We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations.
The holidays are always a busy time for me. I especially love spending time in my shop when the house is bustling with friends and family. I rarely get to work on projects just for me, but these year I got to make myself a little Christmas present one afternoon.
I made this little compass/keyhole saw out of .042″ scrap from a long saw. I used a leftover DT saw handle blank and a few knife rivets from LV. Little saws like this one are incredibly handy. I had a very old one with a handle that broke almost every time I used it. Its blade was so soft, it bent during use.
I rushed through this job. And when it was done, I sat back to admire my work. But I could see that the bead just behind the bean shaped front part wasn’t nice. I was trying to force the shape I wanted into the stock I had and in retrospect, that was a big mistake. I copied the saw in “Smith’s Key”.
I’m a reluctant tool maker. If I could simply buy everything I wanted, I’d be happy to do that. But I can’t so I make my own tools from time to time. This also allows me to test out different designs.
In tool making, I find everything I love about furniture making. Tool making offers the challenge of representing the sensibilities of the period, the artistic analysis of the curves and shapes, proportions and surface finishes. Like good furniture, tools must also “feel” good, and function practically.
I hope you get a little time just for you in your shop this holiday season. Best wishes for the New Year!
