Category: Crucible Tool

Occasionally we have customers who are bewildered that we use Chicago screws to adjust our Crucible Type 2 Dividers and Sliding Bevel. Why don’t we use a thumbscrew or wing nut or some other device that doesn’t require a screwdriver?

The answer is simple, but not what they want to hear: Because nothing works as well as a slotted screw and a screwdriver.

During the development of these tools we tried a variety of thumbscrews and other devices to lock the tools in place. Nothing even came close to using a simple Chicago screw and a driver. With a small twist of the screw, you can lock the setting in so it is almost unmovable.

I say “almost” because I tried an experiment where I locked the screw and then threw the tool across the workshop like a baseball. About half the time the tool held its setting. The other half it moved a bit. So, I don’t recommend throwing tools across the shop.

This week I found a few more thumbscrews worth trying in the tools. I am always looking to improve things. The screw thread is a 10-32, and the threaded section needs to be about 3/8” long.

Here are three thumbscrews worth discussing (a few others were total fails).

The Knurled Head Tumbscrew (above), looked promising because it also offered a slot for a screwdriver. Unfortunately, the head has such a low profile that you cannot tighten it by hand enough to lock the blade. You have to use a screwdriver to get a good lock.

The Raised Knurled-head Thumbscrew was easier to grip, but it still didn’t lock the blade. Plus, there was no way to further tighten the thumbscrew with a screwdriver.

Finally, the Hex-head Thumbscrew looked cool. But you can’t grip it with your fingers. The only way to tighten it is with a box wrench (which worked really well).

If you resist our tools because they require a screwdriver, consider this: Many early bevels, marking gauges and mortise gauges were locked with a screwdriver. Plus, when I use these tools (and I use them every day), I get immense satisfaction locking them down all the way. It reduces any anxiety I have about the tool moving by accident.

This anxiety, I might add, was caused by other tools going out of adjustment and ruining a piece of work. 

— Christopher Schwarz

The Crucible Cross-Peen Hammer is in production, and the first tools will go up for sale in a week or two. This has been a year-long project that required a lot of programming, plus finding a new handle supplier. The result? Craig Jackson, our machinist at Machine Time, said about the finished hammer “I’m happy for once!”

Here are the details on the hammer, which has the in-house nickname “Peeny Weeny.”

The hammer head is milled from a solid block of hardened steel. Weighing 4.5 ounces, the head is 4” long overall with a 5/8”-diameter striking face. The cross peen at the opposite end has a striking surface measuring 1/8” x 1/2”.

The handle, made for us by Hoffman Blacksmithing, is hickory and is 11” long overall. The neck of the handle is a scant 3/8” x 1/2”, which was a challenge to cut without chattering. The handles are all sanded and hand-finished with oil. The wedges are walnut.

Overall, the hammer weighs 5 ounces, and is an ideal weight and size for small workshop tasks. In addition to sinking small brads and pins, the cross peen is ideal for starting headless nails without mashing your fingers.

The head and the peen are also ideal for adjusting handplanes. For my entire career, I have used one of these hammers to tap my irons laterally to get the iron centered in the plane’s mouth. I also use the cross peen with side-escapement planes, knocking the iron in place against the blind side of the plane’s escapement.

Antique versions of this tool can be hard to find in the United States, especially with a decent handle. Modern imported versions are – sorry to say – not a pleasure to use.

We don’t have a retail price yet. It likely will be about the same price as our standard lump hammer. Though there is a lot less steel, the machine time for this head is considerable. The handle is custom-made and is about three times the cost of the lump hammer handle. 

As always, we will first fulfill all domestic orders for the hammer before we can offer it to our other retailers.

— Christopher Schwarz

We have our first batch of 1:4 Dovetail Templates available for immediate shipment. They are $51 plus shipping. Made in Nicholasville, Ky., by Machine Time.

The 1:4 slope is my favorite. I use it for all my dovetail joints, both in hardwood and softwood. It’s bolder than the 1:6 and 1:8 slopes on our other template (also $51). All these slopes work just fine. It is a matter of aesthetics.

This tool is based on a version of it that was given to me by an Australian reader during my work in Melbourne in March 2013. I used the heck out of that tool; other makers saw it and made their own versions (which is totally alright with me). 

Our version is simpler than the original. It is milled from a single block of steel (all the waste is recycled). And some of its components are a bit thinner, which I prefer.

Measurements and details about the tool are here. If the tool sells out, definitely get on the waiting list to be notified because we have another big batch on the way.

— Christopher Schwarz

Megan is teaching a Dutch tool chest class during the next three days, so today is all about dovetails in the bench room. It’s also all about dovetails at our warehouse – we have just restocked with Crucible Dovetail Templates. They are ready to ship.

These handy little tools mark out 1:6, 1:8 and 90° – everything you need to lay out the shape of the joint. The templates are made in Kentucky and are milled out of one piece of steel to ensure the tool is perfectly 90°. (It’s not a wasteful process; all the excess steel is recycled.)

I am trying to figure out how to offer this tool with 1:4, which is the redneck slope I prefer. I’ll keep you posted on our progress.

We also continue to look hard for warehouse space in Covington. We have a couple good leads. One place used to be a grocery store. The other used to be an auto repair service and was built in the early part of the 20th century. Either way, I’ve got the right shirt.

— Christopher Schwarz