Skates and a scratch awl

I made aluminum "skates" for the moving-table for the "7th" last night and installed them.  I also made the drive bearing for the lead-screw out of PVC and aluminum and installed it also.   Next I need to make the threaded-rod axles for the roller-bearings and install them into the table.  After that, the table will be ready for mounting into the machine.

I also received my second tool from Blue Spruce Tool Works yesterday (first one was a marking knife).  It is a hand-turned scratch awl made out of cocobolo wood.  It is beautiful.  Perfect balance and shape and great workmanship. 

I wanted to make one of these for myself, but the project list was too long already and I already knew that Dave Jeske’s work was excellent and well-priced.  Hightly recommended.

There is nothing like working with finely handmade tools.  They make me strive to improve my own work to match.

I also want to try a bird-cage awl soon for piercing rather than marking.  I may make that one (if I get time), or I may order another one from Dave and sharpen it into the bird-cage shape.

About mattsanf

Matt Sanfilippo is the Chief Partnership Officer (CPO) for the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Co-Director of its Engineering Research Accelerator. In this role, Matt coordinates and enables strategic and sponsored research opportunities across the college, and stewards the development of proposals for major research opportunities along strategic themes. Additionally, he enables collaboration among the college's research institute/center executive directors, and industrial and government relations personnel in the pursuit of opportunities with industry, federal and state governments. Before becoming CPO for the College, Matt was the Senior Executive Director for Research Initiatives, the Executive Director of CMU's SII (Smart Infrastructure Institute) and ICES (Institute for Complex Engineered Systems), and Associate Director of PITA (Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance) and RAMP (Research for Advanced Manufacturing in Pennsylvania). Before CMU, Matt was Managing Director of Applied Technology for Michael Baker Corporation, an engineering and energy services firm. Matt managed Baker's technology division including Geographic Information System (GIS), software and web development, multimedia, virtual reality, visualization, Global Positioning System (GPS), mapping and surveying services. Before joining Baker, Matt was an Innovation Director for Redleaf Group, a Venture Capital/Operating Company focused on information security, supply chain and mobility solutions. While at Redleaf, Matt managed technical due diligence for seed-stage investments and coordinated relationships between Redleaf and their partner companies. Prior to Redleaf, Matt was CIO of GZA GeoEnvironmental Technologies, an infrastructure engineering firm, and operations manager for their Internet start-up that focused on web-technologies for health and safety and manufacturing metrics. Matt is on the board of Larson Design Group (LDG), past Chairman of the Board for the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, current board member of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation (PHLF), current Vice President of the Sewickley Heights Gun Club (SHGC) and former member of the Information Sciences and Technology Advisory Board for the Pennsylvania State University Beaver. Matt is also former Vice President of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Association of Internet Professionals and former Vice President of the Board of Trustees for Baker Combined Charity of Pennsylvania.

Posted on November 4, 2005, in CNC, Tools and Shop, Woodworking. Bookmark the permalink. Comments Off on Skates and a scratch awl.

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