Crucible dividers?

[Hasin Haroon]

I wondered about the price of the crucible tools too. They look amazingly made, and I'm sure they're a treat to use (they also look super cool), but at that price I just can't see myself buying a pair, and I'm terrible with my money when it comes to tools. I just can't see myself getting an extra $150 worth of divider from one.
I have a couple of the french dividers sold by Lee Valley and they are excellent and look very good (the brass/black combo is always attractive). I also have some vintage ones that are great too.

[Roger Nair]

For example, here is a link to an Osborne 6 inch divider that I feel is a superior design for hair splitting control over dimensions.
https://www.amazon.com/C-S-Osborne-1...HWWEV2N8P8CSF1

[Patrick Chase]

I wondered about the price of the crucible tools too. They look amazingly made, and I'm sure they're a treat to use (they also look super cool), but at that price I just can't see myself buying a pair, and I'm terrible with my money when it comes to tools. I just can't see myself getting an extra $150 worth of divider from one.
I have a couple of the french dividers sold by Lee Valley and they are excellent and look very good (the brass/black combo is always attractive). I also have some vintage ones that are great too.

They have to pay for that Haas TM-2 somehow... (see the first picture here)

[Lee Schierer]

I was a Quartermaster in the Navy. We were involved with navigation. Those look like navigator dividers. I have a similar pair here by my computer.

When I need to use dividers or a compass, I use my drafting tools or my old navigating dividers. The points are sharp and they hold their position.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Once again, I blame you guys for my lack of money. This thread aroused my curiosity and I searched eBay, found these, and bought them. They may get used for navigation instead of woodworking. I will decide once I get them in hand.

By the way, I know you guys like the "spinner" but I walk the dividers with the legs, which gives more control, but it's pretty much a non-issue either way. I have plenty of both type.

[Lee Schierer]

When I need to draw a circle or use dividers I use either my drafting set with the thumbscrew adjustment or my navigation dividers.

[Ted Phillips]

I have to admit that I bought a pair - and I don't have a better-made tool in my entire shop. There are very few "perfect" tools in this world, and these come darned close. The fit and finish is superb, the heft is impressive, the action is smooth and reliable. I keep them at my desk where I do most of my layouts and planning. They aren't far from my hands any time I'm in the shop.

Plus, it is kind of cool buying tools from folks you know personally - like Dave Jeske at Blue Spruce Tools, Chris Kuehn at Sterling Toolworks and Mark Harrell at Bad Axe Toolworks. I know I'm paying these artisans for their hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. That's something you can't often say about buying a pair of cheap used dividers off of eBay.

[Frederick Skelly]

Good deal Ted. Glad you're enjoying them!

[Simon MacGowen]

Spending is seldom rationalized. In other words, what is rational to you may be irrational to me and vice versa. As long as it is not public money, we don't need to justify our purchase decisions. If you think your $150 was well spent on a nice dovetail saw, ask your neighbor who cuts his 2x4 with a $30 saw and he may think you are nuts.

Whether it is dividers or a plane, we pay what we think it is worth.

Simon

[ken hatch]

I have to admit that I bought a pair - and I don't have a better-made tool in my entire shop. There are very few "perfect" tools in this world, and these come darned close. The fit and finish is superb, the heft is impressive, the action is smooth and reliable. I keep them at my desk where I do most of my layouts and planning. They aren't far from my hands any time I'm in the shop.

Plus, it is kind of cool buying tools from folks you know personally - like Dave Jeske at Blue Spruce Tools, Chris Kuehn at Sterling Toolworks and Mark Harrell at Bad Axe Toolworks. I know I'm paying these artisans for their hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. That's something you can't often say about buying a pair of cheap used dividers off of eBay.

Ted,

As I would have said back in the '60s..."Right on Dude". Good tools will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of bad tools, or something like that. I believe in supporting the artisans in our field.

ken

[Bill McDermott]

In line with Ted here. I bought them as my souvenir from Handworks, as a way to support some of the responsible parties. I already have all the dividers, compasses and calipers I need. They are all quite old, but excellent. The Crucible dividers are different in that they are not finished when you take delivery. It is the owner's responsibility to fettle them. They are not sharp, not close. It is your job to bring the tips to a point. Also, they are not perfectly tuned at the hinge. You need to at the very least lubricate and break them in. I did a bit of fettling on the faces at the elbow. Since the "rivet" is actually a bolt, you can creep up on exactly the action you want. There was also one very small bit of material I removed to make them mate together perfectly when closed. The milling removed an inside corner to a very small radius where the mating part had a sharp corner - which was rounded to match. So... not only are they pricey, but they also arrive with "some assembly required". Definitely not for everyone. But I am very pleased.

[Hasin Haroon]

Bill, I commend you for supporting small manufacturing - I am no stranger to paying a bit extra to support a local business. That said, you are a lot kinder than I am...if I bought a $187 pair of dividers, I would expect them to be perfectly finished, sharpened and fettled, and no less.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Bill, I commend you for supporting small manufacturing - I am no stranger to paying a bit extra to support a local business. That said, you are a lot kinder than I am...if I bought a $187 pair of dividers, I would expect them to be perfectly finished, sharpened and fettled, and no less.

I completely agree. I think I will start selling chunks of steel bolted together, marketed as "dividers that you get to personally fine-tune." Starting price $250.

[George Wall]

The blog on Crucible Tools' site explains in some detail why their dividers cost what they do, and why they leave some fine tuning up to the user. Obviously, they are not going to be for everyone, and the founders of Crucible make that very clear in their blog. It's an interesting read even if you have absolutely zero interest in spending that much on dividers.

Like any business that's just starting out, their odds of success are long. But at least they are trying to do something that results in jobs being created locally.

[Simon MacGowen]

The blog on Crucible Tools' site explains in some detail why their dividers cost what they do, and why they leave some fine tuning up to the user.

Not a subscriber or follower of their blog, I was surprised to hear that such an expensive tool would not be ready out of the box for its new owner.

If such information is also made known on the ordering page (for the benefit of those who don't read blogs), then I see no problem in their business model. Not every tool comes fully assembled or ready to use out of the box; for most planes, you cannot use them new until you hone the blades.

As for supporting artisans, we all have different stands on that. Are they businesspersons or artisans? What about companies that are employers of artisans? Are we supporting their businesses or the artisans they employ when we buy their products? Or are we supporting the industry as a whole? The local economy? Only each of us can decide what we are supporting and no right or wrong answers are out there. Same thing about buying only goods made in certain places vs imported products.

Simon