Hey Everyone,
The earlier issues I was having with Paypal not letting me know about all my transactions the day that I received them appears to be 100% fixed. No more issues have come up in the past two sales.
That's the good news. The annoying news is that a whole bunch of people who ordered in the past two sales did not receive the usual notification email from paypal saying that the item had shipped. Also included in that email is the tracking number, naturally. So I have had dozens of people emailing me asking for tracking.
OK, I called paypal and they created a ticket for the problem. They have looked into it and are fixing it right now. This is triggering some delayed emails so you might get an email in the next day or two about the G6 Prybaby saying that it shipped. Just ignore it, as you probably already have the G6 in your hot little hands anyway. :)
Hopefully that straightens these minor issues out since I'd so much rather be grinding tools than looking up transactions and sending people emails....
..................Update............................
Speaking of grinding tools, I am well on the way now with the T-Wrex pry bars and they will be going out to heat treat in a day or two once they have gotten their final tumble. Also, I have been working for two days on the new P15 Prybabies. These are heavy duty, Roid thickness, and they are now fully prepped and ready to do the bevel grinds.
So, much to look forward to and I'm very busy here this week grinding tools. Have a great weekend folks!
Thanks,
Peter
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Wednesday, August 05, 2015
Old Skool Kool
Hi Everyone,
It's shaping up to be a gorgeous early August week here in western Massachusetts. The temps are only going to be in the high 70's for the rest of the week which is really a bit cool for this time of year. I'm not complaining though, it will be good sleeping weather not to mention working weather!
Well, today I have a nice surprise for you. I actually started these little gems back in December of last year so that tells you how long some of these projects sit around before I can finally get my act together and get them moving. But this is how it is in a one man shop and when you have so many different projects underway. My natural inclination is to work on the most recent and therefore "exciting" ideas but of course I was equally excited when I cut these all those months ago. It's not always easy but I have to keep telling myself, "Focus Peter, focus!" :)
Anyway, today I have the great pleasure of offering the G6 Prybaby. These are made of titanium in the usual substantial 5/32 thickness (.160 for all you number wonks with calipers). You will note the old fashioned milled V notch and, and, and... making an appearance after many years of absence, the iconic rear screwdriver tip! If I make more of these in steel I will probably be going to the stronger new style V but not sure yet, this may be the only batch of this model that I make since I have so many other Prybaby designs and variations in the works.
This is a mid sized tool so at exactly 3 inches long it's slightly smaller than the old G5 Prybaby and a good bit smaller than the P10 and P13 models. Because of the reduced size I made the wrench openings with just five sizes so they range from 1/4-1/2".
After much debate I decided to depart from all the color anodizing I've been doing lately. Partly because I have a lot of other anodized things planned but also I know there are a lot of people out there who love titanium and want to be able to carry and use the tools instead of relegating them to the status of shelf queen. So for those folks this is going to be a terrific lightweight user tool. And also it gives the people who like to modify their stuff a nice blank canvas on which to play. In keeping with that idea I decided not to sand and tumble these to death but rather left some small surface irregularities and minor marks. Like I said, pure USERS all the way!
The G6 Prybabies will run $70 plus shipping and the link to purchase is below. The batch is not large so it will be a one per customer sale please. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all enjoy these great tools as much as I enjoyed making them.
G6 Prybabies are gone for now! Thanks very much everyone. :)
It's shaping up to be a gorgeous early August week here in western Massachusetts. The temps are only going to be in the high 70's for the rest of the week which is really a bit cool for this time of year. I'm not complaining though, it will be good sleeping weather not to mention working weather!
Well, today I have a nice surprise for you. I actually started these little gems back in December of last year so that tells you how long some of these projects sit around before I can finally get my act together and get them moving. But this is how it is in a one man shop and when you have so many different projects underway. My natural inclination is to work on the most recent and therefore "exciting" ideas but of course I was equally excited when I cut these all those months ago. It's not always easy but I have to keep telling myself, "Focus Peter, focus!" :)
Anyway, today I have the great pleasure of offering the G6 Prybaby. These are made of titanium in the usual substantial 5/32 thickness (.160 for all you number wonks with calipers). You will note the old fashioned milled V notch and, and, and... making an appearance after many years of absence, the iconic rear screwdriver tip! If I make more of these in steel I will probably be going to the stronger new style V but not sure yet, this may be the only batch of this model that I make since I have so many other Prybaby designs and variations in the works.
This is a mid sized tool so at exactly 3 inches long it's slightly smaller than the old G5 Prybaby and a good bit smaller than the P10 and P13 models. Because of the reduced size I made the wrench openings with just five sizes so they range from 1/4-1/2".
After much debate I decided to depart from all the color anodizing I've been doing lately. Partly because I have a lot of other anodized things planned but also I know there are a lot of people out there who love titanium and want to be able to carry and use the tools instead of relegating them to the status of shelf queen. So for those folks this is going to be a terrific lightweight user tool. And also it gives the people who like to modify their stuff a nice blank canvas on which to play. In keeping with that idea I decided not to sand and tumble these to death but rather left some small surface irregularities and minor marks. Like I said, pure USERS all the way!
The G6 Prybabies will run $70 plus shipping and the link to purchase is below. The batch is not large so it will be a one per customer sale please. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all enjoy these great tools as much as I enjoyed making them.
G6 Prybabies are gone for now! Thanks very much everyone. :)
Saturday, August 01, 2015
A Zombie Christmas in August!
Hi Folks,
Well, it's hard to believe it's August already. How the heck does it happen? Somehow these summer days have been slipping by at a very rapid pace and they're showing no signs of slowing down either.
Well, I had originally planned to do this particular sale in July because to me a "Zombie Christmas in July" just sounds a little more like something the Undead could really get into. But somehow I ran out of days so I guess all those zombies will just have to make due with a later date.
These Five Flute beads are super nice. They have a bit of a semi matte sheen to them and a wonderful deep red anodizing. I believe it is Type II anodizing simply because my source doesn't offer Type III in red. However I think they are more than durable enough as they are now. I have chosen the Zombie/Undead/Toxic/Nightmare or whatever you wish to call it, green and black cord and the combination is very dramatic indeed. Perfect for those who wish to spend their evenings staggering across lawns and eating brains. :)
The Zombie Red 5 Flute beads will run $30 plus shipping and the batch is not very large so I will make this a two per customer limit please so that more folks get a chance to snag one. Perhaps more can be made down the road but right now I'm just not sure when....anyway, thank you AS ALWAYS for stopping by and stay cool this month!
Zombie Reds are gone, thank you so much everyone!
Well, it's hard to believe it's August already. How the heck does it happen? Somehow these summer days have been slipping by at a very rapid pace and they're showing no signs of slowing down either.
Well, I had originally planned to do this particular sale in July because to me a "Zombie Christmas in July" just sounds a little more like something the Undead could really get into. But somehow I ran out of days so I guess all those zombies will just have to make due with a later date.
These Five Flute beads are super nice. They have a bit of a semi matte sheen to them and a wonderful deep red anodizing. I believe it is Type II anodizing simply because my source doesn't offer Type III in red. However I think they are more than durable enough as they are now. I have chosen the Zombie/Undead/Toxic/Nightmare or whatever you wish to call it, green and black cord and the combination is very dramatic indeed. Perfect for those who wish to spend their evenings staggering across lawns and eating brains. :)
The Zombie Red 5 Flute beads will run $30 plus shipping and the batch is not very large so I will make this a two per customer limit please so that more folks get a chance to snag one. Perhaps more can be made down the road but right now I'm just not sure when....anyway, thank you AS ALWAYS for stopping by and stay cool this month!
Zombie Reds are gone, thank you so much everyone!
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Wheelman Winners!
Wow, once again I am amazed at the great turn out! Thank you so much for your interest. :)
OK, here is the list and I will be sending out emails shortly:
Thanks again folks, really appreciate it and have a great week!
OK, here is the list and I will be sending out emails shortly:
Thanks again folks, really appreciate it and have a great week!
Fancy Wheelman Sign Up Sale
Hi Everyone,
Well, the heat and humidity has finally found us this week. That's OK though, I'd still take this weather any day over the freezing cold of winter. But it's a good week to stay down in the cool basement shop and get some projects moving.
Today I have a few fancy Wheelmen available. It has been a while since I have done up any tools with the old style patterning and I'd like to get back to doing a bit more of it. My patterning equipment has been out of commission for some time and although it is not 100% back in business I'm slowly getting there. I still have a bunch of stuff to rebuild and am always on the lookout for new finishing methods too...patterns below include Coral Reef, Reverse Coral Reef, Jungle Stripes and Bubbles.
Since there are only 14 of these tools we will do this as a Sign Up Sale. Please remember that it's a strict one entry per person limit and any duplicates will be discarded. Winning entrants can choose which tool they want or leave it up to me. They are all nice though so I think everyone will be happy. :)
The Fancy Wheelmen will run $85 plus shipping and the link to sign up is below. The Sign Up period will run until 12 Noon Eastern time. After that I will shut down the sign up, draw the winners by random number and send out emails to them shortly afterwards. Please make sure your email is valid or I will have no way to contact you. And please do check your email as well as the winner list so you don't miss the purchase link.
The Sign Up period is over, thanks so much to everyone who participated! I will post the list of winners shortly.
List of Entrants
Sign Up Sale Rules
Well, the heat and humidity has finally found us this week. That's OK though, I'd still take this weather any day over the freezing cold of winter. But it's a good week to stay down in the cool basement shop and get some projects moving.
Today I have a few fancy Wheelmen available. It has been a while since I have done up any tools with the old style patterning and I'd like to get back to doing a bit more of it. My patterning equipment has been out of commission for some time and although it is not 100% back in business I'm slowly getting there. I still have a bunch of stuff to rebuild and am always on the lookout for new finishing methods too...patterns below include Coral Reef, Reverse Coral Reef, Jungle Stripes and Bubbles.
Since there are only 14 of these tools we will do this as a Sign Up Sale. Please remember that it's a strict one entry per person limit and any duplicates will be discarded. Winning entrants can choose which tool they want or leave it up to me. They are all nice though so I think everyone will be happy. :)
The Fancy Wheelmen will run $85 plus shipping and the link to sign up is below. The Sign Up period will run until 12 Noon Eastern time. After that I will shut down the sign up, draw the winners by random number and send out emails to them shortly afterwards. Please make sure your email is valid or I will have no way to contact you. And please do check your email as well as the winner list so you don't miss the purchase link.
The Sign Up period is over, thanks so much to everyone who participated! I will post the list of winners shortly.
List of Entrants
Sign Up Sale Rules
Friday, July 24, 2015
Reminders and Info
Hi Folks,
Just a friendly reminder that I have all sorts of goodies coming up over the next several weeks. Working frantically on them right now...probably no sale today however as it is a family holiday.
With that in mind, please help me out and ensure you get your stuff in a timely manner by making sure that your Paypal addresses are up to date. I had to chase a few folks down recently for bad zip codes, old addresses, etc...
Also, lately Paypal has been having a bit of trouble. On the last two big sales I had orders suddenly appear two days afterwards. These were orders that were made during the time the sale was open but for some reason were lost in the system. Even though I reloaded the Paypal Payments Received list many times while making mailing labels and again a day later these orders never showed up. Finally, a week or two later I got emails from folks saying they never got their item, so I went back and sure enough, NOW those orders are there in the list. It's a bit frustrating to get through the whole sale and get everything packaged up only to find out that some orders got missed because of weird internal issues at Paypal. Luckily I had a few extra tools and was able to fulfill the lost orders.
So, with that in mind, be aware that after a sale is over I will be making mailing labels and doing up the packages. Usually I am done in anywhere from 4-8 hours. When I create the label you will receive an email from Paypal with tracking. If you do not receive an email confirmation within 24-48 hours (give them time just in case the system is backed up) please drop me a note and make sure that I got the order.
I'll be going easy for the next sale or two with a couple of small volume SUSales just to make sure paypal has their act together. ;)
Thanks again everyone and hope you all have a great weekend!
Just a friendly reminder that I have all sorts of goodies coming up over the next several weeks. Working frantically on them right now...probably no sale today however as it is a family holiday.
With that in mind, please help me out and ensure you get your stuff in a timely manner by making sure that your Paypal addresses are up to date. I had to chase a few folks down recently for bad zip codes, old addresses, etc...
Also, lately Paypal has been having a bit of trouble. On the last two big sales I had orders suddenly appear two days afterwards. These were orders that were made during the time the sale was open but for some reason were lost in the system. Even though I reloaded the Paypal Payments Received list many times while making mailing labels and again a day later these orders never showed up. Finally, a week or two later I got emails from folks saying they never got their item, so I went back and sure enough, NOW those orders are there in the list. It's a bit frustrating to get through the whole sale and get everything packaged up only to find out that some orders got missed because of weird internal issues at Paypal. Luckily I had a few extra tools and was able to fulfill the lost orders.
So, with that in mind, be aware that after a sale is over I will be making mailing labels and doing up the packages. Usually I am done in anywhere from 4-8 hours. When I create the label you will receive an email from Paypal with tracking. If you do not receive an email confirmation within 24-48 hours (give them time just in case the system is backed up) please drop me a note and make sure that I got the order.
I'll be going easy for the next sale or two with a couple of small volume SUSales just to make sure paypal has their act together. ;)
Thanks again everyone and hope you all have a great weekend!
Monday, July 13, 2015
Wheelman Key Fobs
Hi Everyone,
It's a warm summer week here in the hills of Western MA. I don't dare complain too much about heat though because I'd always rather see it hot than what we go through at the opposite time of year.
Projects are humming along nicely. Once the decks are cleared of the current offering I will be turning my attention to finishing those T Wrex tools and sending them off to heat treat later this week. Then I'll start grinding the Mini Wedgies after that. SEVERAL totally unexpected little surprises came up last week so stay tuned for more info on those, but I can tell you right now that there's going to be a LOT of happy Atwoodites later this summer if I can get all these done. Hint, one's a metal that begins with T and another that begins with a letter that's later in the alphabet. ;)
So today I finally have the Wheelman Bike Tools finished. This is a minimalist version of the old model. While I liked the originals very much, I felt they were quite huge and heavy. Plus, the dual over and under bits were a little too much for the O-rings to handle. So, I went back to drawing board and came up with something a bit simpler.
The Wheelman tools are designed to ride on the keys as a key fob. They feature a 15mm axle wrench, all three common spoke wrench sizes, a cap lifter, a 1/4 hex opening, a tire lever/pry tip and a lanyard or key ring attachment point. In addition, I have given these aggressive side grips. The material is .160 (5/32) titanium and they measure 3.75 inches long by 1 inch wide at the widest end so they are fairly substantial in size.
This first batch is all titanium and as usual with my ti batches the colors vary widely from solids to color fades. There a ton of variations here. Another much bigger batch in steel will be coming later this summer or early fall once I get my lazy butt in gear and start grinding them.
The Wheelman tools will run $70 plus shipping. It's a one per customer sale for this run please and the order link is below. Thanks for stopping in, and also for your endless patience and enthusiasm for my little creations!
Wheelmen are gone for now, thank you everyone!
It's a warm summer week here in the hills of Western MA. I don't dare complain too much about heat though because I'd always rather see it hot than what we go through at the opposite time of year.
Projects are humming along nicely. Once the decks are cleared of the current offering I will be turning my attention to finishing those T Wrex tools and sending them off to heat treat later this week. Then I'll start grinding the Mini Wedgies after that. SEVERAL totally unexpected little surprises came up last week so stay tuned for more info on those, but I can tell you right now that there's going to be a LOT of happy Atwoodites later this summer if I can get all these done. Hint, one's a metal that begins with T and another that begins with a letter that's later in the alphabet. ;)
So today I finally have the Wheelman Bike Tools finished. This is a minimalist version of the old model. While I liked the originals very much, I felt they were quite huge and heavy. Plus, the dual over and under bits were a little too much for the O-rings to handle. So, I went back to drawing board and came up with something a bit simpler.
The Wheelman tools are designed to ride on the keys as a key fob. They feature a 15mm axle wrench, all three common spoke wrench sizes, a cap lifter, a 1/4 hex opening, a tire lever/pry tip and a lanyard or key ring attachment point. In addition, I have given these aggressive side grips. The material is .160 (5/32) titanium and they measure 3.75 inches long by 1 inch wide at the widest end so they are fairly substantial in size.
This first batch is all titanium and as usual with my ti batches the colors vary widely from solids to color fades. There a ton of variations here. Another much bigger batch in steel will be coming later this summer or early fall once I get my lazy butt in gear and start grinding them.
The Wheelman tools will run $70 plus shipping. It's a one per customer sale for this run please and the order link is below. Thanks for stopping in, and also for your endless patience and enthusiasm for my little creations!
Wheelmen are gone for now, thank you everyone!
Saturday, July 04, 2015
Winner List
Thanks for the great turnout everyone! Here is the list of winners and emails are going out to them now. And a donation for $540 has already been made to Fisher House Foundation. Happy 4th to you all and thanks again to the military service members and their families. :)
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
Thank You Military Families!
Happy Independence Day Everyone!
Today I thought I might offer up a little thank you to the men and women who serve in our armed forces and their families. We sure do appreciate their hard work and sacrifice.
To mark the day and honor them I have made just 6 red, white and blue keyfobs using anodized titanium, white Delrin and red anodized aluminum five flute Lanslide beads. This will be a Sign Up Sale and will run for one hour, from 12 Noon eastern time to 1PM eastern time today. Afterwards I will pick the 6 winners by random number and send them the sales link.
One entry per person please! It's been a while since I did one of these so if you haven't entered a Sign Up Sale before please take time to read the rules.
These special fobs will run $95 each shipped and all proceeds are going to be donated to Fisher House Foundation whose vital work supports our wounded veterans and their visiting families. They make us proud and we can't thank them enough.
SUSale is over. Thank you so much everyone! I'm sure the Fisher House Foundation will be delighted for your support as well. I will post the list of winners in a few minutes and send emails. Thanks again and have a great weekend. :)
SUSale Rules: Please Read!
SUSale Entrants List
Today I thought I might offer up a little thank you to the men and women who serve in our armed forces and their families. We sure do appreciate their hard work and sacrifice.
To mark the day and honor them I have made just 6 red, white and blue keyfobs using anodized titanium, white Delrin and red anodized aluminum five flute Lanslide beads. This will be a Sign Up Sale and will run for one hour, from 12 Noon eastern time to 1PM eastern time today. Afterwards I will pick the 6 winners by random number and send them the sales link.
One entry per person please! It's been a while since I did one of these so if you haven't entered a Sign Up Sale before please take time to read the rules.
These special fobs will run $95 each shipped and all proceeds are going to be donated to Fisher House Foundation whose vital work supports our wounded veterans and their visiting families. They make us proud and we can't thank them enough.
SUSale is over. Thank you so much everyone! I'm sure the Fisher House Foundation will be delighted for your support as well. I will post the list of winners in a few minutes and send emails. Thanks again and have a great weekend. :)
SUSale Rules: Please Read!
SUSale Entrants List
Thursday, July 02, 2015
FunnyBones
Hi Folks and Happy Independence Day Weekend!
Man, I simply can't believe it's July already. I have a funny feeling that this summer is going to fly by in a flash... It's a little gloomy and humid here today but we're supposed to have great sunny weather for the holiday weekend.
Things continue to progress nicely in the shop this week. My cleanup and reorganization efforts are paying off hugely already and it's making a big difference. Now to turn my attention more intently towards production.
Speaking of production, the Wheelman bike tools are coming along very well and I should finally be ready for a sale sometime in the next week. The T-Wrex tools just need some minor grinds and cleanup and they will be ready to go out the door to heat treat, figure two days of solid work left on them. The 3V Mini Wedgies in the same thick stock are started and will be next in line for grinding, followed by the Semi Roid P15 Prybabies. Now that I have everything more organized I can see all the other projects lined up too and I can tell you there is much grinding in my future. :)
Today I have the new FunnyBones done. These are made of my usual 5/32 (.160) CPM 154 steel and they are quite similar to the original design. I made some small tweaks such as changing the edge grips, replacing the old metric set with the same odd number set 5-15mm from the metric Atwrench project, and the cap lifter is now round instead of wrenchy. All in all a very simple but solid tool and a handy one for your pocket, toolbox or car.
FunnyBones will run $65 plus shipping and the link to purchase is below. It's a small batch so one per customer on them please. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a marvelous and relaxing 4th of July weekend ahead!
FunnyBones are gone for now, thanks again everyone!
Man, I simply can't believe it's July already. I have a funny feeling that this summer is going to fly by in a flash... It's a little gloomy and humid here today but we're supposed to have great sunny weather for the holiday weekend.
Things continue to progress nicely in the shop this week. My cleanup and reorganization efforts are paying off hugely already and it's making a big difference. Now to turn my attention more intently towards production.
Speaking of production, the Wheelman bike tools are coming along very well and I should finally be ready for a sale sometime in the next week. The T-Wrex tools just need some minor grinds and cleanup and they will be ready to go out the door to heat treat, figure two days of solid work left on them. The 3V Mini Wedgies in the same thick stock are started and will be next in line for grinding, followed by the Semi Roid P15 Prybabies. Now that I have everything more organized I can see all the other projects lined up too and I can tell you there is much grinding in my future. :)
Today I have the new FunnyBones done. These are made of my usual 5/32 (.160) CPM 154 steel and they are quite similar to the original design. I made some small tweaks such as changing the edge grips, replacing the old metric set with the same odd number set 5-15mm from the metric Atwrench project, and the cap lifter is now round instead of wrenchy. All in all a very simple but solid tool and a handy one for your pocket, toolbox or car.
FunnyBones will run $65 plus shipping and the link to purchase is below. It's a small batch so one per customer on them please. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a marvelous and relaxing 4th of July weekend ahead!
FunnyBones are gone for now, thanks again everyone!
Friday, June 19, 2015
Black Delrin 5 Flutes
Hi Folks,
It's another lovely Friday here in western MA. We're having a string of terrific weather lately and it looks like the pleasant temps will continue for the next week at least.
I've been quite busy in the shop this past week and am almost done with my cleanup and reorganization. One of the biggest messes was the older sandblast cabinet system and that's much better now that I have the leaks fixed and put it on a mobile cart so I can move it around and clean under it. I also installed an industrial air hose reel so I can get stray hoses off the floor and stop tripping over them. These changes were long overdue! Little by little these kind of small improvements will make it a lot more pleasant and healthier work environment.
I've also been busy on developing designs and have oodles of new ideas drawn up. I think you will really like some of the stuff coming up this summer and fall...for instance: the P15 Prybaby, a new 3v steel Wedgie design and a reprise of one of the older captive bit designs.
People keep asking about rulers. I have not gone any further on the 3 inch ruler project. I am not sure it will happen this year or not due to the tremendous amount of work and expense that the R25 project ended up taking, far more than I had originally thought and frankly a ridiculous amount of energy spent for such a tiny tool. If I can get a handle on those factors maybe a 3 inch version will be forthcoming but for now it is on the back burner.
I still haven't started grinding the T-Wrex tools beyond a first pass on the edges and an initial tumble but they are on deck for bevel grinding and finishing before they get sent out for heat treat. Mini FunnyBones are very close to a final finish and coming up next, and hopefully to be followed shortly thereafter by the ti Wheelman.
Today I have the Black Delrin 5 Flute Lanslide batch completed. These make a nice companion to the White Delrin Lanslides and once again, are featherlight and quite tough. They will run $25 each plus shipping and no limit on quantity. After these are gone I think I will be moving on from beads for a while and concentrating on tools so this is probably it for at least a couple of months...as usual, order link is below and thanks so much everyone for stopping by!
Black Delrin are gone, thanks again folks and have a terrific weekend!
It's another lovely Friday here in western MA. We're having a string of terrific weather lately and it looks like the pleasant temps will continue for the next week at least.
I've been quite busy in the shop this past week and am almost done with my cleanup and reorganization. One of the biggest messes was the older sandblast cabinet system and that's much better now that I have the leaks fixed and put it on a mobile cart so I can move it around and clean under it. I also installed an industrial air hose reel so I can get stray hoses off the floor and stop tripping over them. These changes were long overdue! Little by little these kind of small improvements will make it a lot more pleasant and healthier work environment.
I've also been busy on developing designs and have oodles of new ideas drawn up. I think you will really like some of the stuff coming up this summer and fall...for instance: the P15 Prybaby, a new 3v steel Wedgie design and a reprise of one of the older captive bit designs.
People keep asking about rulers. I have not gone any further on the 3 inch ruler project. I am not sure it will happen this year or not due to the tremendous amount of work and expense that the R25 project ended up taking, far more than I had originally thought and frankly a ridiculous amount of energy spent for such a tiny tool. If I can get a handle on those factors maybe a 3 inch version will be forthcoming but for now it is on the back burner.
I still haven't started grinding the T-Wrex tools beyond a first pass on the edges and an initial tumble but they are on deck for bevel grinding and finishing before they get sent out for heat treat. Mini FunnyBones are very close to a final finish and coming up next, and hopefully to be followed shortly thereafter by the ti Wheelman.
Today I have the Black Delrin 5 Flute Lanslide batch completed. These make a nice companion to the White Delrin Lanslides and once again, are featherlight and quite tough. They will run $25 each plus shipping and no limit on quantity. After these are gone I think I will be moving on from beads for a while and concentrating on tools so this is probably it for at least a couple of months...as usual, order link is below and thanks so much everyone for stopping by!
Black Delrin are gone, thanks again folks and have a terrific weekend!
Tuesday, June 09, 2015
ChillyBeans!
Hello Again Everyone,
Well I seem to be on a roll this week with the sales and today I have yet another little project to bring you. At the suggestion of the great knife dealer Gary Moore of Moore Cutlery (check him out!) I decided to make a small run of stainless steel "whiskey stones". This idea has been around for a few years and I have seen them in several different materials but never tried them out. I figured what better way to try them than to simply make a little batch?
The idea behind these is a simple one: You can use them to chill your drink but do so without diluting it. In my limited testing I found that the frozen ChillyBeans can chill a standard shot of spirits from room temperature down about 15 degrees. An ice cube was far more effective and took the temp down about twice that much...but, it dilutes the drink. So for those who prefer their slightly chilled spirits neat this might be just the thing and for those who like it colder then you might want to stick with good old ice. Or, you can also try a hybrid approach and encase the ChillyBean in ice so you get only a small amount of dilution but more temperature lowering power. Yet another method, combine with a chilled BigShot or Tippler. Lots to play with and I sense some amusing and possibly drunken experiments are in store. :)
The ChillyBeans are made of marine grade 316 stainless steel, the same stuff they make dive watch cases from. They are large, measuring 1 inch in diameter and a hair over 1 inch in length, and they weigh in at an impressive 3 ounces. Shown below next to my standard 5 flute Mega bead. Little monsters they are...
You can stick them in the dishwasher if you wish. The centers are drilled through with a 1/4" hole so you can place them on the upright sticks inside the dishwasher. Or, if you are not inclined to use them as bar ware and you have huge paws, you can use them as very large very heavy beads, or as dandy little paperweights.
ChillyBeans run $55 plus shipping and the link is below. It's a fairly small batch but I will make it a limit of two per customer on them. I could always do another run if the demand is there...as always, thank you for checking in and remember to Please Chill Responsibly!
ChillyBeans are gone for now, thank you so much folks!
Well I seem to be on a roll this week with the sales and today I have yet another little project to bring you. At the suggestion of the great knife dealer Gary Moore of Moore Cutlery (check him out!) I decided to make a small run of stainless steel "whiskey stones". This idea has been around for a few years and I have seen them in several different materials but never tried them out. I figured what better way to try them than to simply make a little batch?
The idea behind these is a simple one: You can use them to chill your drink but do so without diluting it. In my limited testing I found that the frozen ChillyBeans can chill a standard shot of spirits from room temperature down about 15 degrees. An ice cube was far more effective and took the temp down about twice that much...but, it dilutes the drink. So for those who prefer their slightly chilled spirits neat this might be just the thing and for those who like it colder then you might want to stick with good old ice. Or, you can also try a hybrid approach and encase the ChillyBean in ice so you get only a small amount of dilution but more temperature lowering power. Yet another method, combine with a chilled BigShot or Tippler. Lots to play with and I sense some amusing and possibly drunken experiments are in store. :)
The ChillyBeans are made of marine grade 316 stainless steel, the same stuff they make dive watch cases from. They are large, measuring 1 inch in diameter and a hair over 1 inch in length, and they weigh in at an impressive 3 ounces. Shown below next to my standard 5 flute Mega bead. Little monsters they are...
You can stick them in the dishwasher if you wish. The centers are drilled through with a 1/4" hole so you can place them on the upright sticks inside the dishwasher. Or, if you are not inclined to use them as bar ware and you have huge paws, you can use them as very large very heavy beads, or as dandy little paperweights.
ChillyBeans run $55 plus shipping and the link is below. It's a fairly small batch but I will make it a limit of two per customer on them. I could always do another run if the demand is there...as always, thank you for checking in and remember to Please Chill Responsibly!
ChillyBeans are gone for now, thank you so much folks!
Sunday, June 07, 2015
P13 Prybabies!
Hi Everyone,
Happy Sunday! It's a beauty here, perfect temps today and low humidity. If only the whole summer was going to be this nice...I wanted to go for a nice country drive today but the wife didn't so I figured why not do a little sale. Anything to get out of more household chores. :)
Today I have the long promised P13 Prybabies finished. These are the usual 5/32 thick (.160) and the steel is one of the Bad Boys of tool steels, the super tough CPM 3V, with a stonewashed finish. Like the P10 Prybaby, the wrench set features 1/4-9/16, plus the dedicated 1/4 hex and round lanyard openings. These are the exact same footprint as the P10 but the edge grips are my Sine Wave style rather than the Hexi Edge.
The batch is once again very modest in size so these will be one per customer please. They run $70 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks again for stopping in and have a marvelous and relaxing rest of the weekend!
P13 Prybabies are gone, thank you so much everyone!
Happy Sunday! It's a beauty here, perfect temps today and low humidity. If only the whole summer was going to be this nice...I wanted to go for a nice country drive today but the wife didn't so I figured why not do a little sale. Anything to get out of more household chores. :)
Today I have the long promised P13 Prybabies finished. These are the usual 5/32 thick (.160) and the steel is one of the Bad Boys of tool steels, the super tough CPM 3V, with a stonewashed finish. Like the P10 Prybaby, the wrench set features 1/4-9/16, plus the dedicated 1/4 hex and round lanyard openings. These are the exact same footprint as the P10 but the edge grips are my Sine Wave style rather than the Hexi Edge.
The batch is once again very modest in size so these will be one per customer please. They run $70 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks again for stopping in and have a marvelous and relaxing rest of the weekend!
P13 Prybabies are gone, thank you so much everyone!
Friday, June 05, 2015
Carbon Fiber RubRats!
Howdy Folks,
And a very Happy Friday to you all! We're heading into an absolutely gorgeous weekend here in Massachusetts. Perfect temps in the mid 70's.
Things are rolling right along this week. I've been running around like a madman doing all sorts of things in the shop and continuing my spring cleanup efforts. Hauled two loads of junk to the dump and have been reorganizing and doing general cleanup type stuff. Finally the shop is starting to look less like a swamp and more like a place that I feel like spending some time in this summer.
I just got the Mini FunnyBones off to heat treat a couple of days ago and I'm getting the P13 Prybabies cleaned up and ready for finishing in the next couple of days. In addition, the new titanium Wheelman bike tools are well underway and those will be completed in a week or two as well. So we have all kind of new tools on the way this month in addition to the rest of the Delrin beads and possibly even another thing or two...
Today I have the carbon fiber RubRats finished. These are a slick little item that I have been testing for the past two months and I absolutely love them. I first had this idea quite a long time ago but just finally got around to making them happen. Now I'm wondering why I waited so long.
RubRats are a little partition or spacer item for your keychain. Use them to organize your keys. Your house keys, your car keys, your misc locks etc can all be separated into groups if you wish for easy and fast access. RubRats also help keep your valuable and delicate pocket tools from rubbing against your keys or other tools so you can have a way to carry and actually enjoy them rather than worrying that they are going to get trashed.
The RubRats are made of solid .060 carbon fiber so they are very durable while remaining thin and unobtrusive. The classy low luster finish is stunning, especially when the light hits it at an angle. They weigh almost nothing and blend in easily among your keys. These are the small size at 2.5 inches OAL and I'm already looking into a possible second run with a slightly larger footprint.
RubRats will run $25 plus shipping and the order link is below. It's a nice size batch so no limit on the quantity. Thanks for checking in this week and I hope your early summer is shaping up to be a great one!
RubRats are gone for today but I will have a few more coming. Thanks everyone, and have a terrific weekend. :)
And a very Happy Friday to you all! We're heading into an absolutely gorgeous weekend here in Massachusetts. Perfect temps in the mid 70's.
Things are rolling right along this week. I've been running around like a madman doing all sorts of things in the shop and continuing my spring cleanup efforts. Hauled two loads of junk to the dump and have been reorganizing and doing general cleanup type stuff. Finally the shop is starting to look less like a swamp and more like a place that I feel like spending some time in this summer.
I just got the Mini FunnyBones off to heat treat a couple of days ago and I'm getting the P13 Prybabies cleaned up and ready for finishing in the next couple of days. In addition, the new titanium Wheelman bike tools are well underway and those will be completed in a week or two as well. So we have all kind of new tools on the way this month in addition to the rest of the Delrin beads and possibly even another thing or two...
Today I have the carbon fiber RubRats finished. These are a slick little item that I have been testing for the past two months and I absolutely love them. I first had this idea quite a long time ago but just finally got around to making them happen. Now I'm wondering why I waited so long.
RubRats are a little partition or spacer item for your keychain. Use them to organize your keys. Your house keys, your car keys, your misc locks etc can all be separated into groups if you wish for easy and fast access. RubRats also help keep your valuable and delicate pocket tools from rubbing against your keys or other tools so you can have a way to carry and actually enjoy them rather than worrying that they are going to get trashed.
The RubRats are made of solid .060 carbon fiber so they are very durable while remaining thin and unobtrusive. The classy low luster finish is stunning, especially when the light hits it at an angle. They weigh almost nothing and blend in easily among your keys. These are the small size at 2.5 inches OAL and I'm already looking into a possible second run with a slightly larger footprint.
RubRats will run $25 plus shipping and the order link is below. It's a nice size batch so no limit on the quantity. Thanks for checking in this week and I hope your early summer is shaping up to be a great one!
RubRats are gone for today but I will have a few more coming. Thanks everyone, and have a terrific weekend. :)
Friday, May 29, 2015
White 5 Flutes
Happy Friday Everyone!
Summer is creeping up on us this week and we finally got a few brief rainstorms to relieve our parched lawns and gardens. We could use a whole lot more though and it does look like more storms are in the forecast this coming week. I can't remember having a spring this dry before in my whole life. Crazy weather...
I'm rapidly finishing several minor projects this week and have some items ready to go. Today I have beautiful 5 Flute beads in white Delrin. This is a high strength plastic material from Dupont, also known as acetal resin, and it is very tough and lightweight. It also machines well and so is used widely in industrial applications and in countless products. It does not stain or hold dirt so is a great choice if you want something extremely durable in a white color that will stay white no matter what happens to it. I paired it up with a fantastic "Rockstar" rainbow cord and the two work very well together.
A sister batch of black Delrin 5 flutes will be done next week so that will make for two permanent 5 Flute color choices that are colored through and through and do not rely on coatings or anodizing to maintain color.
White Delrin 5 Flutes will run $25 each plus shipping and no limit on the batch. As always, thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic weekend everyone!
White ones are gone for now, thank you so much!
Summer is creeping up on us this week and we finally got a few brief rainstorms to relieve our parched lawns and gardens. We could use a whole lot more though and it does look like more storms are in the forecast this coming week. I can't remember having a spring this dry before in my whole life. Crazy weather...
I'm rapidly finishing several minor projects this week and have some items ready to go. Today I have beautiful 5 Flute beads in white Delrin. This is a high strength plastic material from Dupont, also known as acetal resin, and it is very tough and lightweight. It also machines well and so is used widely in industrial applications and in countless products. It does not stain or hold dirt so is a great choice if you want something extremely durable in a white color that will stay white no matter what happens to it. I paired it up with a fantastic "Rockstar" rainbow cord and the two work very well together.
A sister batch of black Delrin 5 flutes will be done next week so that will make for two permanent 5 Flute color choices that are colored through and through and do not rely on coatings or anodizing to maintain color.
White Delrin 5 Flutes will run $25 each plus shipping and no limit on the batch. As always, thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic weekend everyone!
White ones are gone for now, thank you so much!
Friday, May 22, 2015
GripCoins!
Hi Folks,
We're headed into the holiday weekend and the weather is simply glorious, albeit a bit dry. We could use some rain here soon or the farmers are going to be suffering.
At any rate, the projects are moving full steam ahead. P13 Prybabies are at heat treat and should be coming back in a week or so. I am almost done with Mini FunnyBones and hope to get them sent out in a couple of days...The little T-Wrex Roid tools that I posted on the ToolBook will be on deck for grinding right after FunnyBones. And two new Prybaby designs got added to the queue just this week as well as another updated older item.
Coming up around the end of next week will be Carbon Fiber RubRats. These are a slick little keychain spacer item to help prevent your fancy pocket tools from getting scratched up by your other keychain items...like keys for instance. :)
Also coming are Chilly Beans. These are my stainless steel version of the "whiskey stone" and are a turned item. Basically a Giant Super Mega Bead.
Also on the way are ultralight black delrin 5 flute beads...and also white delrin 5 flutes. These are turning right now and I will be tying a lot of cord this weekend in preparation for them.
Today I have the long promised GripCoins finished. What exactly is a GripCoin you ask? Well, this is an interesting concept that I have been thinking about for quite some time. On older cameras especially, the ergonomics are such that using one for any length of time can result in severe hand fatigue. And hand fatigue means you may miss the shot. If you study the evolution of camera design you will see that the big manufacturers began to incorporate better grips starting in the 1980's. Very aggressive grip designs have appeared in the more recent cameras of the past decade or so, often making them quite bulky. Some notable exceptions are Leica which apparently will not relate to this issue whatsoever. If you look around you will see add on items meant to address the problem such as the Thumbs Up or leather half cases with a thumb bump built into it.
Anyhow, the minimalist design ethos absolutely predominates in today's smaller point and shoots and in other electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets. Manufacturers are looking for the simplest and cheapest method of production and ergonomics for the user appear to be an afterthought. Instead they rely on more and more complicated software features to keep us mesmerized and distracted from physical design. They make these devices so darned slippery that it's a wonder anyone can hold them....so I set out to find a simple solution.
Enter the GripCoin, a concave stainless steel disc with a low profile and 3/4 inch diameter. The inside of the GripCoin is stepped to provide both a visually appealing and a positive grip surface for fingertips. The outside is knurled to create a second way to grip the disc, by wrapping fingers or thumbs AROUND it. The round shape means that this becomes a 360 degree custom grip point that can be added to virtually any clean flat surface.
To adhere GripCoins to devices I turned to specialty adhesives. It turns out that our friends at 3M have the solution, a special high tack thin film adhesive called 300 LSE. This stuff is available in precut discs which work perfectly for this application. It's slightly expensive but well worth it. The adhesive is very sticky and can even take considerable side pressure without coming off. But, if you want to remove it and reposition the GripCoin it is very simple, just warm it slightly with a hair dryer and carefully pry it up with fingernail or pry tool. (You do have pry tools available right? :D) Any tiny amount of remaining residue will easily come off by rubbing with a finger....
GripCoins are definitely repositionable but I recommend that you try a piece of doubled up painter's tape or Scotch tape first to get a firm idea where you want the grip to be, then go ahead and use the provided adhesive disc for permanent positioning. I will be including two discs of adhesive with each GripCoin so there will be a backup if you mess up or exhaust the sticky surface of the first one. And I can provide additional adhesive discs for a small cost.
One word of warning, the adhesive appears to be totally safe for most surfaces but does have the potential to damage delicate leathers if you lift up at a sharp angle. So you are on your own if you stick them onto older cameras with fine leather coverings. Use some common sense!
The difference in ergonomics that this tool makes is often dramatic and is instantly apparent. Stick them onto fine film and digital cameras, pocket point and shoots, sporting goods, large flat folding knife handles and the backs of cell phones and tablets. I think there may even be some applications in some sporting goods and perhaps certain firearm grips. I leave it up to the creative and inventive EDC community to find ways to use these that I may not even have thought of...and if you have no grippy use for them then they also make neat little "worry stones" for your pocket.
The GripCoins will run $25 each plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a relaxing weekend ahead!
GripCoins are sold out for now, thank you very much everyone!
We're headed into the holiday weekend and the weather is simply glorious, albeit a bit dry. We could use some rain here soon or the farmers are going to be suffering.
At any rate, the projects are moving full steam ahead. P13 Prybabies are at heat treat and should be coming back in a week or so. I am almost done with Mini FunnyBones and hope to get them sent out in a couple of days...The little T-Wrex Roid tools that I posted on the ToolBook will be on deck for grinding right after FunnyBones. And two new Prybaby designs got added to the queue just this week as well as another updated older item.
Coming up around the end of next week will be Carbon Fiber RubRats. These are a slick little keychain spacer item to help prevent your fancy pocket tools from getting scratched up by your other keychain items...like keys for instance. :)
Also coming are Chilly Beans. These are my stainless steel version of the "whiskey stone" and are a turned item. Basically a Giant Super Mega Bead.
Also on the way are ultralight black delrin 5 flute beads...and also white delrin 5 flutes. These are turning right now and I will be tying a lot of cord this weekend in preparation for them.
Today I have the long promised GripCoins finished. What exactly is a GripCoin you ask? Well, this is an interesting concept that I have been thinking about for quite some time. On older cameras especially, the ergonomics are such that using one for any length of time can result in severe hand fatigue. And hand fatigue means you may miss the shot. If you study the evolution of camera design you will see that the big manufacturers began to incorporate better grips starting in the 1980's. Very aggressive grip designs have appeared in the more recent cameras of the past decade or so, often making them quite bulky. Some notable exceptions are Leica which apparently will not relate to this issue whatsoever. If you look around you will see add on items meant to address the problem such as the Thumbs Up or leather half cases with a thumb bump built into it.
Anyhow, the minimalist design ethos absolutely predominates in today's smaller point and shoots and in other electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets. Manufacturers are looking for the simplest and cheapest method of production and ergonomics for the user appear to be an afterthought. Instead they rely on more and more complicated software features to keep us mesmerized and distracted from physical design. They make these devices so darned slippery that it's a wonder anyone can hold them....so I set out to find a simple solution.
Enter the GripCoin, a concave stainless steel disc with a low profile and 3/4 inch diameter. The inside of the GripCoin is stepped to provide both a visually appealing and a positive grip surface for fingertips. The outside is knurled to create a second way to grip the disc, by wrapping fingers or thumbs AROUND it. The round shape means that this becomes a 360 degree custom grip point that can be added to virtually any clean flat surface.
To adhere GripCoins to devices I turned to specialty adhesives. It turns out that our friends at 3M have the solution, a special high tack thin film adhesive called 300 LSE. This stuff is available in precut discs which work perfectly for this application. It's slightly expensive but well worth it. The adhesive is very sticky and can even take considerable side pressure without coming off. But, if you want to remove it and reposition the GripCoin it is very simple, just warm it slightly with a hair dryer and carefully pry it up with fingernail or pry tool. (You do have pry tools available right? :D) Any tiny amount of remaining residue will easily come off by rubbing with a finger....
GripCoins are definitely repositionable but I recommend that you try a piece of doubled up painter's tape or Scotch tape first to get a firm idea where you want the grip to be, then go ahead and use the provided adhesive disc for permanent positioning. I will be including two discs of adhesive with each GripCoin so there will be a backup if you mess up or exhaust the sticky surface of the first one. And I can provide additional adhesive discs for a small cost.
One word of warning, the adhesive appears to be totally safe for most surfaces but does have the potential to damage delicate leathers if you lift up at a sharp angle. So you are on your own if you stick them onto older cameras with fine leather coverings. Use some common sense!
The difference in ergonomics that this tool makes is often dramatic and is instantly apparent. Stick them onto fine film and digital cameras, pocket point and shoots, sporting goods, large flat folding knife handles and the backs of cell phones and tablets. I think there may even be some applications in some sporting goods and perhaps certain firearm grips. I leave it up to the creative and inventive EDC community to find ways to use these that I may not even have thought of...and if you have no grippy use for them then they also make neat little "worry stones" for your pocket.
The GripCoins will run $25 each plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a relaxing weekend ahead!
GripCoins are sold out for now, thank you very much everyone!
Friday, May 15, 2015
Bronze Roll Bars
Hi Folks,
Well, it's been a slow start to the spring for us this year but we're finally warming up here in the northeast. I've been swamped with a zillion house and yard chores, many of which have been put off for way too long. But great progress has been made, much to my better half's satisfaction, and I'm starting to turn my attentions back to the old grindstone.
.........................................................
Project Updates:
I've been putting in many shop hours lately despite all the other distractions and am happy to report that tools are once again moving steadily through the pipeline. I just sent the CPM 3v P13 Prybabies out to heat treat. And I have a second CPM 3v tool that I'd like to send out at the same time, a chunky little thing in full Roid thickness called the T-Wrex. Very excited about this one and I had to move it to the head of the list to get them done. Hope to get them out to heat treat by end of next week. Also well on the way to being finished are Mini FunnyBones and those will be going to heat treat next week as well.
And then there are the Wheelman bike tools in titanium. This is a new design and I have a large batch that I am working on, plus a second batch in CPM 154 steel for later in the summer.
I finally finished the small stainless steel GripCoins. These are small machined discs that can be adhered to slippery cameras, electronics and sporting goods using super high tack 3m adhesive dots to provide a 360 degree customizable grip point. They are so slick and handy...they look cool and work exactly as I envisioned. The difference they make in the handling and ergonomics on these devices is amazing. Pics and more info coming soon.
More 5 Flute beads will be coming this spring in delrin and hard anodized aluminum. They should start turning by end of next week.
Carbon fiber RubRats are in production and will be coming in 2-3 weeks hopefully. What is a RubRat? You will find out shortly and your keychain tools will thank you. :)
And there are other projects in the works as well, about a dozen more at least. I'm going to try to make a push to get some of these completed soon so please stay tuned!
..............................................................
Today I have a sweet batch of Alloy 655 Bronze Roll Bars finished. These are gorgeous and are starting to get a nice patina on them already. I can't wait to see how they will look after some wear and age but I'm guessing they may turn out to be the prettiest Roll Bars yet.
The Bronze Roll Bars will run $58 plus shipping and I will make this tool a two per customer limit on them. The order link is below. As always, thank you for your patience and for stopping by, it's always much appreciated!
Bronze Roll Bars are sold out, thank you everyone!
Well, it's been a slow start to the spring for us this year but we're finally warming up here in the northeast. I've been swamped with a zillion house and yard chores, many of which have been put off for way too long. But great progress has been made, much to my better half's satisfaction, and I'm starting to turn my attentions back to the old grindstone.
.........................................................
Project Updates:
I've been putting in many shop hours lately despite all the other distractions and am happy to report that tools are once again moving steadily through the pipeline. I just sent the CPM 3v P13 Prybabies out to heat treat. And I have a second CPM 3v tool that I'd like to send out at the same time, a chunky little thing in full Roid thickness called the T-Wrex. Very excited about this one and I had to move it to the head of the list to get them done. Hope to get them out to heat treat by end of next week. Also well on the way to being finished are Mini FunnyBones and those will be going to heat treat next week as well.
And then there are the Wheelman bike tools in titanium. This is a new design and I have a large batch that I am working on, plus a second batch in CPM 154 steel for later in the summer.
I finally finished the small stainless steel GripCoins. These are small machined discs that can be adhered to slippery cameras, electronics and sporting goods using super high tack 3m adhesive dots to provide a 360 degree customizable grip point. They are so slick and handy...they look cool and work exactly as I envisioned. The difference they make in the handling and ergonomics on these devices is amazing. Pics and more info coming soon.
More 5 Flute beads will be coming this spring in delrin and hard anodized aluminum. They should start turning by end of next week.
Carbon fiber RubRats are in production and will be coming in 2-3 weeks hopefully. What is a RubRat? You will find out shortly and your keychain tools will thank you. :)
And there are other projects in the works as well, about a dozen more at least. I'm going to try to make a push to get some of these completed soon so please stay tuned!
..............................................................
Today I have a sweet batch of Alloy 655 Bronze Roll Bars finished. These are gorgeous and are starting to get a nice patina on them already. I can't wait to see how they will look after some wear and age but I'm guessing they may turn out to be the prettiest Roll Bars yet.
The Bronze Roll Bars will run $58 plus shipping and I will make this tool a two per customer limit on them. The order link is below. As always, thank you for your patience and for stopping by, it's always much appreciated!
Bronze Roll Bars are sold out, thank you everyone!
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
P10 Prybabies
Hi Folks,
Sorry for the long silent stretch but I've been very busy catching up on spring yard chores, painting the house trim, staining the deck, fixing roof leaks, doing taxes, cleaning the shop, fixing my tumbler and other machines and trying to work on tools in between. This winter was so brutal that a ton of maintenance stuff got put off and I've been paying a heavy price this month. Plus I had to take a few days off on the warmer days just to relax for a change.
Anyway, I just got the new P10 Prybabies back from heat treat. This is an updated Prybaby design with a few small changes. The P10 is made of CPM 154 in the usual 5/32" thickness, overall length is slightly longer thank previous Prybabies at 3.5", wrench sizes are Imperial 1/4-9/16... I added a dedicated lanyard hole so that a lanyard will no longer interfere with the wrench openings and can also be used as a keyring attachment point. And there is an additional dedicated 1/4" hex opening. This results in a slightly larger tool but it has great ergonomics.
Another way that the tool could be carried would be on bead chain or cord by threading the chain through the lanyard and hex openings so that it could be hung on the neck. So there are lots of possibilities there for you to personalize the P10 to your favorite EDC requirements.
For the P Series I've decided to beef up the V notch area. I eliminated the traditional angle cut which tends to get chewed up if folks actually use the tool hard and is nearly impossible to fix once the steel is hardened. The old style V looks cool but is less practical in some ways. I think this simpler configuration will prove to be stronger in the long run although traditionalists will no doubt give me grief over it. I will have another version coming later this spring (the titanium G6) with the old style V notch as well so no worries.
Also on the way in a month or two will be a metric version of the P10 and those will be in CPM 3v steel. And there is a batch underway already of the P13 which is also CPM 3v steel. The P13 is identical to this design but it has my Sine Wave style grip that you have seen for the past year or two on many tools rather than the Hexi style edges.
The P10 Prybabies will run $70 plus shipping and the link is below. It's a small batch so limit of one per customer please on them. Thanks for stopping by and hope your week is warm and pleasant!
P10 Prybabies are sold out, thank you so much!
Sorry for the long silent stretch but I've been very busy catching up on spring yard chores, painting the house trim, staining the deck, fixing roof leaks, doing taxes, cleaning the shop, fixing my tumbler and other machines and trying to work on tools in between. This winter was so brutal that a ton of maintenance stuff got put off and I've been paying a heavy price this month. Plus I had to take a few days off on the warmer days just to relax for a change.
Anyway, I just got the new P10 Prybabies back from heat treat. This is an updated Prybaby design with a few small changes. The P10 is made of CPM 154 in the usual 5/32" thickness, overall length is slightly longer thank previous Prybabies at 3.5", wrench sizes are Imperial 1/4-9/16... I added a dedicated lanyard hole so that a lanyard will no longer interfere with the wrench openings and can also be used as a keyring attachment point. And there is an additional dedicated 1/4" hex opening. This results in a slightly larger tool but it has great ergonomics.
Another way that the tool could be carried would be on bead chain or cord by threading the chain through the lanyard and hex openings so that it could be hung on the neck. So there are lots of possibilities there for you to personalize the P10 to your favorite EDC requirements.
For the P Series I've decided to beef up the V notch area. I eliminated the traditional angle cut which tends to get chewed up if folks actually use the tool hard and is nearly impossible to fix once the steel is hardened. The old style V looks cool but is less practical in some ways. I think this simpler configuration will prove to be stronger in the long run although traditionalists will no doubt give me grief over it. I will have another version coming later this spring (the titanium G6) with the old style V notch as well so no worries.
Also on the way in a month or two will be a metric version of the P10 and those will be in CPM 3v steel. And there is a batch underway already of the P13 which is also CPM 3v steel. The P13 is identical to this design but it has my Sine Wave style grip that you have seen for the past year or two on many tools rather than the Hexi style edges.
The P10 Prybabies will run $70 plus shipping and the link is below. It's a small batch so limit of one per customer please on them. Thanks for stopping by and hope your week is warm and pleasant!
P10 Prybabies are sold out, thank you so much!
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Bermuda Triangles with Hexi Edge
Hi Everyone,
Looks like a very reasonable week ahead here in New England...temperatures should be in the 40's and even the 50's so hopefully we will get rid of a lot more of that pesky white stuff. I'm looking forward to some warmer days, especially in the next week or two so I can catch up on some long neglected house and shop maintenance. Winter has taken its toll and the shop is long overdue for a good cleaning.
I'm getting much closer on the first batch of CPM 154 steel Prybabies. Those will be going out the door and headed to heat treat by the end of this week. The second batch of CPM 3V Prybabies is also already well underway and if I can just keep my nose to the grindstone those should be following sometime next week. After that I will be grinding more steel tools...GripCoins are getting closer too as well as something heavy, round and unexpected.
Today I have a small batch of 5/32" thick Titanium Bermuda Triangles with fine stonewashed finish. I've been doing a lot of anodizing lately so I thought I'd slip in a few ti pieces for the Vanilla Crowd...there's no shame in that btw, just ask my wife: when presented with 24 flavors of ice cream I usually pick vanilla!
Anyway, this batch has a different edge shape than the previous Fractal Edge series. I'm calling this one the Hexi Edge version and it features my familiar hex shaped grip edge. I think they have a terrific elegant look to them and combined with a long slow tumble they have a soft feel in the hand.
The Hexi Edge Bermuda Triangles will run $65 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week ahead!
Plain Hexi Triangles are gone but anodized ones are coming soon. Thank you!
Looks like a very reasonable week ahead here in New England...temperatures should be in the 40's and even the 50's so hopefully we will get rid of a lot more of that pesky white stuff. I'm looking forward to some warmer days, especially in the next week or two so I can catch up on some long neglected house and shop maintenance. Winter has taken its toll and the shop is long overdue for a good cleaning.
I'm getting much closer on the first batch of CPM 154 steel Prybabies. Those will be going out the door and headed to heat treat by the end of this week. The second batch of CPM 3V Prybabies is also already well underway and if I can just keep my nose to the grindstone those should be following sometime next week. After that I will be grinding more steel tools...GripCoins are getting closer too as well as something heavy, round and unexpected.
Today I have a small batch of 5/32" thick Titanium Bermuda Triangles with fine stonewashed finish. I've been doing a lot of anodizing lately so I thought I'd slip in a few ti pieces for the Vanilla Crowd...there's no shame in that btw, just ask my wife: when presented with 24 flavors of ice cream I usually pick vanilla!
Anyway, this batch has a different edge shape than the previous Fractal Edge series. I'm calling this one the Hexi Edge version and it features my familiar hex shaped grip edge. I think they have a terrific elegant look to them and combined with a long slow tumble they have a soft feel in the hand.
The Hexi Edge Bermuda Triangles will run $65 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week ahead!
Plain Hexi Triangles are gone but anodized ones are coming soon. Thank you!
Sunday, March 22, 2015
The Hatchling: It's a Roid, It's a Roid!
Happy Spring Everyone!
It can't get here too soon in my opinion, still pretty cold here in the Northeast.
I can't remember where I first saw little openers in this style. It might have been at a backyard keg party in college or maybe it was at someone's house during a March Madness basketball game. But for a while it seemed like they were everywhere. Usually they were made of aluminum but then over the years I have even seen them in hard plastic with a metal insert.
The one thing that has been a constant is that I always found them lacking in one way or another. Sure, they open bottles just fine but the lanyard hole is always too small and they just don't have much else going for them aesthetically. Lately I have seen some that were much thicker than the old ones as if thickness alone would fix the poor overall design decisions...although why making something so thick that it crowds out your keys is beyond me and besides, what if you don't have a huge keyring?
Anyway, for several years I have thought about making a new tool that would take this simple design to the next level. I wanted to add a little more function to it and up the ante on the overall aesthetics of the piece. This is a first attempt at doing just that.
The Hatchling is a cute little thing, and I think you will agree that his arrival is just right for the season. Even though he is small, at only 2.5 inches long, his massive .260 inch thickness certainly qualifies him to be a member of the Roid Family of tools. The hungry little mouth is a 5/16 hex wrench and of course he is very thirsty too. The tiny egg from which he came is a 3/8 hex wrench. And if you turn him on his side his nose becomes a screwdriver which doubles as a Mini XL Pry Bar.
Even though I consulted my Sibley's Guide to North American Pocket Tools, I'm still not sure just what species the Hatchling is, but he comes in a wide variety of colorful plumage. There are some solids, color fades, rainbows, and even some unexpected effects. Where possible I have tried to preserve some of the texture of the thick titanium plate stock to add character. Some of the resulting textures and color combos are very interesting and unusual.
And for those of you wanting a plainer and heavier piece, I have a big batch of these coming in 1/4" CPM 154 steel in a month or so.
The Hatchlings will run $65 plus shipping. I'll make it one per customer on them and, as usual on these mixed up color batches, I will send you what I send you so no color choice. As proud new parents though, I think everyone will be delighted and get along fine with the new arrival!
Thanks for stopping by everyone and hope your weekend is a relaxing one.
Hatchlings are gone for now but more are coming soon, thank you!
It can't get here too soon in my opinion, still pretty cold here in the Northeast.
I can't remember where I first saw little openers in this style. It might have been at a backyard keg party in college or maybe it was at someone's house during a March Madness basketball game. But for a while it seemed like they were everywhere. Usually they were made of aluminum but then over the years I have even seen them in hard plastic with a metal insert.
The one thing that has been a constant is that I always found them lacking in one way or another. Sure, they open bottles just fine but the lanyard hole is always too small and they just don't have much else going for them aesthetically. Lately I have seen some that were much thicker than the old ones as if thickness alone would fix the poor overall design decisions...although why making something so thick that it crowds out your keys is beyond me and besides, what if you don't have a huge keyring?
Anyway, for several years I have thought about making a new tool that would take this simple design to the next level. I wanted to add a little more function to it and up the ante on the overall aesthetics of the piece. This is a first attempt at doing just that.
The Hatchling is a cute little thing, and I think you will agree that his arrival is just right for the season. Even though he is small, at only 2.5 inches long, his massive .260 inch thickness certainly qualifies him to be a member of the Roid Family of tools. The hungry little mouth is a 5/16 hex wrench and of course he is very thirsty too. The tiny egg from which he came is a 3/8 hex wrench. And if you turn him on his side his nose becomes a screwdriver which doubles as a Mini XL Pry Bar.
Even though I consulted my Sibley's Guide to North American Pocket Tools, I'm still not sure just what species the Hatchling is, but he comes in a wide variety of colorful plumage. There are some solids, color fades, rainbows, and even some unexpected effects. Where possible I have tried to preserve some of the texture of the thick titanium plate stock to add character. Some of the resulting textures and color combos are very interesting and unusual.
And for those of you wanting a plainer and heavier piece, I have a big batch of these coming in 1/4" CPM 154 steel in a month or so.
The Hatchlings will run $65 plus shipping. I'll make it one per customer on them and, as usual on these mixed up color batches, I will send you what I send you so no color choice. As proud new parents though, I think everyone will be delighted and get along fine with the new arrival!
Thanks for stopping by everyone and hope your weekend is a relaxing one.
Hatchlings are gone for now but more are coming soon, thank you!
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