Steel Mini Prybaby 19

Hi Everyone,

Yup, it's true, I'm still here! Sorry for the long delay but this cold rainy spring has been an incredibly busy period for me, with tons of non work related things competing for my increasingly limited time. Most of those activities have been terrific and positive, but my recent schedule has been a disaster for getting tool projects to the finish line. Anyway, I'm striving to develop a new sort of work/life balance this year so hopefully this summer will shape up to have more of a steady flow and still allow me to get all these other important things done.

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Long Overdue Updates:

The steel metric Mini Prybabies are about halfway completed and should be ready to send out to heat treat in two or three weeks.

Stamped Ti MultiMags are actually finished and I'll be putting them up for sale very soon.

New and improved ti Original V1.5 and V2.5 Hangman hooks are cooking right along. I've had some minor shoulder issues interfering with stamping but I'm slowly picking away at these guys and they will be spectacular once I finally get through the two batches.

A cool little magnetic clip project is going along swimmingly, and I should be able to get something finished with those in a few weeks.

A brand new mini tool design in steel and also ti has been cut and the steel ones are already surface ground, so these will be nice projects to tackle for mid summer. And a revamped older classic tool design is also on the drawing board which I'm pretty sure I will be cutting in a few weeks.

Several other older projects that have been languishing for far too long are also coming, such as TightWads. More Mega sized 6 flute ti beads are on the way and turning as we speak. And a few small limited number type sales are long overdue as well that I need to get to.

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Today I finally have the new CPM 154 steel Mini Prybabies done. An all new Mini Prybaby design for 2019, these little gems are like several previous models rolled into one. They are about the same size as the older Mini P15 Prybabies, just over 2.5 inches long and the classic 5/32 thick. The mini tool set features SAE wrench sizes 1/4-3/8, cap lifter, pry tip with open V notch, and my classic rear pry tip/screwdriver shape. The rear lanyard opening is slightly larger than the older designs so the tool hangs nicely, even on fatter key rings. The Prybabies have a smooth stonewashed working finish so should stay looking new for a long time.

The whole batch is stamped, although I was limited to my smaller stamps mostly because there just isn't much real estate left on such a tiny tool. The upcoming metric version will probably not be stamped as there will be even less unused space available.

The stamped Mini Prybabies will run $70 plus shipping and the purchase link is below. Limit of two please. Thanks for dropping by today, and of course for your endless patience!

All gone for now, thanks so much!

 

Anodized Count Forkulas!

Hi Everyone,

Happy rainy Monday from New England! It's a cool start to April for us this year, actually kind of typical though. There is still one spot of stubborn ice the size of a dinner plate in the shady part of the yard which I expect will disappear today. But hopefully we'll be seeing some warmer days by next week.

Not too much to report on projects. I will be trying to finish grinding the Mini Prybabies by the end of this week so they can go to heat treat, and also catching up on paperwork for taxes.

Today I finally have the last Count Forkula batch finished. These little cuties feature a cap lifter in the handle which I think is a very nice complement and would certainly be the preferred design if I were to make another batch. I spent a lot of time working on the multi anodized finishes and many of these will have gorgeous complex color patina effects. I do have a handful of plain ones for the vanilla lovers if you would simply email me and ask for them...also a couple of lefties. For some mysterious reason I seem to be missing a few dozen of these so the batch is not as big as I thought...

Anodized Count Forkulas will run $45 plus shipping and it is a modest sized batch so two per customer limit on them please. Thanks for dropping by today and hope your week ahead is warm and sunny.
 
Sold out, thank you so much!

Weathered Bronze Magnum Beads

Hi Everyone,

Happy April Fools Day! It's still fairly chilly here and we have several pockets of snow remaining around the yard, but it should be gone by the end of this week. The daffodils and crocus are bravely pushing their way up, always a welcome sight.

I'm still plugging away here. Not too much to report other than my various projects are coming along nicely. I should have the next wave of Count Forkulas done in a day or two and then I'll tackle the final work on ti magnets. Almost done with Mini Prybaby milling and so by next week hopefully I'll be sending them out for heat treat.

Today I finally have the Bronze Magnum Lanslide batch done. These came out so great and I'm really glad I took my time with them. I wanted to develop a new finish for bronze and this patina is definitely the direction I wanted to go in. They have a multi step heavy weathered patina with many of them showing areas of gorgeous blue-green verdigris. It will be very interesting to see how the finish continues to develop over time.

The Weathered Bronze Magnums will run $30 each plus shipping and it is a huge batch so no limit on them. Thanks so much for dropping by as always, and hope you all have a great week ahead!

All gone, thank you so much!

Steel MiniBars

Hi Everyone,

Well I'm back finally!

We're starting to have some of our first glimpses of spring here in the northeast, even though there are still big snowbanks at the end of the driveway. It's always a big relief when the weather starts to warm up a little bit and it no longer hurts your face to walk outside. I get tired of my fingers turning icy every time I take out the trash. And baseball season returns this week too, so life is definitely taking a turn for the better.

I've been a busy boy lately, slowly picking away at several projects and working up some new ones as well. Coming up are ti Count Forkulas with cap lifter and bronze Magnum beads. Ti magnets are almost done, just need to finish stamping a few of them and figure out how I can hold them for the anodizing. The new Mini Prybabies are still a few weeks away but are getting milled this week, so it won't be long until I can get them finished up and off to heat treat. Fans of the Original Hangman design will rejoice as I have a reissued version coming up very soon, as well as a new version of Hangman v2. Metric Mini Prybabies in steel will be getting milled in a week or two, so those will be coming in late April or early May. I have a really cool new small tool design on the drawing board too.

Today I have the CPM 154 Basic Steel MiniBars done. These are identical to the fancier ti version, but they are without stamps. They feature a broad pry tip with V notch and 7/16 wrench. A slim and light weight tool that carries easily on your keys. The practical combo of Rockwell 58-60 hardened steel and tumbled finish means these will wear like the iron that they actually are, and last pretty much forever.

The Steel Basic MiniBars will run $55 plus shipping and the link is below. It's a big batch so no limit on them. Thank you so much for waiting on me and my sporadic sales so patiently, and I hope everyone is gearing up for a great spring!

Sold out, thank you so much!

 

Bronze MultiMags

Hi Everyone,

Happy Weekend! It's bright and sunny here today, but we're due for another round of minor storms again this weekend. Still, the sunlight is so much brighter now, and much stronger than it has been for many months. Spring is definitely on the way in a few weeks whether it likes it or not and we won't be taking "no" for an answer...and the clocks change this weekend too, woohoo!

I've been quite busy these past couple of weeks grinding tools, organizing projects and getting my taxes out of the way. The Steel MiniBars just went out to heat treat a couple of days ago. The first wave of new Steel Mini Prybabies (SAE) are much further along now, and I'm just about to do the milling on them. The Metric Mini Prybaby batch is still a bit further behind in the preparation steps but I will be starting on those next. Sneak peek at the new Mini Prybaby which will be done probably mid April time frame:

Other things that are underway: Count Forkulas with cap lifter are coming along but they have been slow to get to the finish line. The titanium MultiMags are also getting closer to finished and I should have those available sometime next week. And a few other surprises are in store if I can ever get my production act together and settle down to work.

Today I have a medium sized batch of Bronze MultiMags done. These have a cool "Desert Tan" matte finish for something a little different. They will run $45 plus shipping and I'll make it a four per customer limit on them please. Thanks for dropping by everyone and hope you have a great weekend!

Sold out, thank you so much everyone!

BB MultiMags

Hi Everyone and Happy Friday!


With another post office holiday coming up on Monday I thought I might as well slip another little sale in today....

It's been a while since I did anything with a bead blasted matte finish, so it's about time I guess. These 303 stainless MultiMags look great with their cool gray low luster looks, and they are not as slippery as those with a more polished finish. This is a very modest sized batch today and is the end of the stainless MultiMags before I move on to the bronze ones.

BB MultiMags will run $45 plus shipping and the link is below. Limit of 2 please on these...thank you as always for dropping by today and I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend ahead!

All gone, thanks again everyone! :)

 

Stainless MultiMags

Hi Folks,

Well Happy Valentines Day everyone! Hope you're having a great day today. We're having moderate temps this week and the snow storm the other day turned out to be no big deal which is always better than the alternative. Sometimes the weatherman is just plain wrong, and for once it was in our favor.

Not too much to report on upcoming projects. I did forget to mention that some fleeting sightings were made recently of a mysterious beast, and I do hope to bring you more info on that soon. Also, kitchen project #2 will begin production soon, and it is a complement to the one below...

Today I have a super fun treat for you. For years I have been thinking about doing something like this and I'm so happy to finally have it come to fruition. You see, like many people, my kitchen fridge has always been covered in an assortment of take out menus, kid's art, library hours reminders, stray business cards, trash bag stickers, shopping lists, etc. The trouble is, most kitchen magnets are just plain pathetic. I find myself frustrated all the time because they fall off or easily slip down. Finally this winter, after picking up yet another magnet off the floor, I said enough already! I will build the kitchen magnet of my dreams. :)

These little gems are based on my familiar 5 flute Magnum bead design. I added a short waist so that the fluted handle stands off a bit for easy grip, and then a bell shaped skirt which houses the powerful magnet. OAL is 1.5 inches and they have some nice heft to them. I have satin 303 stainless steel ones today to start with, and then coming up will be bead blasted stainless, bronze and eventually titanium as well.

It took me a while to figure out just how I wanted to do the magnet part. I found some super strong neodymium magnets and tried a couple different ones out before settling on an ideal size/strength ratio for this design. These are perfect for their size. I thought about using screws and a doughnut shaped magnet to attach but the pull simply was not strong enough. Solid magnets turn out to be the best in this case. Anyway, the magnets are potted with green Loctite 680 rather than super glue, so should be bonded permanently in place. 

Now,  I wanted my magnets to have some BALLS. Literally! LOL, I got to playing around with a proto and I had some chromed ball bearings lying around. It didn't take long to realize that these could become awesome little fiddle toys just by adding some balls, hence the name MultiMag. I tried several sizes and combos of ball bearings before settling on the configuration below. These guys are deceptively simple and quite addictive. I have literally spent hours playing around with them and there is a lot you can do, particularly when you have more than one set to mess around with. Most of them have the poles facing the same way, and I'm not sure which one it is that is facing out. However, you can do a lot with them no matter which pole is exposed.

SAFETY WARNING: Strong rare earth magnets and ball bearings are a swallowing and choking hazard! Please keep these far away from small children. Also keep away from pacemakers, electronics and credit cards. I know everyone probably already knows this but it definitely bears repeating to be extremely respectful of strong magnets.

MultiMags will run $45 plus shipping (postage rates increased slightly last week) and they come with a little velvet bag so you can carry them around if you wish. They will make great gifts too obviously. The batch today is good sized, so it will be a limit of 4 per customer please. Thanks for stopping by as always and hope your Valentines Day is terrific!

Sold out, thank you so much!