Thanks Oldtool! Yeah... that compression ring adds a nice touch. If you remember I did this with an awl that I made. Yes...I did make a wooden end out of torrefied maple. But I don't have a 3/8" die to cut the threads on it. I'm certainly not buying one at this point but I can make a working 3/8" die out of a hex nut. I'll may do this and finish it up. It would be better to make this out of ebony. But what the heck I'll make do with what I have. But there's another thing I was thinking about doing and that's installing a "striking button". I'd make it out of brass. I wouldn't need a wooden hammer end. I could just loosen the wedge by hitting the striking button (see Red arrow) which is usually located in top just in front of the wedge like this:
