By Dave Kellogg
In many cases a tool is more pleasant to use if there is a shallow depression to help locate the user’s finger. Consider, for example, a rotary knob a couple of inches in diameter that the user spins, such as a radio tuning dial. Another example might be a lever the user depresses with his finger.
When adding some comfort to your shop made tools, a 135° split point drill makes a nice dimple for your finger. I use a 1/2″ drill and drill down until the outer lips are at the surface level of the part. After polishing with emery, it adds a nice touch of class to the tool.
In a recent case, I fabricated a repair part from aluminum to replace a broken 2″ long plastic lever on my wife’s frosting extruder. The dimple helps to keep her finger from slipping off the end of the lever, even when covered with frosting!
Simple, little operations such as this can go a long way in helping with both the comfort and appearance of a tool. Keep it in mind for your next tool or repair job.
