Making custom tools

On the low but effective for mini-tools end of the spectrum, concrete nails - nice, if small, hardened steel. Cheap.

Moving up to the good stuff, metalworking lathe tool bit stock - anywhere form 3/16 to 3/4 square, some non-square shapes (including parting tool style), nice high speed steel, fairly inexpensive.

From the same suppliers, (MSC, Enco, McMaster-carr etc.) drill rod and flat stock in various grades of tool steel, either pre-hardened or annealed (and then you need to do heat treating - stick to W1 or O1 or O2 for that at home).

I make a lot of my tools, but only out of HSS... IMO, screwdrivers are way too soft to cut well or safely.. Files are too brittle..

I've reshaped several HSS lathe chisels into scrapers or other "because I needed it at the time" tools, though.. Especially things like 5/8" bowl gouges that eventually get too short for my sharpening jig to hold well.. Great short, think scrapers or side cutters.. YMWV

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Fri, 16 Jan 2009 8:42:58 -0600, Ed Edelenbos wrote (in message ):

some screwdrivers will be too soft to keep an edge, and may not be hardenable. If the screwdriver *is* hardenable, though, you can get some nice small tool from it.

Generally, if the metal is soft enough to cut it with a file and not dull the file... it is too soft. Hardenability in steel is a whole 'nother field of knowledge... analyzing the spark pattern when grinding the metal in question, or simply trial and error are two "tells" for a piece of mystery metal.

I've had good results with old files. Anneal, grind smooth, reshape, braze to a suitable tool shaft, and re-harden.

tom koehler

I sometimes burn a decorative groove around an object with a wire held between two knobs. In order to start the wire straight I made a very sharp pointed tool from an old screwdriver to cut a shallow v-groove in the wood. It works well for it's intended purpose.