Making Tools

Frequently I need tools or custom versions of tools that aren't commercially available, so I make my own.  Here's a selection of homemade tools I use frequently:

Damascus color paddle/tagliol is great for saving the strap of my jacks from the heat from large overlays.

Extra long damascus steel heat-hardened tags with figured walnut handles for squeezing large murrine pickups.  

Puffergun for quickly puffing cane cups on the punty without having to fumble with a bent puffer or bug my assistant. 

Giant cork paddles for flattening big pieces. (Some available for sale - contact me if you're interested in a large or medium set)

Medium cork paddles for flattening and sculpting smaller pieces. (Some available for sale - contact me if you're interested in a large or smaller set)

Cane cutter with hardened tool steel blades for chopping a ton of cane quickly.

Bracket for hanging a pipe, attached to a pully system for vertical murrine pulls.

 

Post attachment for pulling twisty cane with a drill.

Murrine and cane chopper from converted arbor press.

Modified tweezers with thick and textured tips from needlenose tweezers for heat sink and excellent grip.  Eventually I replaced these with Maruko beaked tweezers.

Electric ceramic kiln converted to multiple-pot color furnace.  Was a fun project but not practical for ongoing use.

Replacement trough for our pipe cooler with brass inserts for smooth turning. 

Reticello cane sorter.  Much quicker than a drill sizer.