Drivel Starved Nation-
This I know about the DSN; you have too much time on your hands. You cannot possibly justify spending time on this Totally Awesome and Worthless Blog. And you love solving a mystery.
So, here is a new mystery tool for you to ponder.
The rules to get your hands on this incredible gizmo/contraption/device/awesomeness for FREE are at the end of this post! But first some clues…
1) What you see below is approximately 300mm in length. You can figure out the rest.
2) It is made from anodized aluminum.
3) Contains one rare earth magnet
4) The knurled knob has three positions.
5) There are functions for the two positions shown.
6) Has absolutely nothing to do with a banjo.
7) No, we can’t find organic aluminum, so it is an alloy.
8) It’s fun.
9) I want one real bad.
10) I will not wager any money on the winner being a graduate of the University of Northern South Dakota.
THE MYSTERY TOOLS CONTEST RULES IN REGULAR SIZE PRINT!
Don’t ask for any clues, simply state what it is and why the three settings. That is all. If your guess is off-the-mark, or better yet, lame-ass, I will reply with OBS which of course everybody knows stands for Obnoxious Buzzer Sound.
Sound fun? Good luck!The first person to get it wins it. Everybody else is … a loser!
-Your Favorite Tool Potentate
PS: Like all good contests, judges like me are totally open to bribes. The cash kind. FYI.
Play along – We look forward to hearing your guesses!! But you have to play to win.. so if you don’t play you can’t win. Contests are fun, and if you don’t think so well then move along. I won’t give clues without the bribe just a final reminder. It’s a Mystery tool get it and win it or don’t…
A smoothing plane! 3 settings: 1) smoove; 2) chunky; and 3) medium.
OBS
It’s a base for a plane. The knurled knob is for setting the knicker blade height for planing cross grain.
It’s a jig for sharpening 5 mm pencil lead. The three setting shift the bed up or down, allowing a different angle for the point.
It’s a jig for making Japanese chopsticks. The channel is tapered so that you can use a plane to shave it down as you rotate it. The knob raises or lowers the jig to do the opposing sides. The two beveled holes allow you to screw it to a board so it doesn’t move while you make the chopsticks. The platen lifts up to pop out the chopstick.
It’s a sharpening jig for chisels (or perhaps the v-groove plane blade). The knob helps to set the blade angle, and the sides of the jig act as a rest for the blade holder. You use diamond paste for the abrasive.
By the way, I’m clearly just shooting these out there without much serious thought. But what the heck!
It’s a jig for setting the taper for sliding v-groove joinery. The knob sets the angle of the taper by moving the v-groove up and down (it’s tapered already).
It’s a jig for setting the depth of the cutter for either the HP6-v2 or the new little HP plane. It can be used for the dado blades without the tapered bed, or with other blades with the bed down. The taper will allow you to get the exact depth you need for your (tiny) project.
a chiclet catapault and the two indents are to hold extra chiclets.
It’s a jig for making the inserts for the CS-12v2 and CS-6v2. The wood lies in the tapered groove, while the plane (on skids – an HP-6v2?) planes it flat. The knob changes the angle of the taper for the different tools (or different legs of the tool).
OBS to you all. The winner has to guess everything! As for the Chicklet trebuchet…OBS. That said, somebody is getting close.
I stick with my previous guess. Furthermore, the cross-slots are where you would cut the pieces to length.
OBS
Crap!
A jig for making tapered bamboo fly rod sections. The three positions are to change the angle as the rod goes from the base to the tip. The cross slots allow the line guides to be clamped and glued prior to tying. The space at the knob end is for positioning the tip guide. This can all be accomplished with an HP6FX or HP-8, the depth guides (which ride on the sides) and an appropriate sole & iron set.
Okay, let’s try this. The jig is for forming (planing) the inserts for the CS12-v2 and the new CS6-v2. One of the tapers is narrower than the other in the legs, so the knob at the front changes the angle of the bed (the gold part) to ensure the correct compound angle. The wood is cut to 90 degrees (I think – could be 60) and laid in the jig. The sides are set so that the depth of the cut is perfect for each leg insert. The upright setting allows you to easily pop the piece out once it’s planed (since the jig is screwed to the bench or a board). The indent at the end allows you to pop the pieces out (and gives you something to plane against when you put something in there?), and the cross-slots give you the length for each piece for the different tools.
Hmm, a tool to help you make pieces of inlay for the CS6V2, with the different settings for each of the pieces needed?
Oops, I see someone already guessed the same as me… Oh well, probably going to get the OBS anyway!
Hmm, so if I order an HP-8 mini Aluminum with depth skids, does that count as a cash bribe and come with any extra clues? Not that my wife would agree to it, but it is sssoooo tempting!
Or maybe an HP-10.
P.S. The third position for the knob releases the jig so that it can stand up.
One more try: I’m still thinking it’s for making the inserts for the CS-v2’s. You start with a flat piece of wood that fits in between the black ridges, and set the knob so that the platen (the gold thing) is tilted up. The wood buts up against the stop at the end, and you plane it until it is flat – which gives it a taper with the thin end toward the front. You then pull the knob (or turn it) so that the platen goes flat to the bottom, and put the wood in on edge. The taper fits the tapered groove exactly. You then plane it flat again (probably re-adjusting the depth of cut of your blade), and end up with a perfect little wedge. You then pop it out by lifting the platen up (using the knob’s third position to release it). It’s clear that the slot in the front stop is to allow the blade to pass through, which makes me think it’s for one of the dado profiles, or the 60 degree profile of the HP6-v2.
It’s a jig for cutting the small pièces for the fog of war chess board. I’m like pfranks; I’m just throwing this one out there. I was serious about my last comment, however outlandish it was. I can hear the buuuzzzzzz for this comment. Honestly, I have no idea what this thing is or what it’s for. I’m just having fun guessing!
Looks like we’ll all be fishing with miniature fly rods in the near future.
it’s a dowel making jig for use with a small hand plane. the knurled knob is used if you want to taper the dowel.
One could use this for making tapered dowels but that is not why it exists. So…OBS!
-John
Great use, but… OBS!
-John
You could use this for making cool shapes but… OBS!
This would totally help make infills for the CS-1v2 but… OBS!
-John
…I hear a sound in my head.. Sounds like… OBS!
I like that bribe and ironically, or maybe not, the HP-8 with depth skids is the tool of choice for this gizmo! You still get an OBS until the bribe is received. So… OBS!
Will work for this but… OBS!
-John
Well, this would work but… OBS!
-John
Correct on the depth guide, incorrect on function, but sorta, kinda close…. OBS!
-John
DSN we have a winner!
Peter Franks you sly dog, figured out it is a chopstick maker (and some other fun uses too). I will post images later. I am making this for a friend and myself, don’t know if we will make it for the masses… Yes/no?
-John
Its a Calibration Jig used for there ANGLE MASTER TOOL.
The two settings are for zeroing it out and at 90 degrees??
Wait – seriously?!? It’s a chopstick maker?!? And here I spent all my brain energy trying to figure out how it would be used to make CS-v2 inserts. That’s crazy!
But could you use it as a pencil sharpener? I’d use that even more often than a chopstick maker!
Too funny.
— Peter
Peter- Congrats.
I designed this for a friend, and now my wife wants to have a party where everybody makes their own chopsticks. She told some of her friends and they all thought this was the greatest idea… crazy world. One lady said she has never made anything out of wood and this is perfect. Maybe we will make a batch for those DSN members who are drowning in scrap. I want to film Olivia, who is 3 years old, making her own chopsticks – that should be a great shoot.
No, you can’t sharpen pencils with it.
-John
Finally a reason for me to start eating sushi.
Maybe if people had to make their own chopsticks, they wouldn’t throw them away after one use.
I know that many exotic woods might not be great choices to touch your food, but dang imagine how sexy cocobolo chopsticks would be.
Oh, yes, sign me up for one, or two.
i think you should go ahead and make a limited run of these for the people who read this totally awesome and worthless blog. My brother uses chopsticks, and so does one of my nieces. They would like to have a set of custom made wooden chopsticks. I got tons of scraps that would make great chopsticks! I guess what I’m saying is that, yes, I would buy one.
By the way, it’s a cool design, now that I know what it’s used for.
Paul-
Thanks! Sometimes a silly notion can become something way more interesting … More to follow!
-John
I have some colobolo chopsticks, and they’re quite lovely. And then we can also use our JMPs to make some hashi-oki (chopstick holders) to go on the table! Hmm – I’m sensing a design contest…
— Peter
yes, dude,
i would also be a buyer of this totally worthless contraption in memory of my wasted time on this totally worthless site.
one of your dsn minions
Finally, an honest member of the Drivel Starved Nation comes out of denial!
-John
By the way, your epigraph reminds me of that old quote from Lincoln: Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
— Peter
John
Very cool design. Was just looking into making chopsticks after seeing this at a local handcrafted furniture store…
http://www.sawbridge.com/product.asp?pfid=SWB05140#.VJn2UDAA
Now I’m interested in your latest experiment! Sign me up!
neil
Please sign me up. I have already been preparing to make chopsticks, struggling with the best way to plot the tapers. Enter John, his stilted plane and his angled jig. Thank you
I already have the scrap wood, even some scrap ebony. So, my Asian wife (hence the real need for chopsticks) and I anxiously (for real) await
BTW, if u need sushi for the chopsticks party, she’s a certified sushi chef…
We are going to make a video of this contraption in use in the next two weeks. Should be a fun one!
-John
dude,
in case you needed some inspiration for your chopsticks video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPzjHgMENrc
What would I do if the DSN quit on me? Thanks for the link. I am waiting for one part before filming begins.
I am thinking Oscar here… After all, all I need to do is call my buddy Megan Fox (she owes me)… This movie will move us into the “A” list Pronto. Might as well say it now, it was nice knowing you all.
– John
I realize that there’s an infinite number of Oscar categories, but what would this fall into? Best DIY short?
Also, I REALLY like the idea of a video of Megan Fox planing … well … ANYTHING. Back and forth and back and forth and…
I really need to get out more.
I think we should introduce Rutager and “Cyclist”. You know – get Rutager over there for dinner to enjoy some home-made sushi…
— Peter
This is a stand for an IPad
Bergie 1-27-2015 I believe this tool is a paper clip or ball bearing shooter. Place the edge of the paper clip against the side of the magnet with flat parallel to the arm cup. Turn the handle and the spring loaded arm throws the clip.
Let’s see this guy in action!
Will be shooting video next week!
It is a chop stick Jig 🙂