"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." — Albert Einstein
Drivel Starved Nation-
Here’s your second clue to the thing that will make Bridge City the laughing stock of the internet…
If you guessed bent stainless steel wire you are correct! The longer version is about 90mm in length.
-John
"I wanna make a jigsaw puzzle that's 40,000 pieces. And when you finish it, it says 'go outside.'" — Demetri Martin
Driveled Starved Nation!
Over the past several months I have alluded to a project I began on my work retreat last February. Today is September 21st and it is finished! I’ve been playing with the last physical prototype for about 3 weeks and I am pleased to share that we are going into our pre-production routine next week which includes sourcing and pricing. The pre-order window is still several weeks away.
Before I share our first clue, I am admitting that this project very well may make us the laughing stock of the internet–maybe you too. And if so, I could care less, this thing is so MUCH FUN! Actually, it is so much fun I will give you TWO clues today (isn’t that nice?), one a word and the other an image:
1) “Gesture”
2) Here is a little sub-assembly to keep your brain occupied until the next clue;
See the little red aluminum part? It is 47mm long. And the threaded shaft that is driving it is M6x1.0, Left-hand threads too. From those clues, you can size the rest of the assembly. (We have converted completely to metric here, so don’t read anything into this other than the Imperial measuring system is SO inefficient.)
The subassembly pictured also contains the following (not all are visible);
2 steel washers
1 retaining ring
1 spring washer
1 nylon washer
1 set screw
My only response to your comments will come from this short list;
warm
cold
really warm
moronic
What meds you on?
bingo!
nice try.
Who gave you insider information?
Yes
No
I haven’t decided what the prize is going to be for guessing this invention… maybe a copy of the letter from my patent lawyer questioning my sensibilities…
-John
Drivel Starved Nation!
You talked and we listened. Over the past couple of years we have received numerous requests for a larger KM-1 Kerfmaker. I am pleased to announce that I finally got around to designing one. And in the process, we have made it better!
If you are new to our Kerfmaker tool, we conceived and patented this device several years ago and over this time it is our number one selling tool. Here’s a video of how the original KM-1 works–the KM-2 Kerfmaker is no different;
Continue reading
"I am very self-critical, but that's a good thing because it keeps me growing as a human being and as a musician." — Ray LaMontagne
Drivel Starved Nation!
In my previous post I mentioned that I would “grade” the functionality of our new UG-1 Universal Gauge pictured below.
The reason for this self-critique is twofold: I am typically not fond of multi-purpose tools. Too often the compromises are just to hard to deal with. Hopefully we have not fallen into that trap and I want to share why by grading all the functions. Secondly, as painful as they can be, critiques are crucial to understanding both the design and functional aspects of the things we make.
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"You will never influence the world by trying to be like it." — Sean McCabe
Drivel Starved Nation;
It seems that whenever we introduce a tool that is not “traditional” factions of the woodworking community, using their internet bullhorn, feel compelled to condemn the effort as heresy, an egregious assault on our “woodworking heritage”. These anachronistic views to me, and to us as a company, are about as much fun as pre-chewed food. Ideas evolve and so do tools — at least I like to think so.
New ideas are almost always the result of a changing perspective. And this is what I believe we do best, we rattle the cage of conventional woodworking wisdom with tool ideas that either attack or improve functionality deficiencies, inconvenience and work-flow efficiency, all with an underlying passion for aesthetics. Ironically, nobody needs any of these tool ideas… except me. Continue reading
"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect, but by the play instinct arising from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the object it loves."— Carl Jung
Drivel Starved Nation:
Haven’t posted lately, I have buried myself in work… oh how the time flies.
FYI, blogging is not work, it is just a hassle… unless of course I come up with some meaningful drivel to feed the DSN!
Last February I started work on a project that has occupied all my time up until two weeks ago when the prototype parts arrived. This is when I learned that I had a ways to go to prove out this concept so I dropped it temporarily and finished up a tool that I started a year ago and did not finish. I am thrilled with what this tool can do, particularly for those with small shops. I think you will see, at least I hope so, that this device can make your life a whole lot easier when in the shop. Here’s a peek… Continue reading
"What we do today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows."— Alexandra Stoddard
Drivel Starved Nation!
I received lots of great questions regarding our Hp-14 Scraper Plane and will attempt to answer them here in this Totally Awesome and Worthless Blog!
Before I answer them, here are a couple of pics of the final design. The pre-order window will open this week and we will make this in two versions, the HP-14 Scraper Plane, and the HP-14 SS Scraper Plane. The later features stainless steel sides as opposed to champagne anodized aluminum and we will only make the SS version once… Continue reading
"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me."— Jim Valvano
Drivel Starved Nation;
We are pleased to add the HP-14 Scraper Plane to our plane family. Full details will be announced next week, but I wanted to share this image – this is a cool tool! Pictured below is the version with champagne anodized aluminum sides. We will also release for pre-order an all stainless steel version. Both have stainless steel soles. Continue reading
"The Self-Educated are marked by stubborn peculiarities."— Issac D'Israeli
Dear Drivel Starved Nation;
If there is one thing that drives me crazy about being in the woodworking business are customers who are reluctant to acknowledge the potential of new ideas. I will never understand this, and frankly, it frustrates me when I have to spend time with people who never appreciate that the world is full of new ideas yet to be revealed.
We recently introduced a set of four “V” groove texturing kits for our HP-10 Convertible Plane and all they do is make perfect “V” Grooves. Yup, that is all they do. Continue reading
"Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime."— Mark Twain
Dear Drivel starved Nation!
As mentioned earlier in the year, I have to go to China in October and thought it would be fun to invite members of the Drivel Starved Nation to tag along for a couple of days to see China and meet China’s most famous woodworker. It will be a trip you will not soon forget.
Here are some important details for those who have never traveled abroad and are considering this trip; Continue reading