Professor Bobo’s Leaf Veining Tool

written by Albin Drzewianowski in November / December 2007 Hammer & Tong

At the 3rd Annual Bill Gichner Memorial Hammer-In, last January, Professor Bobo (aka Bobby Hanson) demonstrated a leaf veining tool to give a raised central vein to a leaf. Here is my first attempt at making and using this tool. Basically, it is just a good size block of steel (with a hardy stub) that has a tapered groove running the length of the top. The professor told us that he had put the groove in by taking a Boy Scout axe and driving it into a heated block of steel. Wanting to have a little more control over the creation of the groove, I first cut a slit with my band saw and then opened it up with a 3 cornered file. (Fig. 1) It is very important to radius the edges of the block, especially the front.

I found that the groove I had made was too large to use with leaves made from 3/8" square. However, it seems to work with larger leaves, e.g. made from 1/2" square. (Fig. 2)

I think that I will be making a second one of these tools with a smaller groove to use with smaller leaves.

Moral of the story: since I make a lot more smaller leaves than bigger leaves, I should have started testing the tool a lot sooner and not filed in so deep to start with. -- RebStaup - 01 Feb 2008