PermaCorks!

Hi Everyone,

Well, fall is finally in full swing here and we've had a couple of frosts this past week. The leaves are very late this year and were kind of lackluster in color for much of October, but we're finally seeing some bright reds and yellows. I envision a bunch of raking in my near future!

The projects continue to roll along. I'm almost done with the first round of the new Count Sporkulas and should have those coming maybe late next week. A second version is also nearly done. Bronze Magnum 5 flutes are just done turning and so those will be coming on soon, as well as some stainless Mini 5 flutes. And E115 tools are due back from heat treat any day now, so those will be coming up next week.

Today I have the first round of PermaCorks done. Oh man, these came out so nice...solid 303 stainless steel with a great heft to them, they weigh in at a whopping 2.8 ounces! The rifle knurling is crisp and the slightly conical top adds some sweet visual interest. These little gems will literally last forever....and they will fit most wine, beer and spirit bottles. I have tested quite a few, and so far I have found only one oddball 22 oz bomber beer bottle that was slightly too narrow. But these will fit 99% of standard bottles and to be honest I was quite surprised to discover just how uniform most bottles are.

Use the PermaCorks to dress up your fine whiskey collection or cap off that half bottle of wine. They are great for keeping bugs out of your beer at a picnic, avoid spilling your beer, and you will have no trouble identifying which beer is yours at a party. These will make great gifts as well. 

I tested a few different o-rings and decided that silicone provides the best combination of tightness and lubricity, and they are foodsafe of course. I do recommend an occasional light application of olive or similar cooking oil if the corks seem too tight. Just dab it on and then wipe off as needed, and that will be enough to give them a nice smooth action and perfect seal.

The PermaCorks will run $45 each plus shipping and since the batch is large there is no limit on this sale. I may make more before the holidays too if there is a strong response to them, so plenty are coming. Thanks again for dropping by today and hope you all are enjoying the World Series this weekend!

All gone for today, thank you so much everyone!

Steel R37 Rulers

Hi Everyone,

I'm back! I know you probably thought I fell off the face of the earth and I apologize for the long stretches with no updates. It's just been a crazy time this past few months, full of frustrations, seemingly endless delays and unexpected family responsibilities. All of this has been draining and makes it hard to get into a work routine when your day is constantly being disrupted. But things are finally starting to settle down and hopefully get back to a more even keel.

Project Updates: I'm happy to report that there is some really cool stuff on the way. The E115 tools are at heat treat right now and should be coming back maybe by the end of this week. They will require a bunch more finishing before they are ready to sell, but here is what they looked like a couple of weeks ago before sending out:

Next update, the PermaCork. This is a super cool turning project that I have been dreaming about for more than a year. It's finally happening and they are going to awesome! They are heavy, solid stainless steel, and will fit most beer, wine and spirit bottles. Coming in a week or two:

Next update: Titanium Count Sporkulas. I have three new designs for these on the way. Basic minimalist, fully loaded and adorable mini Count Forkula. Pics coming soon...also almost ready to go to heat treat is a big batch of steel Hangman hooks which are heavily stamped and feature a milled trit slot. More beads are on the way in Mini, Mega and Magnum styles. And an elegant new mini pry bar design has been cut in both steel and titanium and those will be on the way before Christmas. Still on deck are Small Fries without opener, just taking forever to do the grinds.

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Today I finally have the heavy duty CPM 154 Steel R37 Rulers with pry tips done! Man, these were cut in January and I was starting to wonder if I would ever get to the end of the project. But they are ready to go at last and I'm really happy with the way they turned out. These were heat treated as usual but this time I asked S&W to do a black oxide coating at the end. After getting them back, I tumbled off most of the black to give them a greater contrast for the lines and stamps, and overall the steel appears darker than normal. I would call this a "Vintage Industrial" finish.

The tumbling also revealed ghosted images on about half of these from heat treat, where other tools lay up against them in the fire. The result is a really neat look that reminds me of fossil rubbings I did as a kid...almost a batik like effect on some of them. I have left these unoiled so that they don't spoil the product cards but you can increase the contrast a bit by applying WD-40 or similar household oil when you get them...and yes, there are some lefties among these as well.

The steel R37s will run $75 each plus shipping and I will make this a two per customer limit on them. Thanks as always for dropping by today, and of course for your immense amount of patience...and lastly: Go Sox! :)

Rulers are all gone, thank you!