3/8″ Bodkin

Description

All of my Bodkins are made from Stainless Steel so they will last a lifetime and will stay looking as they did when you received it. I could make them of low carbon steel but it would darken and rust with use. The handles are made of hard wood selected to hold up to years of use.

My Bodkins are made with a full tang, which means that the spike or blade goes all the way through the handle, In doing this I ensure that if a user hits the end of the bodkin with a rapping iron that the handle will not split as the rapping iron hits the spike and not just the handle. It takes more steel but I believe that this makes a better tool. You can see this in the pictures I have with the bodkins.

How I make a 3/8″ bodkin

1. Cut the stainless steel rod to length
2. Square the ends.
3. Drill each end to accept tail stock live center.
4. Chuck the stock in the lathe measure for the handle and machine the steel down to take the handle.
   1. That hole you see in the handle end of the spike centers the steel in the lathe.
5. Chuck the stock in the lathe end for end and using a tapering attachment to cut the taper on the bodkin.
6. Once the taper has been cut the bodkin spike is then finished on a knife grinding machine using 4 different grit belts until it is polished.
7. The spike is then taken to the wood shop to have a handle put on it.
8. The hardwood is cut to length a hole is drilled in the center and mounted on the wood lathe.
9. The handle is hand tuned to shape then sanded.
   1. It is then dry fit to make sure the fit is correct.
10. The handle is then epoxied on the bodkin spike.
11. Once the epoxy is dry the handle is drilled to accept the pin.
    1. the pin is put on each bodkin handle to make sure the handle never comes off.
12. The pin is then glued in place.
13. A finish is then applied to the handle.

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