Awl for what?

[GregBennett]

For years I used an awl given to me by my daughter. I used it to widen the drill holes on the back of the piece to allow me to get the blade through the hole. It was part of a mini tool kit that her school sold to the kids for gifts to their parents. A few months ago, it disappeared into the void of my shop never to return. I have a couple of awls that were my fathers, but the best of them is a bit too long and not quite as thin as I'd like. I went on Amazon and bought a pair of scratch awls, but it didn't take long for the tips to break off inside the hole. I tried another brand with the same result. From there I bought a Narex Awl reamer. It has a sharp pointed tip which if pushed against a drill hole will widen to top of the hole enough to allow the blade to go through, but it didn't penetrate inside the hole due to its thickness.It was a bit too long as well.  From there, I bought a Craftsman awl, which was the right length, but again, too thick to go into the hole. I tried using a drill bit attached to a micro drill bit holder, but it didn't work as well as I wanted it too. From there, I cut off the top of a wire brad and tightened it into a micro drill bit holder, and voila. It's thin enough to go into the drill hole and strong enough not to break off. The best solution was one that didn't cost me anything since I had every thing I needed. 

[Scrappile]

I have one for each scroll saw.  They are machinist scribes.  The longer one I have had for longer than I have been scrolling.  Found it in an old tool box, I have no idea where it came from.  It worked so well I purchased the second one when I got a second saw.

[RangerJay]

My father went into the Auto Body Repair business after his time with the Canadian Navy in WW2 - he passed away 12 years ago and I inherited his tools - among them a number of "awls" - all homemade from screwdrivers that had seen their useful day as screwdrivers but were just beginning their new lives as awls - multiple thicknesses and multiple tapers - can't say as I recall any tips that have ever broken - the points may dull or occasionally bend - but a little  touch up on the sanding belt makes them good as "new".  One alternative to purchasing a new awl is to  check your screwdrivers to see if's time for any of them to be repurposed.

 

 

[Wichman]

I found my current awl in a utility knife set (Xacto knockoff) from HF it had two of the awls "tips" in it, I haven't broken the first one, even after many years of use, I have dressed the tip once.

I also use a "bead reamer" that fits into a Dremel moto tool. I'll use this if the wood is tough and I have many holes to deal with.

Link to the HF set: https://www.harborfreight.com/deluxe-hobby-knife-set-39-piece-96551.html

after searching several pages on Amazon I found a similar set there: https://www.amazon.com/FASTPRO-40-Piece-Precision-Included-Grindstone/dp/B0D53MJRV7/ref=sr_1_132?crid=CS5YAEIOIZHI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tmQeJuJ4QuVQwkJO8MdU2-KICXfzaPdpMDBfrv6vZp4zSQ8_QkrN6XQ5cu7Gi7UJaEh-EQuLZa5vztwvOOV42K946X3o_a9q-OHFvOnIxA2Md09gfQ5B242StHhebl-f5jBO85LAW9lR9cO-YiFYN6g0U1l-bO16xBmnLS4B4Kur1xeeFLsyvVK0kSDEi4GQGK7pEAKasK8gZAV2lBS4Yr6hMwYTWrrLIZutNxJS5UDiaoE-Mxmv69S6sSMJd6u9PAufYWzGj0pxofCwAVxL-ub-qB0843wf5Qy1miAEs4Y.7ibj0ZQeaXOGo2LIbq5Zr24rOljrzqBfT6gJoKBjDmE&dib_tag=se&keywords=xacto+knife+awl&qid=1779582563&sprefix=xacto+knife+awl%2Caps%2C297&xpid=Hymy35rPHLocp

 

Amazon bead reamer: https://www.amazon.com/SE-DF83510-Tapered-Diamond-Reamer/dp/B001HBXN8C/ref=sr_1_18_mod_primary_new?crid=3902PSJE7DOE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3qys9FA_giBiOnUGLpG17QbfTs5aB3pN_3CQP8UqCDUssiWgGsYwwuC83idgH8HFvC36wI0voF7mMnJeKSQwXkFcOp79ZjqXrMCuF8Q4qraFZr3FoD3RCluuCGFmOmwv3c6Y9mGfB5ee8ne3VVlf3hEeyVwesDE_4Ew-RSxAQs4o3_91X0SzprGhb04WNDGy3ikR23yOb3SrXUUOjb2_NZaXDTLTgpeOlsFdl9IWJchVmeKyZFRiu_66DEgit3Bm9sbiBs8igaX3gCQ5mOfpQ-xsuAXcSW1PyKyp_6FiYO0.bZPP6Bx3qBF-G1zUekYt8mv6A2xcF9fO8uS6YAiLuEk&dib_tag=se&keywords=bead+reamer&qid=1779583702&s=hi&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=bead+reamer%2Ctools%2C282&sr=1-18

[TAIrving]

After I drill the entry holes, I flip the project piece over and touch up the holes from the back side using the very same drill press.  Then I lightly sand to smooth the surface.