My Brutes

  In my shop I have several tools that are 'brutes', these are tools that do the ugly work that needs to be done.  I don't abuse these tools, but I do use them hard.

Heavy dudes, for heavy work - left to right

a- Heavy bladed knives with shop made handles.  These knives get used for scraping, staple prying, and cutting any sort of none wood.

b- Linemen's plyers. Great for cutting heavier wire, pulling nails/staples and twisting stuff.

c- Plywood saw, Japanese style.  I am on my second blade with this saw. When in doubt this is the saw I use.  It cuts wood, plywood. bone and all sorts of plastic hose and pipe.  I once cut a blue recycling box apart with this saw.

d- The rasp.  I made the handle for this rasp.  This tool never gets used on decent wood, it cuts like a demented chain saw.

e- Super Screw Driver.  This tools has opened more paint cans, pried more stuff apart and with stood more torque than I would have imagined.  I really don't remember when or where I got but would miss it terribly if I lost it.

f- Glue Knife.  I do not have much luck with silicone glue brushes, give me a heavy duty pallet knife every time.  Eventually these knives get thin from having the build up glue ground off and they break.  This is my second one so I think they last me 15 or so years, good value.

                                                        

and on top

g- Japanese Shop Scissors - These scissor will cut leather, paper, tin, duct tape, rags, you name it and they were cheap.  When they get lose I hit the hinge with a hammer and start all over again. I love knives, but sometime scissors are just better.

h- Pry Bar  I have torn apart skids and bricks with this bar.  This tool and a hammer make me the new anti-hero "Distructo Man"

  There are times when grace and subtly are not what is needed.  At those times of brute force you also need the right tool.  Using the correct tool, always makes the job safer, easier and quicker. 

Craving Knife Handle Upgrade

  Two of my 'go to' wood carving knives are actually just blades wrapped in painters tape. I bought the blades a few years ago when I began wood carving at the Seniors Centre intending to put wooden handles on them....some day.  

  Today seemed like a good day.  We are having the biggest snow storm of the winter and at my age that means it is a play inside day. 

    First thing I did was use a rasp to grind the tape off the spine. Someplace, some time ago I bought a horrible, ultra aggressive rasp for cheap. I truly do not know what  the intended use is for this heavy duty, super coarse rasp, I use for the really ugly and un-natural tasks.

  I have made handles before for knives.  These knives are my glue gouging, paint scrapping, staple prying knives.  They are actually good blades but are so  thick and robust they can take the punishment with out being ruined.

  After peeling the tape handles off I glued wood scales (wooden slats) on to the blades with Gorilla glue.  In this case I dampened the scales to make sure that the glue reacted most efficiently.  I am confident enough in the glue that I did not drill the blades and rivet the scales on, this time.

    When working on edge tools always tape the blade to protect you while you work.  Always.  To protect the tool I face the vise's jaws with card stock (cereal box) as well.  I shaped the handles with chisels, knives and rasps.  The card stock means that if (when) the chisels slips it doesn't run against steel jaws.  There are few things more frustrating than damaging a edge tool while working.

Top View

Front View

  Since this is a carving knife I didn't make any effort to make a showy handle.  I made a handle that fits my right hand very nicely and will enable me to work with it for extended periods of time. The handle is slightly out of round so that it will not easily roll of my work table.

   I included this picture so show my work table after making two tool handles. Only one of which I finished today, jeez. There are knives, rasps, needle files, pencils, chisels, vises, rags and finishing wax.  It seems like a real rigmarole just to finish off a couple of knives, doesn't it?

  But....the knife feels really nice in hand now...

cheers ianw