Saw this here. Go to the Best Made Company for beautiful, well crafted tools. Read more below.
The Best Made Lensatic Cruiser Compass Handbook (Part 1)
The following is an excerpt from the handbook to The Best Made Lensatic Cruiser Compass.
The Best Made Cruiser is a style of compass termed a “Lensatic Compass” that is historically considered to be the most accurate and ideal for both layman and professional use. Among other exciting features your compass is equipped with a lensatic or prismatic sight, which will allow the user to read a bearing off the compass while simultaneously aligning the compass with their destination and or objective. The lensatic style is optimized for explorers, geologists, speleologists, archaeologists, ornithologists, the military, and most famously for foresters who “cruise” timberlands engaged in precision survey work. This compass is a tool that will enable you to determine your location in the field, direction to landmarks or destinations, estimate distances, and find points of interest (marked boundary lines, USGS markers, trail heads, buried treasure, etc.). Your compass is a delicate precision instrument and must be cared for and used accordingly.
The Best Made Cruiser consists of a metal housing and lid with a glass window and a sighting or lubbing line etched into it. The spherically ground glass prism is mounted in a robust hinged housing unit that is flipped 180° and moved up or down which allows the user to focus on bearings. You can sight your objective by simultaneously observing the dial through the observation slit and the lubbing line in the glass window. The dial, lubbing line, and destination will simultaneously appear in your field of vision when you hold the compass level, and with some practice you will soon be able to determine the direction of travel. The compass has an integrated spirit level and can be mounted on a tripod by means of the threaded fitting in the base which will help serve as theodolite for simple terrain surveys. As a lensatic compass it offers considerable advantages over lesser models whereby parallax errors are more likely to occur. Excellent damping of the dial system ensures rapid and precise reading to a fraction of a degree.
In the following days we will outline more specific techniques to using the Cruiser including how to take bearings, determining your position in the field, and understanding magnetic declination.
Reblogged from: bestmadeco
You Can Take the Tool Out of the Shed…..
Some of our products come from less glamorous beginnings. You can take the tools out of the shed, but can you take the shed out of the tools? Why would you want to?
Test Tube Pencil Holders, used in labs to hold tubes in an organized fashion, become a beautiful pen receptacle in your office. The Industrial Tube Wringer, intended for use in on site jobs to squeeze caulk or sealant, is a lovely gadget to have in your home. The Galvanized Feed Scoop, lifted from farms and barns, is a helping hand in the garden or dog feeding department. The Aluminum Snap Pack, used by traveling workmen and couriers the world over, is a handy place to keep notes, bills, checks etcetera.
TEST TUBE PENCIL HOLDER: Though usually found in labs, we find this brushed aluminum Test Tube Rack to be an ideal and attractive pencil caddy. The s-shaped rack resists rusting and is easily cleaned. Low form design prevents tipping. Etched row numbers allow for easy identification. When turned on its side it becomes a beautiful letter organizer. Beautifully holds General’s Test Scoring Pencils. Measures: 8 ¾” long x 4 ½” wide x 2 ½” high.
TUBE WRINGER: The Tube Wringer is incomparable in its ability to extract the last remnants of caulk, glue, paint or even toothpaste from its tube. It has, therefore, become an institution on construction sites and in homes around the world. Aluminum rollers and steel handle for construction and manufacturing applications. High grade and heavy duty materials make this a long lasting partner on the job. Made in the USA. Measures: 4 ½” wide x 4 ½” long x 1” deep.
GALVANIZED FEED SCOOP: Galvanized steel feed scoop from an Equestrian supply company, this tool comes in handy for many things from scooping dog food to potting soil. Rust resistant. Made in the USA. Measures: 6 ½” diameter x 8 ½” high.
ALUMINUM SNAP PACK: The Aluminum Snap Pack provides a protective place to keep your documents and forms when on the job or on the move. Made from 89% recycled aluminum and at least 60% post-consumer waste, the side opening design features a hinged writing plate for hard writing surface and prevents write-through on unused forms stored underneath aluminum strap. High tension serrated clip holds up to 1/2” paper securely. Made in the USA. Measures: 6” x 10”. Holds form size 5 2/3” x 9 1/2”.
The Blog
At the Museum of Useful Things, we take great pride in our collection of well made utilitarian items, and are always looking for ways to enhance our collection. We'd like to become a resource for useful information as well as good design. If you have questions or suggestions please call us at 1.866.497.1221 or send us an email.
