After 35 years of running Bridge City Tool Works, John Economaki, its founder and a designer of heirloom quality woodworking hand tools, has decided it’s time to step down and hand over the reins to his friend and Chinese licensing partner, Jack Xu, CEO of Harvey industries, Ltd.The good news for the passionate customers of Bridge City is that they’ll hardly notice the change. Under a licensing agreement that went into effect several years ago, Harvey has been building more than two dozen Bridge City tools for international distribution. That includes everything from try squares to hand planes to the award-winning Chopstick Master.

Xu and Economaki first met in 2013 and quickly realized they shared a common set of beliefs and values. Both view their companies as vehicles to express new ideas and concepts using tools as a canvas. You can read more about the history of Harvey Industries in another Industry interview, by clicking here.

According to Xu, “I made the decision to add Bridge City to the Harvey family of innovative products because I believe that tools ought to inspire their owners. John and I share the belief that ‘Good Enough is NOT Good Enough,’ a business philosophy that permeates our entire company. I know there is a perception in America that tools made in China are somehow inferior, and in some cases that is true. We are acutely aware that for Harvey to achieve our corporate objectives, we cannot afford to let anyone down, particularly the current and future customers of Bridge City Tool Works.“

For his part, Bridge City’s Economaki has no doubt that he’s made the right decision. “When I read the correspondence from international customers who have been buying Bridge City tools made by Harvey, I know that they will successfully continue to travel the path of quality and outstanding customer service we have enjoyed for the past 35 years.”

The other very good news for Bridge City customers is that Economaki will continue to design “fun stuff” for Harvey for at least the next two years. He also will head the Harvey quality control department to ensure that the legacy of quality continues.

Harvey Industries manufactures industrial quality woodworking machinery sold in more than 100 countries around the world. In North America, Harvey has been an OEM for many of the best-known woodworking brands and currently sells select machinery under its own name, including Gyro Air Dust Collectors and the TURBO T40 Wood Lathe.

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Tim Inman: OK, now I’m feeling really, really old. The short answer to the question “What do you recommend for a bamboo cutting board?” is to say “Use it!” The longer answer is that bamboo is a naturally oily wood that is very dimensionally stable and very durable. I don’t think bamboo needs anything for use as a cutting board. A little wax or oil applied sparingly from time to time might make it look a little better, but the bamboo will be just as fine, in my experience, with or without the surface treatments.

So, why do I feel old on this question? You kids! Once upon a time long, long ago, when I was a skinny kid with a head full of hair and in college — which was a long time ago! — you could tell the science and engineering types on campus by the holster they carried on their belts. It was about 2 in. wide and a foot or so long. We were proud of our need for that holster; others probably felt grateful that they could use it to spot the nerds quickly. What was in that holster? The ancient equivalent of a calculator: a slide rule. Back in the day before digital, nearly all complicated calculation was done using the analog equivalent of proportionality. If you’ll hold two rulers together and slide them along with each other, you’ll quickly find that one plus one is two, or that two times three is six; and sliding rulers together will tell you this. The slide rule made this possible to several decimal points accuracy.

What has this got to do with the question? The slide rule – or “slip stick” as we fondly knew it – was made of bamboo! Being a very dimensionally stable wood and a naturally oily wood which self-lubricated, bamboo was the ideal material for slide rule construction. I’m sure they’re museum pieces now, and probably no STEM class even mentions the slip stick. But in the day, they were important. Even now, mine is right here beside me hidden away in the bottom of my desk drawer – right under where I keep my digital calculator. All progress ain’t bad….

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– Jerry Pruett
Blackfoot, Idaho

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– Jerry Holbrook
Syracuse, New York

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The sled now incorporates the indexing key that positions the workpiece during each cut. The jig includes three interchangeable brass indexing keys for making 1/4-, 3/8- and 1/2-in. patterned box joints. The indexing key mounts to the sled with two machine screws, so swapping from one key size to another is easy. For added convenience, there are storage slots on the sled for the two keys not being used. The redesigned sled also is larger, with dedicated spots for clamping the workpiece, and it’s made from reinforced nylon for increased strength and durability. A replaceable MDF sacrificial fence for mounting to the backer sled is included.

The jig has a 1/2-in.-thick MDF base with a smooth melamine surface and precision-machined slots that keep the sled from traveling too far into the bit. Expandable miter bars secure the jig in router tables with a standard 3/4- x 3/8-in. miter slot, and the knobs for tightening the miter bars have been upgraded to Easy-to-Grip Five-Star Knobs with smooth, rounded contours and proprietary rubber overmolds that eliminate sharp edges. The jig will work with any router table that has the near edge of its miter track between 4-1/2 and 6-1/4 in. from the center of the router bit.

“Using an up-cut spiral bit in a table-mounted router is the best way to cut clean, crisp box joints – without the pointy ‘ears’ left by the angled tips of a saw blade,” said Steve Krohmer, Rockler’s vice president for product development. “The new Rockler Router Table Box Joint Jig provides smooth workpiece motion and precise spacing for perfect box joints.”

The updated jig is part of an array of Rockler products designed to make box construction easier and improve results, including spiral up-cut router bits (items 63008, 38238 and 62984); 1″ x 15″ Band Clamps with integrated ratcheting handles (item 58432); Box Joint Cauls (item 42784) for easy clamping during glue-up; and the dedicated Band Clamp Accessory Kit (item 56025).

Rockler’s Router Table Box Joint Jig (item 59032) is priced at $79.99 and can be purchased at Rockler.com or at Rockler Woodworking and Hardware stores nationwide. To watch a video of it in use, click here.

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Other readers experience the same sort of harvest, and the same sort of altruism. – Editor

“It’s always good to harvest downed trees. We had a mature camphor tree in our yard that had to go due to the roots affecting our foundation and plumbing. We opted, after felling, to have it milled and air-dried (19 months). The result:  461 board feet of 5/4 and 8/4 easy-to-work, aromatic hardwood (I’ve been told it turns well, too.) So far, I’ve built a blanket chest, two headboards (one king, one queen) and have the parts cut out for a replica campaign secretary (18-in. wide boards). Plus, my garage smells great.  Had I not decided to ‘save’ this wood, it would have wound up cut into manageable chunks and landfilled. My tree was less than 70 years old, but the average diameter of the trunk was around 32 inches. The sawyer had to trim one side before he could mill it. I was even able to use wood from the three major limbs.” – Ralph Lombardo

“Here in Elllicott City, Maryland, I live in a hardwood forest also. We have lots of red oak, white oak, hickory, maple, poplar, just to start with. Here on the East Coast there seem to be lots of weather events. Whether it’s ‘Snowmageddon,’ the Derecho, the Tornado, HellaofalotofRain or whatever, trees fall down. Be ready with your chainsaw to help your neighbors out. And, of course, be on the lookout for good wood because there’s tons of it.

“I have, twice now, gone up and down the street I live on with my chainsaw, just to cut an emergency path for vehicles to pass and open up driveways for neighbors to get out. I have ready to go, if necessary, 1. my 16-in. Stihl chainsaw; 2. an assortment of logging tools, i.e. wedges, cant hook or wrecking bars to move logs around, wheelbarrow or whatever to move chunks or logs around; 3. Anchor-Seal or a sealing wax to coat the end grain until you can turn the green blocks down to dry.

“So, by all means, go out and harvest, I mean, help your neighbors out when they are in need. Cleaning up the mess and making sure your neighbors are not distressed is first priority. After that, well, ‘the pickin’s is good.’” – Chris Barker

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