the blade to hold it in the handle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JAM Report post Posted July 13, 2013 Hey, Soccerdad, I was on my own furious search to find these some years ago - never could find a source for the nice ones. The Douglas folks were not willing to give up their source or sell me any that were not already in cocobolo handles. It's possible they had to buy them in quantity from some manufacturer - but I couldn't even get that much information. In the end I found a not-so-pretty, not-quite-what-I-wanted but functional pin vise on Amazon - it worked for one handle I had, but not what I wanted for producing pretty handles. I, too, am still looking for nice brass chucks with which to make handles. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soccerdad Report post Posted July 13, 2013 Thanks to responders for all the good ideas. It looks like competition is stiffer than I would have guessed, hence the secrecy. LeeValley sells a small chuck that might work. It's probably bigger than ideal, but at least the shank is small enough to fit into a palm awl haft easily. Thanks again, everyone. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shtoink Report post Posted July 14, 2013 I was digging around for examples with the pin vice. One from Amazon and somewhere else and another It seems like these should be able to be sourced in about the right size. They are also pretty simple enough to be made, too. It's essentially a metal rod with some slits cut into one tapered end and some threads to allow a collar to cinch down on the fingers formed by the slits. This should point you in the right direction. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hillbilly tim Report post Posted July 21, 2013 What is the dia. of the awl blades? I dont have any here to measure now, and i'm very curious of their size. Thanks, Bro Tim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soccerdad Report post Posted July 21, 2013 Bro Tim, the dia looks like about 1.5 mm. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
