Need an idea for a tool with wood component

[rick carpenter]

I have a small bit of dogwood and pecan that I want to use to make a tool with. Problem is, what tool? I don't want a shelf-sitter, I want a tool bag tool that can stand getting banged around some. If the wood part gets a dent in it, I don't want that to affect the accuracy of the tool. So a try square is out. I could always make some chisel handles, but what else? Thx

[Jim Koepke]

A small mallet?

Another tool that may come in handy is just a block with different holes to hold a pencil. Have a step one side and the holes at 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch for marking along edges. I use something like this when marking the bottom of the legs of a saw horse to get a straight cut.

You could also make a marking gauge. FWW has plans for one and I think there is one on Popular Woodworking's site.

jim

[David Gendron]

How much do you have? And a try square is a good idea! Even if it get bang a bit, I don't think it would affect its accuracy... And they are easy to rethrue.

[David Keller NC]

Another idea is a compass - they're very useful tools, and since accuracy is just a matter of the distance between the points, getting banged around a bit doesn't really matter.

Yet another is a trammel point set - many of the antiques are made of wood with an inset steel or iron point for the bearing surface.

[Rick Erickson]

How much do you have? And a try square is a good idea! Even if it get bang a bit, I don't think it would affect its accuracy... And they are easy to rethrue.

Ah - I like this idea. You could make the Roubo try square (plans in a recent Pop Wood magazine). I plan to make several of them.

[Andrew Gibson]

Eventually I would Like to make a set of screwdrivers with nice wooden handles. I know someone sells just the metal part, but after pageing through the lee valley and the TFWW catalogues I can't find them.

My dad used to have a set of wooden handled screw drivers and they were always my favorite to use.

[Pam Niedermayer]

How about a gauge/gage, marking or cutting, mortising or single knife/point, panel or regular?

Pam

[Jim Koepke]

Eventually I would Like to make a set of screwdrivers with nice wooden handles. I know someone sells just the metal part, but after pageing through the lee valley and the TFWW catalogues I can't find them.

My dad used to have a set of wooden handled screw drivers and they were always my favorite to use.

At Lee Valley, search for > screwdriver shanks < and you will find them.

jim

[Leigh Betsch]

Rockler also has the screw driver kits. I turned a handle out of a figured piece of chineese elm that came off a fenceline along my pasture. Pretty good blade from Rockler, wish I would have made a couple more before I sold my lathe.

[rick carpenter]

Sorry, I didn't 'splane myself: I'm doing disaster rebuilding/rehabbing/etc and mission work along those lines where I'm out on a site, not in my garage. Fine woodworking is not in the equation here. The compass and trammel were good ideas for me. Thanks for all ideas though, but these two may hold up well enough if stored in some sort of small case. My tools bags and cases need to able to be thrown around a little without worrying about the contents.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Go for the mallet. Build it to take a beating.