"Good health is not something we can buy. However, it can be an extremely valuable savings account. "— Anne Wilson Schaef
Drivel Starved Nation; A couple of months ago, I broke the news about a new dust collector technology that we are employing in our prototype shop – the Gyro Air. Before I get into the details of this collection system, it is important to understand why I want to ditch my standard cyclone collector — which likely looks just like yours. Continue reading
“Always do things right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”— Mark Twain
Drivel Starved Nation;
Over the past three months, I have been working on Commemorative Tool #19. For those of you new to this Totally Awesome and Worthless Blog, we make one tool each year (well almost) that we will never duplicate. They are considered the finest series of tools in our almost 34 year history. (The first Commemorative Tool was introduced in 1991 or 1992, I am too old to remember.) Continue reading
"Of all the possible utensils that could have been invented to eat rice with, how did TWO STICKS win out?"— Unknown
Drivel Starved Nation-
Today we have some cool things to share.
A while back, I shared how the grids for my sculpture “Fog of War” were made and you can see the pics here.
It is much harder to do accurate work in small scale but it can be made easier with an approach that yields consistent results. In the case of the grids mentioned above, the components all had to be the exact same thickness. This was surprisingly easy because all of our small planes accept depth skids which makes thickness planing thin stock a breeze. Without depth skids, there would be no Chopstick Master.
"I asked God for a bike but I know God does not work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness."— Emo Phillips
Drivel Starved Nation;
Someday I am really going to have to do a thorough search of all the stuff tucked away around here. Yesterday I found something that really gave me pause for thought…
Residing at the bottom of a box full of other boxes of old stuff, I found this; Continue reading
"There can be no intelligent control of the lead danger in industry unless it is based on the principle of keeping the air clear from dust and fumes." — Alice Hamilton
Drivel Starved Nation;
I am pleased to share that my Gyro Air™ arrived yesterday. Before I share my progress, here are the latest tools headed for the auction block this week…
I probably should have kept this for myself, but I already have 3. That is how cool this tool is. AND, it is the most requested discontinued Commemorative Tool according to the all-knowing Consuelo! Continue reading
Drivel Starved Nation!
A long, long time ago, in a woodshop far away, I started Bridge City Tool Works. 1983 to be exact. Continue reading
Drivel Starved Nation!
This week I head back to China to attend a trade show featuring the Chopstick Master and while I am there we will be developing version 2. I am looking forward to this trip, my fourth to China in the past 12 months. Continue reading
Drivel Starved Nation-
I created this blog as a space where I can act like an idiot, insult our customers, shamelessly plug new product ideas, embarrass my grown children, create mayhem for the staff here, and occasionally share information that is actually interesting. That said, I sadly announce that we have some good news to share. Continue reading
“Though I can and sometimes do use chopsticks, I much prefer using my hands to pee.” — Jarod Kintz
Drivel Starved Nation!
I am back from my third trip to Asia in the last six months and this was the best trip yet — I have lots of news to share.
I stopped by the factory producing the Chopstick Master and watched as the very first units were being boxed. This was so cool to see. Production right now is constrained to 1,000 units per month, but will dramatically increase at the first of the year. Here’s a pic; Continue reading
"Creativity isn’t about wild talent as much as it’s about productivity. To find new ideas that work, you need to try a lot that don’t. It’s a pure numbers game." — Robert Sutton
Drivel Starved Nation;
Sunday I leave for China, my third visit in the last six months. I must say, the experiences and friendships I have accumulated are lasting and incredibly rewarding. This may be the most fun six months of my BCTW business life. To think it took 32 years to have this much fun doesn’t say much for me does it? Oh well. Continue reading