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“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt
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Sorry Drivel Starved Nation…still alive?
I took a detour to the beautiful island of Kauai to visit the wettest spot on earth. It seems it was just yesterday that the wettest spot on earth was my bed… or so it seems. My how time flies…
We are finally done addressing the needs of all of our DJ-1 owners who want to easily drill offset holes. Sometime in the next couple of days, the DJ-2 will be released for pre-order.
If you already own the DJ-1 pay close attention to the pictures below, because you will have several options to consider.
The following image is the DJ-1 with our new stop system;
This image illustrates what a three hole drilling sequence would look like using our new flip stop system. These stops can be clamped either on top or the bottom of the stop beam. Regardless of position, the stop arm will flip out of the way. The clamp beam is held in place by two brass set screws in the orange jaws. You will be able to set stops approximately 7 inches from the centerline of the bushing. These stops can be used for any purpose but really shine for drilling the top and bottom holes of mortises in identical parts.
If you are a current DJ-1 Owner and wish to convert your DJ-1 to a DJ-2, the most economical way to do so is to purchase the basic kit pictured below;
All you need to do is remove the two outrigger screws from your DJ-1, and the orange jaws (or Universal Jaws) and attach to the DJ-2 arms which takes about 2 minutes. This will give you the best of our Drillng Jigs.
If you would like to add the flip stop system to your DJ-1, or the DJ-2 conversion pictured above, the kit is pictured below;
The stop system comes with one flip stop. If you would like additional stops, they will be sold in pairs;
New and noteworthy for the DJ-2, the arms are 2″ longer than the DJ-1, we beefed up the bushing lock screws, and as you can see by the image below, the arms positive wedge lock to the bushing housing;
Drilling hole arrays is as simple as sliding out one outrigger/arm and setting your centerline distance;
Several customers have inquired if they could just purchase a bushing housing and the answer is yes, we will make those available too. As you can see, the 1/4-20 tapped hole in each side will allow you you invent any kind of jig for angled holes you can conjure using your existing bushings.
We are not discontinuing the DJ-1 because the self-centering function is invaluable in certain applications. You can center with the DJ-2, but it involves using the centering rules on the arms. Many thanks to the DSN for contributing to the evolution of this tool.
Lastly, we are just a few months from 2013–our 30th anniversary year. Lots of cool stuff happening, including our book, but one thing is just off the charts huge. I can’t say much at the moment but I can say this; if you ever wanted to visit Portland, the third week in August, 2013 would be a great week. 🙂
–John
Aahhh, my blog fix, finally.
John,
Really like this version, can’t wait to put it to use.
Isn’t any week a great week to visit Portland?
Best,
Rutager
For Bridge Citizens, no week will be better than this week!
–John
Very impressive, John. What an astoundingly versatile system! It would be fun to put together a set of photos of a few hundred different uses for it. I love the new arm and stops – that will add a huge amount of functionality. It’s all just beautifully thought out – and beautiful!
— Peter
P.S. Portland in August sounds wonderful. Wonder what I’d find to do there…?
The “book,” been a while since you’ve mentioned it.
Can you share any more about the content, size or if it will be ” pop up” for us less sophisticated Bridgecitizens?
Thanks,
Rutager
Hooray for blog post. It’s a meaty one after such a long wait. Rutager and I have been left to our own devices on the forums (the DJ-1 section appropriately enough)
What a ride the DJ-1 has been on this past month.
Phone all primed to remind me next august to head up to portland. Though I’ll be there the third week of August this year. Is the BCT facility open to civilians on days outside 30th Anniversaries?
Is that the day the biggest wet spot returns from the islands to the Mainland because John wIll have gone…in-continent?
This blog is totally awesome and worthless! Yes, I am in-continent….
–John
PS: We love visitors, but remember, we work 4×10’s during May-Sept so no Fridays.
Alas! I arrive Thursday night. Thanks for the head’s up.
Yeah, what happened to that book? Any chance it’ll be a pop-up book so I can take some Fred West-style photos?
Know what else is in the third week of August? My birthday!
~Chris
You might be in-continent, John, but I have loghorrea and a very slow day stuck in a hospital room with an ill relative. I know it’s late in the design process, but I thought of some possible design issues and improvements! So, with great humility, I suggest:
1) Without the DJ-1 self-centering mechanism keeping the arms restrained, and without the knobs tightened, will the DJ-2 be prone to falling apart when carrying it by one jaw with the beams vertical?
2) Will the champagne colored outer jaws be available separately?
3) Will the bar for the flip-stops be available in meter lengths? Is it a standard bar size, so we can create enormous jigs with dozens of stops for drilling dowel holes in framing lumber and timbers?
4) Can the bars have a third scale for cubit and fingerwidth gradations, for biblical and antiquarian furniture reproduction?
5) The flip-stop bar is nice, but it would be even NICER with a metric/imperial scale and a micrometer! The flip-stops need a matching scale on the bodies to line up against my proposed bar scale, a la the new AS cursor grads.
6) Will a super-industrial size be available for use with core drills with bits larger than the current diameter of the DJ jaws? I think the DJ-2 has a lot of potential in industrial applications….
7) Will the 30th anniversary book have shiny paper or matte? And will it be a coffee table size or fit on a standard shelf? Will it be available with page numbers in Base-8? Can a left-handed cam clamp be put on to keep it closed?
8) How’s it going with Megan?
LOTS, LOTS MORE questions later…
😀 😀 😀
Guys,
Yes, Webb and myself have been having some good back and forth on mortising with hand braces and the DJ-1, where have the rest of you been, forums getting lonely, although still chockfull of useful information presented in a respectful and profesional manner- join us!
John,
For the August event, will you have a special rate set up at a local hotel, or are we all just going to crash on Michaels couch?
-Rutager
Much more on the August, 2013 deal later.
1) Without the DJ-1 self-centering mechanism keeping the arms restrained, and without the knobs tightened, will the DJ-2 be prone to falling apart when carrying it by one jaw with the beams vertical?
YES. If you can remember to zip your zipper, you can remember not to let your DJ-2 arms fall out.
2) Will the champagne colored outer jaws be available separately?
WHY? And YES if you really need them.
3) Will the bar for the flip-stops be available in meter lengths? Is it a standard bar size, so we can create enormous jigs with dozens of stops for drilling dowel holes in framing lumber and timbers?
The short answer is no. The bar is 1/16 x .250 aluminum. We can put grads on, and now we will. There are limits to the practical length.
4) Can the bars have a third scale for cubit and fingerwidth gradations, for biblical and antiquarian furniture reproduction?
Sure. Pick ONE.
5) The flip-stop bar is nice, but it would be even NICER with a metric/imperial scale and a micrometer! The flip-stops need a matching scale on the bodies to line up against my proposed bar scale, a la the new AS cursor grads.
See answer 3.
6) Will a super-industrial size be available for use with core drills with bits larger than the current diameter of the DJ jaws? I think the DJ-2 has a lot of potential in industrial applications….
Show us the market!
7) Will the 30th anniversary book have shiny paper or matte? And will it be a coffee table size or fit on a standard shelf? Will it be available with page numbers in Base-8? Can a left-handed cam clamp be put on to keep it closed?
A better question is will you buy it? 🙂
8) How’s it going with Megan?
I dumped her and then she rebound married a guy a year or so later. Long recovery I know, but I am special.
I’m particularly happy today is a red letter day for your blog postings. It’s a happy distraction. And kudos to the marketing peeps for putting the link of Facebook. And to respond:
1) YES. If you can remember to zip your zipper, you can remember not to let your DJ-2 arms fall out.
A: Sigh. *NOW* my zipper is zipped.
3) …We can put grads on, and now we will…
A: I was aiming for perfect, unassailable uselessness with that suggestion. Huh.
4) Sure. Pick ONE.
A: Silly man, a cubit *is* 28 finger-widths! I didn’t think the question through properly, though, since a cubit is 20.6 inches, so only one-plus-change would fit between the two bars. http://www.dancingwithwater.com/articles/rings-and-tensor-fields/how-long-is-a-cubit/
7) A better question is will you buy it? 😀
A: Yes. Actually, I will be buying it. But an orange cam-clamp and purple aluminum spine would make it a show-stopper. Just think about it…
8) I dumped her and then she rebound married a guy a year or so later. Long recovery I know, but I am special.
A: Sigh again. These May-November relationships never work, do they? And no more R___, either. Somewhere Whitney Houston is wailing.
😀 😀 😀
4: Correction: I guess only half a cubit would fit. My bad. Fingerwidths only please, until you make the longer bars.
So if someone get ideas about events with certain persons, say Megan Fox, are they great, average or small?
Does frequency count?
John,
Since you brought it up, will there be a special 30th anniversary tool? Will it be part of the 50 series, CT or something else?
Thanks,
Rutager
Rutager,
The 2012 edition of the “Fab 50” will be released in Sept. We will do something really cool for our 30th but trust you understand something bigger is in the works. 🙂
–John
Hey Everyone!
I thought the blog died there for a bit, but Nope!
Nice drill jig John!
I think the best is to have one of each. the self centering feature is no slouch. having the flexibility is great, but there is something to be said for just squeezing down on a leg and finding a perfect center with no effort. The DJ-2 increases the flexibility factor exponentially however – one of each is the ticket for me!
John,
I was at MASW and was expecting you for the magician training class but didn’t see you. I was thinking you were planning to be out there?
Looking forward to WIA in Cincinnati! I hope to see some friends there and also make a few new ones! The way this year is flying by, I think it will be here very soon!
I like the contest entries. I will have to enter next year. I already have a couple of ideas.
Dennis
Dennis,
I was at MASW all week–were you in the turning class? I sat in back right next to Mr. Marc Adams himself.
–John
Rutager,
On my way in to work this morning, I saw a couch under the Burnside Bridge. It looked available and I’m sure it smells just like home!
I should open a travel agency…
Michael
I think the ideal setup I would be interested in would be the basic DJ-2, with the flip stop jaws and a set of metric bushings. As I understand it, all my English bushings will fit as well as the various jaws in my DJ-1 set. I would be interested in the longer arms.
Next question: Would a second bushing housing be able to be mounted to allow a double row of holes to be drilled in one pass? I understand that there would be a minimum separation between the rows of holes. If so, add that to my ideal set.
John, what a magnificent piece you all turned the DJ-2 into. By any chance do you have estimated pricing running from the basic to a full set? Also, any clues on the Sept. Fab 50 as to what it might be and/or what it might cost? I am feeling deprived as there has been nothing to purchase anymore with the exception of the Economaki Smoother and I cannot find that to save my life. 😮 Fred
Fred,
Do you have a Black Chrome Plumb Bob yet?
Michael,
Looked on Travelocity and didn’t see that couch listed, although I may have had my search settings at 3 star and lower. I’m single and live by myself- pretty sure that couch smells better than home!
John,
What Fred said; how about a juicy morsel about the Fab 50 tool?
Best,
Rutager
Hate to be a nuisance (no I don’t), but I’m thinking of making it easier to drill a long series of evenly-spaced holes. What if you made a rod that would thread into the tapped hole in the middle of the bushing housing. You could have a little stop that could slide onto the rod and tighten down with a thumbscrew, and with a small rod extending downward. The small rod could fit into the previous hole, allowing one to do a whole series of holes just using the stop to index off the previous one. With a small enough stop-rod it would have no slop in the previous hole.
Does this make any sense?
— Peter
Oops! I already see the problem in my idea: the tapped hole is perpendicular to the axis of the bushing. So add a different tapped hole at one end of the bushing housing, and voila! A multiple-hole stop!
— Peter
John,
I was there perhaps the week before you. I was in Steve Latta’s class making a Federal Sofa table (learning inlay techniques). The magician was there on the weekend only.
Fred,
I would ALMOST trade my economaki smoother for your US-3M. I cannot find this little rascal anywhere.
John,
What a wonderful solution!
I am happy now.
All is right with the universe.
thank you from the bottom of my “jigged” heart!
.
Roger
Well, I’m happy to see that these changes merit my recommendation for a “DJ-2” release.
I’m still looking forward to the adjustable CL spacing bushing housing — or will that be the DJ-3? 🙂