Steady Steel

Quote a cut plate

quote_plate

Price one flat plate of steel, stainless or aluminum, laser cut to an outline with holes, slots and bends, at a firm price from the engine behind the plate quoter on steadysteel.org. Every length is inches, +x right and +y up. material and thickness_in must be exactly as list_materials gives them. The outline is a rectangle, circle, ring (a washer) or polygon; holes and bends use its frame, and for a rectangle, circle or ring the origin is the lower-left corner of the box around it. texts adds up to 10 lines of lettering in the same frame, etched or cut through; the words are cut as sent, and a line carrying a link, an address or a phone number is refused. quantity is how many (1 to 999), and quantity_options prices up to five other quantities. A part that cannot be made as asked comes back blocked, with an issue saying why: change it and quote again. Amounts are CAD cents with HST as its own figure, firm until expires_at. Show the person the drawing at preview_url. Nothing is bought here: to order, make a link with create_handoff_link and give it to the person, who checks the part and pays on steadysteel.org.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`bends`	No
`holes`	No
`label`	No
`texts`	No
`outline`	Yes
`material`	Yes
`quantity`	No
`thickness_in`	Yes
`quantity_options`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedOct 16, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / texts / items / description

Previous value: -"One line of lettering on the plate. mode is etch (marked into the\nface) or cut (stencil letters cut through, the centres held by bridges).\ntext is up to 40 letters, digits, spaces and common punctuation; cut\nletters leave out $, @ and the diameter sign, and no line may carry a\nlink, a web or email address or a phone number. height_in is the\nheight of a capital letter: etch from 1/4 in, cut from 1/2 in and\ntaller on thicker plate, up to 24 in. The line is centred on (x_in,\ny_in) in the item's frame and turned angle_deg counter-clockwise from\n+x. Cut letters go on plate up to 1/2 in thick. A line that runs off\nthe part, sits on a hole or another line, or is too small comes back\nblocked, with the reason."New value: +"One line of lettering on the plate. mode is etch (marked into the\nface) or cut (stencil letters cut through, the centres held by bridges).\ntext is up to 40 letters, digits, spaces and common punctuation; cut\nletters leave out $, @ and the diameter sign, and no line may carry a\nlink, a web or email address or a phone number. height_in is the\nheight of a capital letter: etch from 1/4 in, cut from 1/2 in and\ntaller on thicker plate, up to 24 in. The line is centred on (x_in,\ny_in) in the item's frame and turned angle_deg counter-clockwise from\n+x. Cut letters go on plate up to 1/4 in thick. A line that runs off\nthe part, sits on a hole or another line, or is too small comes back\nblocked, with the reason."

Changed1 schema field changedOct 16, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / texts

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "One line of lettering on the plate. mode is etch (marked into the\nface) or cut (stencil letters cut through, the centres held by bridges).\ntext is up to 40 letters, digits, spaces and common punctuation; cut\nletters leave out $, @ and the diameter sign, and no line may carry a\nlink, a web or email address or a phone number. height_in is the\nheight of a capital letter: etch from 1/4 in, cut from 1/2 in and\ntaller on thicker plate, up to 24 in. The line is centred on (x_in,\ny_in) in the item's frame and turned angle_deg counter-clockwise from\n+x. Cut letters go on plate up to 1/2 in thick. A line that runs off\nthe part, sits on a hole or another line, or is too small comes back\nblocked, with the reason.",
+    "properties": {
+      "angle_deg": {
+        "default": 0,
+        "maximum": 360,
+        "minimum": -360,
+        "type": "number"
+      },
+      "height_in": {
+        "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+        "maximum": 120,
+        "type": "number"
+      },
+      "mode": {
+        "enum": [
+          "etch",
+          "cut"
+        ],
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "text": {
+        "maxLength": 40,
+        "minLength": 1,
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "x_in": {
+        "maximum": 120,
+        "minimum": 0,
+        "type": "number"
+      },
+      "y_in": {
+        "maximum": 120,
+        "minimum": 0,
+        "type": "number"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "text",
+      "mode",
+      "height_in",
+      "x_in",
+      "y_in"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "maxItems": 10,
+  "type": "array"
+}

First observedSep 28, 2026

TDQS

A4.8/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Goes well beyond the thin annotations by disclosing refusal semantics (blocked parts with an issue string), text restrictions (no links/addresses/phone numbers, cut letters barred on >1/4 in plate), pricing behavior (CAD cents, HST as its own figure, firm until expires_at), and the preview_url hand-off. IdempotentHint=false is honored in spirit by tying firmness to an expiry on a generated quote.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Appropriately sized for a 9-parameter geometry tool, with purpose, frame conventions and the ordering hand-off front-loaded. It is prose-dense and occasionally chatty ('the words are cut as sent'), but almost every sentence carries operative information an agent needs.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

No output schema exists, so the description must explain returns — and it does: a firm CAD-cent amount with separate HST, an expires_at, a preview_url to show the person, or a blocked result with an issue. Combined with the ordering workflow via create_handoff_link, nothing essential for correct invocation is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

With top-level schema coverage reported at 0%, the description carries real weight: it fixes units and axes (+x right, +y up, all inches), defines the origin for rectangle/circle/ring, constrains material/thickness_in to list_materials values, gives the quantity range (1-999) and quantity_options limit (five). It leaves some per-parameter detail (hole kinds, bend angle/direction) to the nested schema descriptions, so it is strong but not exhaustive.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a precise verb+resource: prices a single flat laser-cut plate (steel/stainless/aluminum) with outline, holes, slots, bends, at a firm price. It is unmistakably distinct from siblings like get_quote, quote_product, create_handoff_link and list_materials, and even names the pricing engine behind steadysteel.org.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly routes the agent: 'Nothing is bought here: to order, make a link with create_handoff_link and give it to the person...'. It also covers the failure path ('a part that cannot be made comes back blocked... change it and quote again'), and grounds input sourcing in list_materials, giving clear when/to-what-else guidance.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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