DIY hackle

So, I needed a hackle, and they're really expensive. I ordered the "spinner's choice" hackle from pacific wool and fiber, and what it is is just a pine board with THICK, rough nails stuck through every 5/8". I sent it back, and figured, hey, a board with nails I can do!! I got a 1x2 piece of red oak, 48" long, and cut it in half, so I had two 24" pieces. I left 2" of space to either side to attach the clamps, without nails. On the remaining 20", I first marked lines running the length of the board, 3/4" from each edge. That left 1/2" in the center of the board. Along one line, I marked every 1/2", and on the other line, I staggered it 1/4" off, so I had offset lines, and marked every 1/2". I drilled pilot holes, put 3 1/2" THIN nails through, and tapped them all the way in. Then I took the other piece of board and Gorilla Glued it to the bottom of the piece with nails, so the nail heads were enclosed, and gorilla glued. The finished piece

I stained it with an alkanet stain

A drill press would have let me set the nails perfectly straight, but this one works perfectly well. I made a diz with a piece of 1/2" PVC, cut to a 1 1/2" length and then split down the center of the tube, so I had two half pipes. I drilled a 1/4" hole in one, which is a bit too big, and then a smaller hole in the other. I sanded everything all up, and it works as well as the pricier hackle that I had for my combs.