Brese Plane: Awl Issue Resolved

Monday, August 10, 2020

Awl Issue Resolved

I have more awls than any one person needs. That's because I have an issue with awls. When the tip of an awl becomes less than sharp it will skid and not hold locations as compared to a sharp tipped awl. This is especially a problem on end grain when marking centers in preparation for turning blanks. Because the blades are permanently fixed in those awls it's not an easy thing to regrind a perfectly symmetrical tip.

I guess if I really wanted I could fashion a jig to accomplish this task but as of late I've just made a new awl.

The obvious solution is to make an awl with a removable blade that is then easily chucked into a drill and spun against an abrasive to create a newly sharpened tip. This past week I've made a prototype of such an awl and have also made a small production run of removable blade awls.

Tools that have replaceable features can easily become clunky and awkward to look at so it was important to me to retain elegance while incorporating this feature. I'm quite satisfied with the result.

The only difference is a small 6-32 set screw recessed into the ferrule opposite the side with the "B" makers mark. In use your hand never knows it's there but when you need to sharpen the tip......well there you go.

Of course it will be necessary to supply these awls with an allen key and extra set screw. A 6-32 x 3/16" long set screw can go missing pretty quickly if dropped. Don't ask me how I know.

Once removed and sharpened one just aligns the small notch in the blade with the set screw hole, slides the blade all the into the top until it bottoms out, and then tightens the set screw and once again it's solid as a rock. The set screw has an extended tip that engages the slot and locks the blade.