Category: Crucible Tool

I am pleased to let you know that we now carry the Bevel Monkey and Big Protractor from FirstLightWorks in the U.K. These two tools are essential if you work in angles other than 90°. They are well-made by a small company in Derbyshire, U.K., and are both dead accurate and durable.

The Bevel Monkey helps you set a sliding bevel to an exact setting – even a fraction of a degree. The white markings are easy to read against the black acrylic background.

The Big Protractor is just that – big, it’s almost 12” long. Based on vintage protractors used by geometry teachers on a chalkboard, the Big Protractor simplifies layout chores on furniture-scale materials. And it eliminates the squinting necessary when using a cheap plastic protractor from elementary school.

Both are available for immediate shipment from our warehouse in Indiana. Read more about the Bevel Monkey here. More about the Big Protractor here.

— Christopher Schwarz

It’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and the humidity has dropped in many climates. As a result, some customers have reported their lump hammers have gotten loose. Here’s how to tighten it up.

Wedging your lump hammer’s handle is part of its regular maintenance, just like tightening the handles of your handplanes and saws when the humidity plunges. No matter how tightly we wedge the head at the factory, it will come loose at some point due to use and the weather.

We included a metal wedge with your lump hammer for this operation. If you misplaced it, the quickest solution is to buy one at a local hardware store. They are usually about 25 cents.

Re-wedging takes a few minutes and usually lasts several decades. Here’s how we do it.

Clamp the handle in a handscrew and place it on a solid surface – the floor or over the leg of a workbench is ideal. Orient the wedge so it is 90° to the wooden wedge. Tap it in with a good-sized hammer (16 oz. or so). Drive in the metal wedge until it will not go in farther. Remove the excess wedge material at the grinder or with a file. Clean up the top of the head with sandpaper. Add a little oil to the wood if you like.

You should now be set for a long time.

We have just delivered a big batch to our warehouse – you can buy yours here. If these sell out, know that we have a second big batch that is almost done. We just need to do some quality control inspections and package them up.

— Christopher Schwarz

We will begin selling our biggest batch of lump hammers at noon (Eastern time) on Friday, May 10. We hope that we do not sell out of these hammers and that we can return to our lives as furniture makers who sometimes make nice tools (instead of the other way around).

You’ll also be able to pick up one of the Arno burnishers we’re now carrying. We love these, and we’re selling them at an excellent price ($20 less than some places).

— Christopher Schwarz

Another massive load of Crucible Card Scrapers are available for immediate shipment from our warehouse. The price is (still) $20 plus shipping.

The scrapers come with a magnet attached, which absorbs heat while scraping. And they come in a paper wallet, which is ideal for protecting the tool when it’s not in use. I say these things so you don’t throw them away and then ask us to send them to you….

— Christopher Schwarz