Home made awls

[David Walser]

I recall reading in the last couple of years an article on how to make an awl, including grinding and heat treating the tool steel. Unfortunately, I cannot recall where I read it and my Googling has come up empty. Can any of you point me to a helpful how-to or tutorial?

[Bob Jensen]

May 2008 American Woodworker magazine, very well written article by Alan Lacer.

[Bill Bolen]

Darrell made one here: http://www.aroundthewoods.com/woodturningbasics/projects/awl/awl1.html

[Jerome Hanby]

Shopnotes #44 (http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/44/)

[David Walser]

May 2008 American Woodworker magazine, very well written article by Alan Lacer.Thank you. I thought Alan Lacer had written the article, but I could not find a reference to the article on his website.

[phil harold]

Shopnotes #44 (http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/44/)

dumb question but how do i view the article

I have a subscription to shop notes but I can see how to see older articles
do they have a dvd of older articles in pdf I can buy?

[Art Kelly]

I recall reading in the last couple of years an article on how to make an awl, including grinding and heat treating the tool steel. Unfortunately, I cannot recall where I read it and my Googling has come up empty. Can any of you point me to a helpful how-to or tutorial?

A good book to have is The Complete Modern Blacksmith by Alexander Weygers. It's not very expensive, and very grass-roots. This http://www.bvwt.org/PDFs/Hook%20Tool.pdf is also good.

You should know that it's not practicable to heat treat M2 HSS in the home workshop unless you have a programmable heat-treat oven. O-1 or SAE 1095 steels are easy in the home shop if you have a propane torch, a magnet, and a tin can to hold the quenchant. (Plastic can catch fire and melt and generally make a mess with oil quenchants.)

Art

[Charles Cannon]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=94494

Ron Petley made this awl point and sent it to me. I made the handle from a piece of a pecan branch that fell in my MIL's yard. It has been very handy. I didn't use any plans, just fooled with the handle till it felt good in my hand.
Cannon

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

phil the article can be seen here

http://www.woodworkingseminars.com/wp-content/Lathebasics_4-5.pdf

Edited: looks like that's more just the handle. I know there was a bigger part of the article on the metalwork....

[Dewey Torres]

Great links on this thread...thanks to all who posted!