Cheap tool tip I learned yesterday

[J Tunney]

If you want to save some money on rounded end punches get some electrical conduit and cut it down lengthwise to your desired shape/width. Grind it and sharpen it and you have an end cutter.

You guys probably already know this but just in case you didnt i thought I would share...I would rather pend $1.50 making a tool than $30.00 buying one. For high volume guys this might not work but if you are on a budget like me and still very small in volume this seems like an OK way to go. Hope this helps somebody.


Cheap awl- again you may already know this but if you take a round piece of hardwood like oak or osage orange and make sure the end is dead flat you can drill with a drill press to the depth you want and epoxy an awl blade in. You can use copper pipe fitting at the top to prevent it from splitting. It also helps to chamfer the ends of the wood to keep it from splitting if you strike it with a maul.

[T-Wolf]

thanks for the tips and welcome to the forums,John.

[Peldor]

Anyone have an explanation website for leather-working tools that you guys use?

[J Tunney]

I would suggest getting Chuck Burrows DVD...you can see the tools and see them in action. This helped me more than any one singlee resource I have tried, and I would suggest buying the DVD BEFORE you buy tools....just from my personal experiences as a new guy.

Like I said most people already knew the tips I posted for sure, but I will try to post significant things as I learn them for other guys that are new. Good luck

John

[Hot&CoaledForge]

John, that's a great tip.

Peldor, I've always found catalogs to be great learning tools as to what an item is and does. Online ones that I visit now & again are Tandy, Campbell-Bosworth, Siegel of CA, Springfield Leather.... Sure there are many, many more.


- Jim