As far as blems go, Michael has set a new kind of record here… below are the first two CT-16’s he assembled. What do you think Donald Trump would say at this point?
After spending most of last night in the bowels of the internet (thanks to all who have shared their views) I finally decided to finish the Universal Jaws for the DJ-1 Drilling Jig. As of this writing, prices and availability are yet to be determined.
I am excited about this tool, and it has a growing and enthusiastic user base which is cool. These jaws take it to a new level.
The picture below will allow angled drilling on flat, square and round stock up to 45 degrees. It is fairly straight forward, align ONE jaw (flat stock rides on top of the jaws) with a reference tool. Place anything reasonably round (a short piece of dowel or conduit works great) in the “v” groove, close the jaws together and tighten the second jaw and now both are planar. It would be fun to offer a drilling challenge pitting this device against a drill press…
The two little jaws below index to the plates and provide a pivot/axle for drilling radially. They slide up and down the plates and will allow you to make “Tinker Toys” if you will up to 12″ in diameter. Your stock spins on the 1/4 diameter axle and if you need a larger diameter pivot, make your own by center drilling dowel on the DJ-1 and cut to length to bush the 1/4″ metal shaft.
The image below illustrates the set-up for radially drilling either concave or convex shapes. The hole will always be radial and there is no limit to the diameter–you could literally drill spoke holes in a Conestoga wagon wheel if needed. You can drill hoops from outside in or inside out. It is simple, fool proof and more accurate than any method we can think of.
The attachment below should be of interest to toymakers, clock makers, sculptors, and any wood worker with the need for indexed holes. There are five index rings (64, 60, 48, 36 & 28) and just about every possible combination can be generated with these five choices.
There are three main pivots for the wheels, and if one needs to index larger diameters (this will accommodate up to 14″ as shown) it is possible to gang plates together doubling the capacity or more. More on this later.
Stock can be held to the index wheel either with screws or, with a small strip of double stick tape which would be my preference in most cases. Again, arbor diameters are easily bushed by making your own bushings.
Couple of other timely pieces of news.
Our early bird offer regarding the CT-17 Dual Angle Block Plane which includes a free O1 iron in addition to the A2 stock iron, expires this coming Monday, May 3. FYI.
Also, we are producing a limited run of the skeletonized HP-7 Shoulder Planes (50 to be exact) and we have 10-11 that are still available. They are not for everybody but both of these tools are something else.
These are not available on our web store but further details are a phone call away by calling 1-800-253-3332.
Lastly, next week is the start of summer hours here at Bridge City. We work 4-10’s Mon-Thurs (phone staff works 8-5) until Oct. 1. Five months of 3 day weekends in Oregon is about as good as it gets.
I know I am looking forward to the change.
–John
PS: We made the blems pictured above to make ourselves laugh. Hopefully you too got a chuckle.
John,
You sir, have outdone yourself! The universal jaws will open up avenues of creativity that I don’t think any of us can begin to imagine. I have to tell you that when you first introduced the DJ-1 with the promise of eliminating the drill press from our shops, I thought, that’s nice, but I hardly use my drill press anyway. What I found after getting mine, was that I didn’t use the press because it was a pain to set up for QUICK and accurate holes, so I would just grab a cordless and make an okay hole. Now that I own one I find myself using it almost every time I work in my shop, and it makes a real difference. Drilling freehand with a cordless usually sets up a chain reaction of errors that then must be contended with every step of the way.
I look forward to putting this to use. You can also let Roger know that I will be ordering two!
Sincere thanks from someone who values quality, accuracy, and beauty.
-Rutager
John,
You are without a doubt brilliant but also a PITA. 😮 I don’t even have a chance to yelp at my wallet being hit for the CT-17 and now something else I must have as I already own the DJ-1. You are a BAD,BAD man. 😮
Fred
I love those indexed wheels for the Universal Jaws, John. Extremely clever! I’d love to hear the story behind the insight that led to those. I get most of my ideas in the shower, or when falling asleep. Clearly I need more sleep. And possibly showers.
Since those blem CT-16’s are clearly nonfunctional, I’m assuming you’ll sell them at a HUGE discount. I’ll take two – one with two chucks, and one with two palm rests. I think slightly below half price would be about right.
– Peter
Whoa! The indexing wheels are genus! I didn’t expect THAT one. I LOVE the concept though. I wonder if the “universal jaws” could be made more “universal” by adding a different head? Say take of the DJ-1 head and add the SAW head (i.e. to cut gear teeth)?
Just an idea….
Wow John, you are on a roll!
I need those jaws like… yesterday!
Until they go on sale, I for one would be more than happy to to do some in-the-field testing on any prototypes you might have kicking around. I can email you my address 🙂
-Niels
This set of jaws really augments the DJ-1. I like the coolness of the whole concept. Just seeing it makes you want to PLAY in your shop. I’m on a trend of only doing projects which include some element I have never done and this type of tool opens up a LOT of options to what could be tackled with quality results. This looks to me like “the other half” of a great addition to my shop.
Wow, that’s all I have to say.. I’ll be honest and say that I wasn’t even going to consider purchasing this new universal jaw but that was before all of these other attachments are out now. Sometimes I have a really big problem trying to be creative and figure out exactly what these universal jaws are really capable of or how I can put them to work. Since you just posted all of these other attachments I can think of tons of ways to use it and how useful it will be in my shop. Needless to say, I will be purchasing one.
Couple questons John, will all of the new attachments you just posted be included with the whole kit or seperatly? Will you be posting pictures or video’s of these bad boys in action?
Thanks John.
John,
I didn’t realize it until this post; but I see that the second blade for the CT-17 is O1 steel, which I believe will sharpen to a smaller angle then A2. My question for you is: What are the smallest and largest angles that will work in the plane?
Thanks, Rutager
About the 2 jaw brace; Will you be selling left handed bits? The ability to drill two holes at once could really help my productivity!!!!!!!!
Rutager;
We will do a poll regarding the factory primary grinds on the O1 irons–several options.
–John
How ’bout you make one end of the double blade (for the CT-17) O1 and the other end A2? Then you could support a higher range of grinds, and really annoy the people who think your gear is over-engineered. And why miss that opportunity?
– Peter
P.S. The indexing wheels remind me of old turntable platens, with the different markings for different speeds (and strobes).
John,
I think I found out how to ease your pain a little. I read a thing on MSN this morning. It listed ten things the internet has killed. I will list the top four because the fourth one is the reason for your pain….
1. faith in encyclopedias (wikopedia is written by 10 year olds and every one uses it for a reference)…
2. Bar room arguments (it is hard to sustain a bar room arguement over (say which baseball player hit the longest home run) when some guy googles the answer in 2 minutes)
3. Your old flame (look her up on facebook and she is just as old and over weight as you are).
4. civil discourse (rudeness on the internet is changing our culture. You can be totally rude and totally get by with it like never before – people are just animals and the internet takes away social expectations). THERE YOU GO. Don’t rationalize all the crap on the internet in the context of human interface – because it isn’t in most cases.
Sleep well John…
Dennis
Hey, Rutager can take the 2-chuck blem, but I’d like dibs on the 2-handle blem… I’m thinking, push-up position, two hands on the curve, and use it as the ultimate ab-er-cizer, in black chroooooome. Too sweet.
I love your designs and only wish I found this place long ago.
Now Fred’s opinion that you release too many goodies too quickly is ill-conceived. I think what the real problem is that I get all giddy, order something, then, well, wait. Man, it’s torture. Like partying on Mardi Gras and buying the biggest bucket of Gummi Bears only to start 40 days of giving up Gummi Bears. The anguish…
Paul;
When I came into work this morning, Michael had the two handled version pinched between his knees and was cranking like hell. Proud as could be at the new exercise device he had invented and was mumbling between breaths something about infomercials and getting rich.
I think he is trying to hard to save his job, which is already a lost cause…this of course is a segue to a little known BCTW factoid;
Dean Wormer of Animal House fame (played by John Vernon) was a BCTW customer.
So, in his spirit I have placed Michael on triple-double secret probation for his two headed creations.
–John
PS: Economaki’s Maxim: It’s important to make yourself laugh on Mondays.
So, does Michael know he’s on triple-double secret probation? Or is it so secret that not only does Michael not know, you don’t know either?
– Peter
Do I drop into negative credibility numbers (assuming I’m at zero to start) if I admit I spent at least a minute looking at the CT-16 for scratches on the handle and never noticed the more obvious difference? If so, I won’t admit it.
Speaking of the CT-16, it is by far my favorite BCT that I own! I absolutely love it! It’s just the perfect size, it’s beautiful, and it functions great!
Owen, that’s LOL material for sure! Are you a “forest for the trees” kind of guy? In any case, I’m sure John would be willing to sell you the matched set (one brace with two chucks and one with two palm rests) for only a small premium over the regular braces. Just to cover the cost of cutting the foam, you know.
Did you find any scratches?
– Peter
P.S. John: so “make yourself laugh on Mondays”. What do we do on Tuesdays? It’s been a strange morning so far. Any advice appreciated!
John,
Okay, you’ve been putting out cool tool on top of cool tool recently, but I must ask; Where are we in the Bridge City Essentials? Keeping score at home, I have the DSS-6, MG-5, and the CS-12v2(on deck!) Have I missed any, and what is next? While we’re on the topic of works in progress, how are you getting along on your chess set? I’m curious to see how it turns out, but I suppose Peter has already seen it!
-Rutager
The chess set is doing fine, and remains unfinished. It’s not my fault, I just ran out of people to blame.
I am excited about it however and I can’t wait to finish it. The CS-12v2? We will see first article for inspection within the next 10 days. You are caught up with our “Essentials” and I wish there were 10,000 more Rutagers in the world…
re:Peter… he has seen the first and the last of the great sneak peeks–learned my lesson well, but it was fun and HE can KEEP a SECRET…how cool.
Best-
John
John,
10,000 Rutagers. You might want to re-think that. Sure it sounds good to you on the surface, 10,000 or more sales on each item, no complaints about delivery times, complete understanding and acceptance of the no inventory business model. But, with only one Rutager living 2,000 miles away, you only have to interact with me every few years. With 10,000 of me, there is bound to be a couple of us in Portland, who you would end up running in to at the supermarket or local restaurant, and because we’re good customers you would feel obligated to listen to the lame jokes and the long stories that don’t seem to have an end or a point and of course you would have to pretened that my “brilliant” ideas are both brilliant and ideas! So as they say, “be careful what you wish for.”
-Rutager(just the one, for now!)
Paul,
You are correct in that waiting for the tools can be very, very difficult but too me it is even worse because my wallet keeps going empty AND I have to wait upward of six years to get the tools.:o 😮 Okay, maybe that is an exaggeration but, but, but.:o
John,
I am totally confused by your post about Peter. You said that was the last peak and sneak for Peter and that you have learned your lesson well which sounds as if Peter told people and then you said he can keep a secret. Confused here in West Chester. 😮
Fred
Fred-
Peter kept his word, and my lesson was for myself, for 16 years the CT-tools have been under close wraps until the day we announce. I let the cat out of the bag early and so I was mad at myself-
Peter has much more serious issues to worry about… like when I show up for sushi.
–John
Apparently you’re too late, John: all the fish are gone.
Actually, I had an astounding sushi dinner with some friends last week, and I’m still stuffed. Truly amazing. And it cost about the same as my payment (so far) on the CT-17. Priorities, people!
– Peter
P.S. John, don’t be mad at yourself. You made someone (and a customer to boot) very VERY happy!
John! I’m jonesing for some words of wisdom from my Tool Potentate. How can I live my life without words from above? Or at least, to the north…
– Peter