New Toolmaker: Crucible Tool

[Admiral]

Seems like the Schwarz and Raney Nelson are planning something here......

https://blog.lostartpress.com/category/crucible-tool/

[Mike Brady]

Yup, we are slow on the uptake on this one too.  Been much speculating on what might be afoot there.  A cast holdfast is first.  I would say to just wait for the releases and discuss them in turn. That's a good crew there and they should generate some new interest in what I would assume would be premium tool offerings.  

Chris Schwarz will no longer be doing tool reviews so you will have to just think for yourselves.

[AHill]

Interesting.  I'm kind of surprised the first tool is a holdfast, since in one of his blogs about Crucible, Schwarz says, "We think there are a lot of tools that need to be made that aren’t currently on the market."  Yet holdfasts are on the market.  Gramercy, Lee Valley, Woodcraft, all sell holdfasts.  Perhaps because it's cast makes it unique.  The roughness of the shaft probably makes it easier to grip the sidewalls of the dog holes.  I'm looking forward to seeing what other tools they come out with.

[Tony Z]

Pony/Jorgensen made cast holdfasts a number of yeas ago. I still have one, and it works as well as most, though some reported cracking (again years ago).

On another forum, I saw it mentioned that the new holdfasts will be 1" diameter.

Regardless, I wish the new venture well, as I would anyone startng in business and I hope they succeed.

[Boatman53]

Lie-Nielson makes a cast hold fast, been selling it for a couple of years too.
Jim

[Mike Brady]

I've had both the Grammercy and LN holdfasts and the cast LN's were much better.  The Grammercy's would not hold-fast or slow.
  I've not a clue why Crucible would have any advantage over them.

[Tony Z]

Maybe the 1" diameter?

I don't have a dog in this race, as I doubt I will be purchasing very many new tools in the coming years. Now vintage/antiques, that is an entirely different story!

[Admiral]

1" diameter holdfasts are definitely not commercially available; I have a Sjobergs bench with 1" dog holes and had to have my holdfasts custom made.  There may be other advantages to a 1" hole, I don't know....

[Mike Brady]

Since 3/4" holes are in probably more than 90% of existing benches, wouldn't it be difficult to accurately rebore a hole to a larger size?  I made by dog holes before I glued-up my top so that the holes could be drilled in my drill press, using a fence.  That is not going to happen again, and neither is a rebore of my 3/4" holes to a larger size.  Another good reason not to rebore....no place for the spur or lead screw to bite.

[AHill]

1" diameter holdfasts are definitely not commercially available; I have a Sjobergs bench with 1" dog holes and had to have my holdfasts custom made.  There may be other advantages to a 1" hole, I don't know....

They aren't exactly as easy to use as a holdfast, but Sjobergs does make a holdfast that fits their Elite benches. Available at many fine woodworking institutions.  I too, have a Sjobergs Elite workbench.  I didn't like the Sjobergs holdfast, and ended up drilling 3/4" holes strategically place on my bench.  I bought a couple of Gramercy holdfasts and they work just fine.