Wood Projects

The Furniture of Seth Rolland

August, 23rd, 2016

Drivel Starved Nation!

Several weeks ago I had the pleasure of viewing Seth Rolland’s exhibition at the Bellevue Arts Museum  which is 20 minutes east of Seattle. This field trip turned out to be incredibly interesting, first there was our train ride, then the fascinating work of Rolland, and a major surprise that will appear in my next post.

It’s always nice to follow the progression of a woodworker who sings with a unique voice in this world we call woodworking.  This is a small sample of his exhibition — I hope you enjoy the pics… Continue reading →

TWO Talented Woodworkers are Going to Win $500 BCTW Gift Certificates- TIME TO VOTE!

August, 18th, 2016

"While most are dreaming of success, winners wake-up and work hard to achieve it."— Unknown

Drivel Starved Nation;

You should be in your shop making stuff, but since your here, please take the time to vote!

When we introduced the CS-6v2, we opened a contest for those who wanted to infill our naked squares pictured below;CS6v2 in Stainless and Brass 700

We are going to award two $500 Gift Certificates, one for the “Most Beautiful” Cs6v2 Combination Square and one $500 Gift Certificate for the “Most Original” idea. We need 2 votes from you, your thoughts, and you can do so by commenting to this post.We will announce the winners next Thursday, August 25th. (These awards are unbelievably generous because they equal our annual profit here.) Continue reading →

New Accessories and Ideas for the Chopstick Master™

August, 16th, 2016

"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.

Continue reading →

Woodshop Field Trip… John’s Excellent July 4th Weekend Revealed!

August, 8th, 2016

Drivel Starved Nation-

I should have known better than to try and seduce the DSN with misleading photos. What did I accomplish? A bunch of insulting comments about my advanced age and the cost of Depends…  At least nobody brought up my addiction to stool softeners… (Did I just write that?)

But I digress, I did indeed take a field trip to the George Nakashima property in Bucks County, PA. What a beautiful setting! The facility is open for visitors on Saturdays but the shops are closed. If you have never been there, it is an hour drive or so from either the Philadelphia or Newark airports.  I would love to go back in the fall, it just has to be incredibly beautiful.  Continue reading →

Woodshop Field Trip… John’s Excellent July 4th Weekend! Part 1

August, 4th, 2016

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”— Anonymous

Drivel Starved Nation-

Here are a bunch of photo clues for you. Guess where I went and you will win…. NOTHING!

-John

Continue reading →

The Best Deal from Bridge City Tool Works in 33 Years!

June, 21st, 2016

"A thousand years ago the Chinese had an entirely codified kitchen while the French were still gnawing on bones. Chopsticks have been around since the fourth century B.C. Forks didn't show up in England until 1611, and even then they weren't meant for eating but just to hold the meat still while you hacked at it with your knife." — Ruth Reichl

Drivel Starved Nation,

As always, you are the first to learn what is happening behind the scenes here at BCTW via this Totally Awesome and Worthless Blog!

I have great news to share regarding our Chopstick Master. Version 2 of the CSM is going to be announced real soon and the details are below. But first, a pic; Continue reading →

Chopstick Master Version 2 with a Really Fun Twist….

May, 31st, 2016

Dear Drivel Starved Nation-

I have been crazy busy the past two months. I went to China to finalize version 2 of the Chopstick Master and I am pleased to announce that when this version hits the streets this fall, it will sell for $195 buckaroos. That by-the-way, is $50 LESS than our HP-8 with depth skids ALONE.  This is a screaming cool value.  And our pledge to you; even though this is made in China, the quality is as good—or better—than what you have come to expect from Bridge City over the past 33 years.

Three weeks ago we attended a media event in NYC regarding the Chopstick Master v2 and I will share the results of that jaunt as they come in. A couple of fashionistas made chopsticks for their… hair!

Chopstick Hair 1

Continue reading →

Something Groovy from Bridge City Tool Works…

November, 5th, 2015

"People ask me what I would most appreciate for my eighty-seventh birthday, I tell them, a paternity suit."— George Burns

Dear Drivel Starved Nation;

I have some really cool news regarding the Chopstick Master but I am going to save it until next week because it might get cooler… Continue reading →

Tool News and Updates from Bridge City Tool Works

October, 29th, 2015

"I never run with scissors. Those last two words were unnecessary."— Unknown

Drivel Starved Nation-

John here, your favorite tool Potentate with a little news and some updates.

If you were not aware, we are about ready to enter our 33rd year.  This fact explains the letter I received yesterday for “Discount Crematory Services”…  If I am truly too stupid to quit Bridge City Tool Works, what makes me smart enough to croak in time for their big sale — what were these people thinking?
Continue reading →

Two Cool New Tools from Bridge City Tool Works

October, 19th, 2015

"One sees great things from the valley, only small things from the peak." — -G.K. Chesterton

Drivel Starved Nation!

I am pleased to share with you the proof that I have been sitting on my rear doing nothing something else this year other than making chopsticks! Continue reading →