Official Luthiers Forum!

I finally decided it was time to get some scratch awls. No big deal. Right? Went to the usual locations on the web. $15 to $20??!! What is wrong with tools sellers today? Chisels? Sure. Your need to invest. Planes? Same thing. But a metal toothpick with a wooden handle? Give me a break! I wanted four (drill hole alignment and so on... tired of using finish nails.) So I went to HF. Bought 4 for $4. Now that makes sense to me. (on sale).

Also picked up a metal stamp kit (a b c d ...) for $3. And some clamps for $3 that I like.

Yeah, HF has some junk. But they also have SOME things that are worth the buy.

Mike

Mike, check out your stamp set. I got one for work where the letters were randomly oriented on the hex shaped body. I had no way of knowing where the bottom of the letter was until I filed a flat on each one, and even then it wasn't really right. In the end it wasn't worth the money we saved, cost us 10 times what we saved for me to "fix" them.

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Aoibeann

You might have done alright Mike but it is likely the steel in a tooth pick is tougher than the steel that is in those awls you bought (ya I know a tooth pick doesn't have any steel in it...that's my point!) I have REALLY found that a good deal is a tool that you only buy once. I have a couple of tool boxes full of junk spread around that never worked well when I bought them so I had to go and buy the good stuff.

Shane

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Canada

Aw man! Can't I ever enjoy my cheap finds!

Mike

Yes, enjoy the find Mike. I also have a couple of awls from HF and they work fine for me. Without a doubt, the steel is much harder than any piece of wood I've used it on yet and for what you are using them for, I can't imagine that they won't work fine.

Not all of us need Festool awls

Alan my friend why not? It could be that if Festool made an awl that it might just be the end awl to be awl......

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The Blue Spruce awl is very nice, but for the same cost, I could get 40 of the HF awls!
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with very nice tools, I have some as well. But there is also nothing wrong with using less expensive tools if they get the job done.

Nice Shaggy Dog Hesh. Really nice! and as with any nice Shaggy Dog,

B'dat B'dat B'dats awl folks!

Mike

I agree Todd. Also, those are good pointers on improving the awls.
I hope that you don't misunderstand...I'm not really defending HF. They make some tools that work pretty well and they make some that are real junk. Mike said that he was going to use these for alignment of drill holes, etc., so there is no reason that they would not last a lifetime for that use. And as you point out, with a little work, they can be be modified if someone were to want something more refined.
I've been adding to my tool collection for over 40 years and I do appreciate nice tools. However, I do remember a time when a $1.00 tool was all that I could afford. All these years later, I still have some of those tools and it helps to me remember where I came from. I have been fortunate enough to reach a point in my life where cost isn't the major issue any longer, but suspect that many do need to consider cost and just didn't want them to think that they could not do the work unless they purchased the most expensive tools out there. I've seen some amazing work done by people with pretty primitive tools and some primitive work done by people with pretty amazing tools. It's not so much the tool as it is the person behind the tool that makes the difference.
Sorry to have barged in; I guess I get a little carried away sometimes.

It is easy to forget where most of started. New folks to this art need to know that they can get started with less than optimal tools. I built my first OM with NO nice tools. The first "nice" tool I bought was a Bosch laminate trimmer... then I built the Williams jig to use it. Then the bit and bearings. No chisels at that point.

Now, I have a really decent shop. And I add as I learn.

It can be done. And new folks need to know this. Graduate to nicer tools as your ability and commitment increase. Never let someone make you feel that you are not as committed if you do not have the best (yet). Some of us have spouses that are all too tired of us going "all out" then flaming out.

Mike

The awl, like the violin maker's knife, lends itself to being made by the craftsman. The tools we make we may keep forever, long after the instruments we build have found new homes.

Sorry, can you explain what the awl is for?
Could you use a "marking point' (for valubles etc) Why not use a sharpened nail in a dowe l?

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

Transfer punches would be my suggestion. Cheap and easily had and the point is automatically centered with the appropriate size.

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Aoibeann

Scratching lines, marking locations for drilling, etc. Its basically a metal pick. Depending on how you use it, you might get by with a cheapie or then again, you might want one of those $40+ jobs.

I was mostly kidding around when I started this thread, but it has sort of turned into a cheap vs quality thread. Thats fine. I bought 4 awls from HF at $1 a piece. I guess I can screw them up and buy new ones until I have spent $20. At that point, I may have a better appreciation for the tool.

Mike