Two kids and a 1954 Bluebird Bus done up as a DIY Wanderlodge roaming around the country doesn't seem like a great starting point for a company but turns out, it was!
The plan was to visit the lower 48 before becoming ‘adults’. In 1984, that former city bus had clocked more than 500,000 miles and was 30 years old. It showed!
Ann & Joseph Strong With their 1954 Bluebird Bus
Yikes! That's Scary!
While prepping the bus for the trip, Joseph was using a grinding and wheel to grind off some rust when the wheel shattered launching shrapnel all over the garage.
He and his dad looked up at the bits of wheel stuck in the ceiling and, after they thanked their lucky stars that no one was hurt, began to think of a different kind of grinding wheel. It was the start of an idea that would create what is now Bad Dog Tools.
Joseph and Joe got to work to create a tool that was more versatile, longer lasting and, most importantly, safer than a standard cutting wheel available at the time. What they came up with was the Original Handi Disc.
Joseph's Dad, Joe Strong, Sr. was a brilliant machinist. He'd made parts for equipment that had been to the moon! He was also a bit of a tinkerer - inventing an amazingly light horse racing sulky, a band to keep gypsy moths out of trees, and a self-watering plant pot.
Joe Strong Senior Machinist & Prolific Tinkerer
The Original Handi Disc Our first Product
The finished Handi Disc flexed under side pressure rather than shattering when grinding.
It was made from fiberglass mesh dipped in a flexible resin, then put through rollers, and finally covered with grit and baked in an industrial oven.
While testing, they also discovered that this disc could cut, sand, and sharpen as well and the mix of abrasive grits they had come up with could tackle almost any material they tested it on. Handy indeed!
With its versatility and durability, the Handi Disc was a perfect tool to not only help keep the bus on the road but gas in the tank to boot! The plan was to sell the Handi Discs along the way at fairs, flea markets and trade shows on their next cross-country trip. Back in RI, Joe would send out more stock when needed.
At each stop, Ann and Joseph met farmers, builders, plumbers, homeowners, mechanics and more who all took a quick step back during the live demo at the part where Ann or Joseph hit the Handi Disc with a hammer to demonstrate its durability. When the Handi Disc didn't shatter, the onlookers stepped forward to buy one. After six months on the road selling the Handi Disc and visiting every one of the lower 48, Ann and Joseph arrived back in RI knowing they had a hit on their hands.
Our first Trade Show Taunton, MA Ag Fair!
Where it all began! 500 Wood Street Bristol, RI
They set up shop in Bristol, RI in an old rubber plant at 500 Wood Street. The property had been divided up into tradesmen's units and was very basic but also very affordable!
While Ann finished her Engineering Degree, Joseph went back on the road to fairs, trade shows and, yes, even the occasional flea market.
It seemed everyone had a problem that could be solved by a Handi Disc!
The original Handi Disc was a 7” wheel with a 1/2” arbor hole that could be opened up to also work on a circular saw. Soon the Handi Disc line was expanded to include wheels from 10” all the way down to 1” which was made for Dental prosthetists (the people who make dentures!).
Second Generation of Handi Disc Packaging
The 1963 Cadillac We’ve owned it since 1988!
In addition to the bus, both Ann and Joseph both drove and worked on vintage cars (they still do today!).
As anyone who's ever owned or worked on an “old” car knows there's often a lot of drilling involved. Whether you're working on bold broken off in the engine block, or drilling out spot welds on a fender.
After struggling to find a drill bit that would hold up, they decided drill bits would be their next tool.
Making drill bits turned out to be a little more complicated than making the Handi Disc.
Consulting with Joe, Sr. and others in the tool making industry along with their trusty Machinists Ready Reference Book, Joseph and Ann researched carbide and steel with the aim of creating a durable bit that would work on multiple materials.
The key was a simple, flat grind tip made from a complex amalgam of carbide, titanium, and cobalt they called Carboloid. The tip was coupled to a armored steel shank that could flex without breaking. The first Handi Bits hit the road the summer of 1987 at the New York State Fair. They were a hit!
The Original Handi Bit!
24 Broad Common Road Our New Home!
Bringing their tools to the people felt right. Showing the tools cutting and drilling and talking to people about what they had to cut and drill and how our tools could make their jobs easier!
Even Sears thought so and invited the company to set up in-store displays during the holiday season in the hardware department of Sears stores in New England, Florida, and Chicago.
The little company was growing! Around this time we outgrew our 3,000 square foot rental digs and bought a 10,000 square foot building at 24 Broadcommon Road, where we still are today.
In the early 90’s we rebranded to Bad Dog Tools, and adopted our iconic Bad Dog Logo.
With a small but mighty group of salespeople, Bad Dog Tools and the Handi Disc, were now traveling to more than 250 trade shows every year!
The 90’s were a busy time. From going shows, and talking with our customers, to working on cars. Joe and Ann also found time to build their house (mostly by hand), and had a son!
Bad Dog Tools at the Northeast Regional Automotive Trade Show. Suffern, New York
The Bad Dog Biter Our First Patented Tool
We continued to create new tools like the patented Bad Dog Biter, a drill-mounted sheet material cutter that's steerable and can cut up to 1/8” thick.
At Car shows like SEMA and the offroad, we learned that our customers had problems existing nibblers which were too expensive and bulky, as well as shears which were too clumsy and left a sharp uneven edge.
The Biter was designed to make easier cuts on body panels but it's been a hit with HVAC techs as well for the ease with which the Biter cuts duct work. We even came up with an extra-long cutting head that doubles the reach of the Biter to get into hard-to reach places.
Rover Bits were developed after fielding so many questions at construction show about paddle and spade bits – something we don't make.
The complaints we heard with those tools was that they could only be used perpendicular and that the bits would didn't hold up on harder materials or if they hit a nail – something remodeling contractors encountered a lot.
We were on it and came up with the Bad Dog Rover Bit. The secret was patented side cutters that give the Rover Bit the ability to drill vertically and cut horizontally – and even change direction mid drill - which blew the minds of those contractors. Made with the same carbide as our Multi-purpose Drill Bits, they even stand up to the occasional nail and harder materials like solid surface counter tops
Introducing Bad Dog Rover Bits!
The HDII a 21st century take on the Original
Then, more than thirty years after creating the original Handi Disc Bad Dog Tools' introduced the HDII.
It's a 21 century take on the beloved original. With the same durability and versatility, we updated it with a steel core and diamond cutting surface. Now to demonstrate the HDII's durability we bang it on the workbench! The reaction of the crowds at trade shows is the same as the old hammer test with the original Handi Disc - they take a step back but quickly step forward to get one of these Lifetime Guaranteed tools for themselves!
Available in more than ten sizes and styles and counting, the HDII has matched the original Handi Disc in popularity because who doesn't need to cut, sand, grind or sharpen things!
In 2016, a third generation joined the company with Ann and Joseph's son, JJ - that's the third Joseph!
Following in his mother's footsteps he graduated college as an engineer and shares the same passion for tools and problem solving as his parents.
Ann, Joseph, and JJ Strong
Our New Automated Drill Bit Sharpener
As part of our commitment to constantly improving our products, in 2024 we took delivery of an automated sharpening machine.
The machine is one of only six in the country and allows us to precisely control the angle the bits are ground to, and add secondary grinds to improve starting performance, durability, and more!
Part of the fun of owning a small company is being able to keep a hand in everything.
There's nothing better than being able to leave your desk and head to the “back of the shop” to watch a machine, and pack up some orders, or go out to a show and meet our customers.
It's also working with a great group of people who are part of the Bad Dog “fam.” Whether at the show or on the phone or in an email, we all enjoy speaking to you, our customers. So give us a shout and let us help you find a solution to the whatever it is that you have to get done.
The Bad Dog Team!
Joe Strong Senior Machinist & Prolific Tinkerer
We believe in great tools and stand behind them. The Lifetime Guarantee that Bad Dog Tools' is known for has been part of our company since the beginning.
Every Handi Disc included an orange slip of paper with these simple instructions:
“Should your Handi Disc ever fail, return it for replacement to PO BOX 851, Bristol, RI 02809 along with $3.50 for Shipping and Handling.”
While the orange slips of paper are long gone and the details of the Lifetime Guarantee are on our website, what hasn't changed is our commitment to useful, quality tools that will last you a lifetime.
We Participate in over 250 Trade Shows All
across the country every year.