Tools of the Trade
Day Fourteen: Awl and Corkboard
A few years ago, I spent each day in January writing about a different tool I use in my maskmaking. As I am currently redesigning my entire website in the new year, I thought it might be nice to revisit this project. Each day in January 2021, I’ll share a different item that I use in my studio. I hope some of these can help other people who are interested in making wrestling masks.
There’s a number of ways to mark the hole placement on a laceplate, and my first inclination was always to use a Sharpie. I was then shown how to do it with an awl, and I’ve been doing it that way ever since. It’s easier to get a precision mark with an awl. And once I’ve marked the holes on one side of the laceplate, I can fold it in half and quickly mark the holes on the other side by pushing the awl all the way through the material. I figured I’d need some cork or something to back the material with when I did this, but had a hard time finding a piece of of cork thick enough for the job. Then it struck me that we used to have a candle in a jar that had a large cork lid, so I searched around on Amazon and sure enough, you can buy replacement cork lids there! I use one of my dad’s old wine corks to protect the point of the awl when I store it.