Good news: We have Crucible GoDrillas and Center Squares back in stock and ready for immediate shipment. We assembled and inspected a huge bunch, so we hope they won’t sell out.
If you are wondering what a GoDrilla does, or why you would want a Center Square, check out the pages in our store, which have videos that (I hope) explain their utility.
— Christopher Schwarz
There are many ways to mark centerlines on workpieces that are square, round or octagonal. But we wanted a simple, compact, dedicated and beautiful tool for this everyday job.
The Crucible Center Square is based on a vintage tool owned by a bodger friend. His tool was compact but had a weight and shape that made it feel like a worry stone in your hand. The bodger wouldn’t part with his (we don’t blame him), so we decided to make our own.
Our Center Square comes in two versions. The smaller one (now available) is machined from a solid chunk of steel in Kentucky. It measures 3-1/4″ long x 1-5/8″ wide x almost 3/8″ thick overall. The working area of the blade is 2-7/16″ long and includes a 1/8″ hang hole. It is ideal for chairmakers or turners who need to mark the centers of spindles or sticks for turning or shaving.
The larger one will be available later in 2022.
Using the tool is simple. Press the workpiece against the 90° opening on the underside of the tool. Then scribe a pencil line or knife line along the tool’s blade. Rotate the workpiece and repeat.
In this video, Megan Fitzpatrick walks you through the process:
The Crucible GoDrilla extends the reach of your drill bits (and other tooling) without introducing any run-out or wobble. This precision-machined tool (made in Tennessee) allows you to perform many unusual boring and fastening operations with immense ease and accuracy. Home center bit extenders are cheap, poorly made and are designed for operations where run-out is OK. An oversized hole will be hidden behind drywall. In most woodworking operations, however, an oversized hole is an ugly, gappy disaster.
So when we sat down to design a bit extender, we wanted a tool that:
So we made one: The Crucible GoDrilla.
The GoDrilla works like a router collet, but with two ends. By tightening the steel nuts (knurled with flats for wrenches), one end grabs a hex bar that’s chucked into a drill. The other end of the collet grabs 1/4”-shank tooling. You can put anything you like in the collet, from a spade bit to a screwdriver bit to a countersink bit to anything with a 1/4″ hex shank.
It basically extends the reach of any of the thousands of tools that have a 1/4” hex shank.
The collet locks great with hand pressure. But you can make the bond unbreakable with 1/2″ wrenches.
The GoDrilla includes a 12″ length of hex bar – a common length for chairmaking – that is easy to swap out for whatever length you need. The body of the GoDrilla is made from hard-anodized aluminum. The nuts are steel and coated in manganese phosphate for rust protection and to lubricate the threads.
— Christopher Schwarz
While our printing plants were idled or working with extreme staff shortages, we worked on new Crucible tools to keep us busy. Next week we will release the Crucible GoDrilla, a bit extender that locks tight with zero wobble.
What’s a GoDrilla? Read this.
We have the parts for 500 on hand and will start assembling them on Monday. We’ll also be able to calculate the retail price next week now that we have all the manufacturing costs in hand.
I have been using the heck out of the GoDrilla for months and am completely satisfied.
We’re also starting production on Crucible Center Squares (what, no money-esque name?), which are useful for marking the centers of round and octagonal parts. We are going to make two sizes. The first one is a small guy in steel we are calling Little Rudy™ (no, it’s not really trademarked).
We are also working on a larger, fancier one. Details on that to come soon.
And in about three weeks, we should have some new books in the warehouse. I cannot wait.
— Christopher Schwarz
We have just received stock of our newest bandana design, and it’s a throwback to our first bandana. This one is black and features our skep logo, plus a bunch of dividers and bees. The big difference is that this bandana was made by One Feather Press.
These are the nicest, softest, well-printed bandanas we’ve ever encountered. They are made one at a time by one guy in his shop. Pre-washed. Ready to become a good friend on the first day.
The bandanas are 22” x 22” and cost $25. More details in our store.
Crucible Card Scrapers Back in Stock
For the last few months we’ve searched in vain for the steel to make our scrapers. Everyone was backordered until late July. Then one company said they had our steel in stock. We sent them $8,000 and discovered they were lying/mistaken/something not libelous.
A few terse communications later, they somehow found the steel and shipped it to us.
So now (after a lot of waterjet and machine tool action) we have scrapers in stock and ready to ship.
Other stuff: The GoDrilla bit extension is nearly done. We’ve solved the problem of the binding threads. Our holdfasts have been poured, but we are waiting on the grinders to do their thing. And we are working on some new T-shirts.
I know this last line of the blog entry (always a dangerous place for me) might curse us. But if you need a little bit of good news today, many things in our supply chains seem to be returning to normal. Everything we do is in the United States, so I have no idea how things are going with international companies. But here, my torn fingernails are starting to grow back a bit.
— Christopher Schwarz