Adventures in Micro Manufacturing with Knife and Tool Maker Peter Atwood
Friday, May 09, 2008
Sneak Peek
Mini FunnyBone on top and Atwrench™ on the bottom. These are quick protos. The finished ones will have a stonewashed finish and a few may feature extra grinds...
Well, it would be possible but I'd have to get it laser engraved and the companies around here have been a pain in the ass to try to work with. I gave up on them with my whistles last year.
Peter, these both look fantastic! Looking forward to seeing them with the extra grinds + stonewash. Thanks for (hopefully!!) making enough to go around, 'cause I'm sure these'll be popular.
That's a great sendup of the classic Proto screwdriver, Peter. I can really see its influence in the Atwrench. I'm very much looking forward to obtaining one of these.
Well sure, the FunnyBone is not perfect so it only has half the metric scale on it. I could do one that had odd numbers on one side and even numbers on the other so it was all metric. But I figure it is better to have some than none at all...and some of the sizes are very close so there could be a certain amount of crossover anyway. The American (SAE) sizes that are practical to have sizewise all fit easily on one side so you have to do something with the other half of the tool...
Hehe, I don't know man, maybe. I haven't gotten that far with them yet. The first ones are plain as you see in the picture and then there are some with radical side grinds much like the stair step style grinds on the top edge of my Prybabies. I might do some with V notches in the future but none of these have it.
Thanks! :) That is a very good question...the SAE is on the side that the bottle opener is pointing towards. The lanyard will be tied through the metric side. Naturally, if you are a metric user then you would tie the lanyard through the SAE side. Simple, no?
You might be able to get 13mm to work on the 1/2" SAE side and there might be others that are somewhat interchangeable. This version has to be limited to what it has. In the future maybe I'll do an all metric with odd numbers on one side and even on the other. But for this tool I felt like it was probably OK as this, at least it has SOME of the common metric sizes.
Yeah, something like that could be coming down the road. That's what's so cool is you get a palette of these shapes and functions and then you keep mixing them up. Kinda like taking the same cords and making a new song. :)
Well, I do not know for certain. They may get back from heat treat by this Friday but I really am not sure. It may be that they won't be here until early next week. Just as soon as I know I will announce it.
Those are BA!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see some with the "extra" grinds!
Freak. Ing. Sweet.
ReplyDeleteNice work Peter!
drool, peter you never fail to amaze thank you!!!!
ReplyDeleteok Now the atwrench really fits this beer drinkers key chain needs........ perfect!!!bravo Peter!!!
ReplyDeleteejmp
My girlfriend has just come running into the room to see why I started shouting, lol...these look AMAZING!!!
ReplyDeletePeter is it possible to put inch measurements (or increments of) along one of the straight edges of the mini funny bone?
ReplyDeleteWell, it would be possible but I'd have to get it laser engraved and the companies around here have been a pain in the ass to try to work with. I gave up on them with my whistles last year.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise that was the problem with the whistle production...a shame, but these are excellent looking tools either way!
ReplyDeletenice stuff!! oh cant wait to get my hands on these!!
ReplyDelete..very neat!!
ReplyDeleteNice job, as usual, Peter!
ReplyDeleteahhhh! better than i expected. let the search begin.
ReplyDeleteI love them!! oh, and you, Peter. :D
ReplyDeleteGreat pieces! Old Snappy and Proto should be proud.
ReplyDeleteI thought for a minute that the Atwrench would look like a "Flying V" guitar lol.
Holy cow! two thumbs up for the new tools!
ReplyDeleteI call dibs on a funnybone!
ReplyDeletePlease tell me you made eight thousand of them. :)
This tikis my funny bone. :-D
ReplyDeleteYeah, actually 8001 because I have to have one too. :D
ReplyDeleteThese look great Peter~ I'm definitely down for these!
ReplyDeleteAwesome stuff Peter. You never cease to amaze!
ReplyDeletePeter, these both look fantastic! Looking forward to seeing them with the extra grinds + stonewash. Thanks for (hopefully!!) making enough to go around, 'cause I'm sure these'll be popular.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great sendup of the classic Proto screwdriver, Peter. I can really see its influence in the Atwrench. I'm very much looking forward to obtaining one of these.
ReplyDeleteWow Peter, I was thinking "ok when he shows the new stuff off it'll be one or the other." Yeah that went out the window with that picture.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait.
Those both really look great. The simple, non-captive-bit tools are really more my speed, so I'm delighted with these two new models.
ReplyDeleteOh! Great looking tools there!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for making some metric tools too! One metric Atwrench please! :)
So, you decided to go with Imperial and Metric in one tool, as opposed to one Metric version and one Imperial?
ReplyDeleteDo you foresee any problems with not having the right size wrench for the job?
Well sure, the FunnyBone is not perfect so it only has half the metric scale on it. I could do one that had odd numbers on one side and even numbers on the other so it was all metric. But I figure it is better to have some than none at all...and some of the sizes are very close so there could be a certain amount of crossover anyway. The American (SAE) sizes that are practical to have sizewise all fit easily on one side so you have to do something with the other half of the tool...
ReplyDelete... and we europeans thank you for that :D
ReplyDeleteFrancesco
Can I place an advance order now for both? :)
ReplyDeleteSweet work Peter. Any chance a v-notch on the pry end of the Atwrench might be one of those xtra grinds??
ReplyDelete-steve
No V notches! :p
ReplyDeleteHehe, I don't know man, maybe. I haven't gotten that far with them yet. The first ones are plain as you see in the picture and then there are some with radical side grinds much like the stair step style grinds on the top edge of my Prybabies. I might do some with V notches in the future but none of these have it.
Mr. Atwood, I love the Funny Bone. It's a clever design and I can think of many uses.
ReplyDeleteBUT, I have one possibly really stupid question...
How does one know which side is which (SAE vs. Metric)? Are they marked?
Thanks! :) That is a very good question...the SAE is on the side that the bottle opener is pointing towards. The lanyard will be tied through the metric side. Naturally, if you are a metric user then you would tie the lanyard through the SAE side. Simple, no?
ReplyDeleteHi Peter!!
ReplyDeleteGreat designs you have there! Always interesting to watch you ideas come into fruition.
I was wondering what size SAE and metrics did you include in the mini Funnybone?
Antoine-Nam
AHA! That's what I *thought* :) So it makes perfect sense to me.
ReplyDeleteTHANKS!
Inches: 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16 and 5/8.
ReplyDeleteMillimeters: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18.
You might be able to get 13mm to work on the 1/2" SAE side and there might be others that are somewhat interchangeable. This version has to be limited to what it has. In the future maybe I'll do an all metric with odd numbers on one side and even on the other. But for this tool I felt like it was probably OK as this, at least it has SOME of the common metric sizes.
So - how do you cut the wrench openings in these with such precision? Laser? Plasma?
ReplyDeleteLaser or waterjet are the only realistic ways to do this kind of thing and both are about the same result.
ReplyDeletePeter,
ReplyDeleteI just got my crawdaddy and it is very cool! This is my first Atwood tool. (Although being from TN, I want to call it a Crawfish).
I have an idea for a new tool. It will combine a couple of your other tools (namely an Atwrench and a Sharktooth). Take a look:
http://www.jasongatliff.com/popchopwrench.jpg.
JG
Yeah, something like that could be coming down the road. That's what's so cool is you get a palette of these shapes and functions and then you keep mixing them up. Kinda like taking the same cords and making a new song. :)
ReplyDeletePeter whats the E.T.A. on this items?? I don't want to camp in front of the computer all day...
ReplyDeleteWell, I do not know for certain. They may get back from heat treat by this Friday but I really am not sure. It may be that they won't be here until early next week. Just as soon as I know I will announce it.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for these new goodies to hit your website....I only hope I can be one of the lucky ones to get my hands on one!
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I received my G2 Crawdaddy in record time (way up here in Canada)- thanks Peter, I absolutely love it :)