Kit Review and Skew Work

[Chris Barton]

Attached below are some pictures of a couple of screw driver kits: Rockler and PSI (PSI has brass piece on end of handle) and a couple of scratch awls also from PSI. I like all of these kits and they are very reasonably priced. I think I like the PSI kit a little better because of the brass end cap to the screw driver. However, the Rockler kit has both a cross point/strait bit and a two size square drive. The shafts for either will fit the others handle hardware. The PSI kits run a buck or two less than the Rockler kits and they offer discounts for volumn purchases.

This time of year is important for me since I make all my family Christmass gifts and I think these are pretty nice. I will be making more...

PS: All four were made with a single skew, nothing else...

[Corey Hallagan]

Chris, thanks for posting these. I will be picking these up for Xmas gifts myself.. and a couple for me as well :) I think you used the mystery wood on these so is it ok to use 1.5 x 1/5 stock or do they have to be 2 inch square stock? Thanks again!

Corey

[Chris Barton]

Chris, thanks for posting these. I will be picking these up for Xmas gifts myself.. and a couple for me as well :) I think you used the mystery wood on these so is it ok to use 1.5 x 1/5 stock or do they have to be 2 inch square stock? Thanks again!

Corey

Mystery wood it is, even on both screw drivers. Kind of gives you some perspective on color variation.

[Corey Hallagan]

BTW, I just noticed where you said these were made with skew only! Nice work, I guess that includes the roughing out?

Corey

[Chris Barton]

BTW, I just noticed where you said these were made with skew only! Nice work, I guess that includes the roughing out?

Corey

From square blank to finished product with only one turning tool and I will post pictures of one of the scratch awls being made tomorrow. Hopefully, before I have to hit the road.

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks Chris. I am out this week to... headed to Sacramento. Have a good week.

Corey

[Corey Hallagan]

I had forgot that I had saved these photos. These are non kit scratch awls made by Mike Stafford and posted quite some time ago. I thought they were beautiful. He used plumbing compression nuts and ground down drill bits for the blades of the awls. Not to steal anything away from your work Chris, just some other shapes etc. that can be done.

corey

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f288/challagan/Domesticawls.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f288/challagan/Exoticawls.jpg

[Chris Barton]

They look great. I remember these pictures! Maybe he could post a tutorial on them for us all to enjoy.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Chris those are some beauties. I will have to look into something like that. You did a nice job on them. Thanks for posting.