This Thursday we announce the CT-17. For a yet to be named totally awesome prize, and just maybe prizes, we are leaking clues that could lead up to the discovery of the identity of the CT-17  prior to Thursday’s announcement. I doubt the prize, or prizes, worth around 100K will  be claimed and thankfully will remain unfunded on my end.  Why?

This much we know, the winner(s) will share the following traits;

• has nothing better to do than hang out on this worthless blog–this is so sad.
  
• can’t follow instructions
• understands that CT-17 clues harder than “What is your name?” are extraordinarily difficult.
• right now, at this very minute, should be in the shop making something but is not.
• Probably should not buy the CT-17 until ALL the blog addiction therapy sessions are complete.

–John

Here is clue #6;

Here is a reenactment of a conversation with Michael yesterday;

“What the hell is up with those obscure clues?”

“They are easy–I don’t get what is taking so long.”

“DUDE, NOT EVERYBODY IS AS WEIRD AS YOU!”

The only reason I am sharing this is as a paper trail for Michael’s next performance review. How do you spell “raise” backwards?

So, whoever guessed that zinc had an atomic number of 30 was spot on. Combine that with (F)oxtrot, (P)apa and (S)ierra and anybody with half a brain will see 30 fps. Thirty frames per second! Someone else with half a brain is making a MOVIE of the MOVING PARTS of the CT-17. That would be me. The graph provided data points for frames in a movie–to move you can’t remain still… movies are made by stringing together a boatload of stills…how easy is that?

Now, let’s move on with LESS OBSCURE clues. Here is Clue #5…



This is the last clue until Sunday. Unfortunately I have been spending so much time as a huckster on my blog I forgot we need to sell stuff–I am off to Chicago for the weekend. If you are in the area, come on by and we can talk about stuff after you buy some stuff. Any stuff.

–John

Wow-just mention a prize and what happens? We awaken the gene pool of the parsimonious.

Welcome to all newbies–this is the place where John (that would be me) reinforces the fact that really cool tools come from the smallest of minds.

For the last 17 years we have produced one tool we pledge never to duplicate again.  This series annually commemorates our incredible, ongoing relationship with our best customers. Commemorative tools are only offered to our Founder’s Circle members–the tent pole of Bridge City Tool Works.

If possible, we add a symbol of luck by embedding a United States penny in each edition and I am pleased to share that Commemorative Tool #17 will not be penniless.

When I sit down to design a commemorative tool I have a copy of Alfred Dunhill’s maxim in front of me which states;

“It must be useful, it must work dependably, it must be beautiful, it must last, it must be the best of it’s kind”.

That quote is a tough taskmaster and I encourage you, and anybody and everybody who makes things to consider adopting it before beginning the next project.

Nobody knows what the tool will be until I am finished. (Oops, that is a lie, I do tell Louie dog and Jitter dog–both of whom have been easily sworn to silence with a Milk-Bone.) Our customers are typically notified 1-3 days after our staff–it is a fun tradition here and the announcement is highly anticipated by our customers. These tools have always been about showcasing the art of toolmaking and as such, there have never been any restrictions in the process–each tool is what it is and cost what it costs without a single thought to market potential. Whether we sell 100 or 3000, it doesn’t matter.

This year however, things are a little different. We had a visitor in January who is an active participant in the online woodworking community (name rhymes with Peter Franks)  who saw one of the stereo lithography models sitting on my desk that I used to quantify/verify ergonomics. The cat bailed from the bag.

So, we decided to have some fun this year on my blog (you all really have better things to do I hope…)  by inviting guesses as to what we are going to produce leading up to the April 15th announcement date.

As with all treasure type hunts, the clues start out vague/difficult and get easier as they progress. That said, don’t forget; “It must be useful, it must work dependably, it must be beautiful, it must last, it must be the best of it’s kind”.

Let’s review;

Clue #1 was an abstract close-up. It reveals the presence of stainless steel.

Clue #2 was an abstract image titled “There is Beauty in Numbers” and invited an answer as to why the image was incredibly useful to me.

As you read through the posts, you will learn that a Bridge City sleuth correctly deduced that the image was a graphical representation of data (numbers), hence “There is Beauty in Numbers”. I don’t think it is even remotely possible to guess what this tool is at this point. One inquiring mind suggested the lines represented a linkage and perhaps he is correct–if he were to assemble it correctly…

The “guesses” have been insightful and humorous–looking at the image and deducing that we are going to make a “smelt net” is a bit out there–and a big thanks to Cooter Ditchman for that jewel.

Clue #3 offered four words, Sierra, Papa, Zinc, Foxtrot as the reason why the numbers are important to me–not you. Between a couple of tool detectives, all aspects of this clue have been correctly uncovered but have yet to be correctly assembled….

Clue #4 (Use this clue to decipher clue 3)
“To move, you cannot remain still.”

Clue #5 (which will be announced this Thursday) will be an actual part of Commemorative Tool #17 for you to ponder.

So the question still remains, why are these numbers important to me–not you. And by figuring this out, you will be on your way to ultimately identifying what this tool is no sooner than next Wednesday if I have my way!

Remember, in order to win a prize, you can’t just be hot, you have to be really hot to win a “Whoppie in Woolies” award.

–John

Clue number 2, titled “There is Beauty in Numbers” referenced the image below…



I shared that the image was of particular importance to me. Hint: I need this more than you.

“Care to guess what purpose this image serves?” Hint: It’s about the purpose of the image.

Rutager figured out it was for data contained within the image. I then was forced to disclose that the image was indeed created for the empirical data it provided. He won a “Whoopie in Woolies” award because his answer was damn hot–get it?

So, here we are and inquiring minds are dying of thirst…

CLUE NUMBER 3:

The purpose of the image can be solved with these 4 words;

Sierra, Papa, Zinc, Foxtrot


Moving forward, I will only post when you warm me up–tired of the cold. The ultimate goal* of course is winning a “Whoopie in Woolies” award which only can go to the hottest of the hot.

Oh, you don’t have much time because we are unleashing the CT-17 on Thursday, April 15th. (Most Americans hate that day. We want to give you a reason to like it–clever don’t you think?)

–John

*Last but not least, I have decided that when this is all over, there might be a bigger prize–if you value your time with such disregard as to follow the nonsense and blatant hucksterism in this blog, don’t you think somebody should win something? A Mongolian Death Worm perhaps? Hint: You can’t win if you don’t play.

We are getting closer to announcing Commemorative Tool # 17–we think it might be the best yet, but you will ultimately be… the decider!  (had to throw some politics into that sentence to remain topical)

Below is an incredibly useful image created in the latter design phases of the CT-17–useful to me that is.

The clue:  “There is beauty in numbers.”



Care to guess what purpose this  image serves?

–John

PS: Consider this fair warning to a certain Oceanographer who saw an early version of this tool while in Portland a couple of months ago–I will use my considerable Tool Potentate Powers if any of your comments betray my weak moment while you were here… let’s start by pondering the following phrase: Banned for life.

I love power!

CT-16 Delivery Update…

Well, looks like the black chrome palm braces won’t hit doorsteps until the first/second week of April–I do know this, we will have some blems.

I have been asked on several occasions why we sell blems–it seems others in our industry view this as some kind of brand damage and I could not disagree more.  Here is a real life example regarding the CT-16 Palm Brace…

After the chucks, handle and cap are plated with black chrome, they are shipped off for assembly.  One of the boxes containing about 40 caps arrived with the caps somehow dislodged from their egg crate packaging. Consequently, several have scuff marks.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the idea of all the resources that went into making these parts going to waste–the transportation costs, raw material costs, plating costs, etc, are not something we treat lightly. So, we will assemble these scuffed caps onto their mating components, mark and discount the tool accordingly. I know others disagree, some vehemently, but this makes sense to us, and has for 27 years running.

Conflict is inevitable. Misery is a choice. Choose peace.

Creativity/Design Workshop…

For those contemplating my Design/Creativity workshop in June at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking, you can view/print the syllabus here.

We have 13 Skeletonized HP-7’s in Stainless Steel remaining.

We are making a limited run of 50 stainless steel shoulder planes and as of this writing, 37 are committed (the plane on the right in the image below). If this tool interests you, give us a call 1-800-253-3332. This item does not appear on our website.




We will be Demonstrating in Chicago April 9th and 10th…

We will be joining Lie-Nielson Tool Works and others at one of my favorite small show venues,  J. Millers woodshop. Click here for more details.

We have 4 of these, first-come, first served.

Apparently we pulled our remaining brass plumb bobs and dipped them in black chrome. If this interests you, we have a whopping 4 left. Call Natasha–I did not even know we did this–one of Michael’s ideas. And this too is not on our website.



My Mechanical Fetish…

As many of you know, I have fallen into the black hole of R/C Helicopters and I am destined to perish penniless–the sooner the better I suspect.


Now I happen to think that these things are works of beauty. AND they FLY! Well, not for long in my case but nevertheless…



All one has to do is examine the workmanship up close and you can’t help but be awed. And in my case, seriously inspired.

Every component of a helicopter has to be contemplated for weight, strength, repair-ability, and several other factors. This aspect of helicopters is what intrigues me and while on my work retreat in January, I designed Commemorative Tool #17 with these influences foremost in my design process.

Now, I am not going to tell you what it is yet, but I share the image below as proof that I am making progress. Yes, this is stainless steel.





–John

For those of you who have been pestering me to renew my design/creativity classes, I will be teaching one the week of June 7 (M-F) at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking, 20 minutes outside of Indianapolis.

This is the class where you come in as you–and leave messed up like me.

I have been teaching this class on-and-off since the late ’70’s. It is structured to break through all of the barriers that keep you from your creative genius. The first two days are hard, the last three are incredible.

You will never look at a copy machine the same way again.

Or a mirror.

And just think, YOU learned about the Mongolian Death Worm here for FREE–imagine what happens when you pay!

It would be fun to do this with a bunch of Bridge Citizens–if this interests you, leave a note here, class is limited to the first twenty students with an extra $695 in their pocket.

Now, as someone with time on your hands (or you wouldn’t be wasting it here), the formal announcement to the MASW faithful will go out next week. As always, you heard it hear first.

–John

PS: I will not be talking about Megan Fox. She dumped me when she heard the dates for this class–we were supposed to go to Morocco together that week–I would rather watch C-Span for a week than go to Morocco again.

MASW: 317-535-4013

Last year we made 50 CT-14 Stainless Steel Planes that have turned out to be one of our most talked about tools.

So, what to do?

We gutted the original HP-7 design creating a new Fox Tail companion. Here’s a pic of the pair.



As of this post, we are discontinuing the original HP-7. We will introduce a “new” Fox Tail HP-7 with a brass body (identical to the plane on the right).  I think we have 2 or 3 original HP-7 Shoulder Planes remaining.

Prices and availability to follow.

For those of you who purchased one of the 50 limited editions of the plane on the left, details regarding the 50 stainless steel planes (plane on the right) should be arriving  in your mailbox soon–politically, (left/right), this is milk toast deal.

And for those of you who purchased the original HP-7? Well, it too has become a limited edition in a roundabout way.

Best-

John

PS: I played competitive hockey for over 20 years. Congratulations to our neighbors to the north–one of the greatest sporting events I have had the pleasure/pain of viewing. Considering our relationship (name two other countries on the planet with such friendliness), I am thrilled by your victory and proud of our team. Sunday was a great day for all with gold in their hearts–Congratulations from the BCTW team–wish we made hockey sticks…

This didn’t take very long.

Both Steve and Ray have convinced me that The Tool That Cannot Be Denied is in fact a tool to accurately size tenons without measurements.  And Steve, you will need to find something else to dislike, because I fixed your gripe. Thanks too. So Steve and Ray, drop me a line (john@bridgecitytools.com) to see what you have won!

Because inquiring minds want to know, the dimensions of the sample in the pic below are as follows;

The “foot” is 44mm in length and the overall height as shown is 95mm.  It is a don’t ask, don’t tell companion to the Kerfmaker.

Since most people make mortises first (and no, it doesn’t really matter) this little tool will allow you to gauge the mortise width (from 3.2mm up to 31.75mm) and then use the tool as flip stop to size the tenon cheek cuts PERFECTLY.

We will post videos in a couple of weeks.

Now we need a name…are you game?

You know you want it.

–John

PS: Received an email from Cooter Ditchman wondering if the hole was for a battery. “If this is not powered, it ain’t worth a bucket of spit.”   He then proposed a trade for one of his “gator paw” ashtrays.

Should I do it?