Cannot find cheap compass for scribing...

[David F. Eisan]

Dear All,

I am trying to find one of those cheap ass compasses like I used in high school geometry to scribe a cabinet to a wall. Think I can find one anywhere? All I can find are high end ones with things pointing out of them that would make them impossible to scribe with.

Any ideas where I can get one? Any better ways to scribe a cabinet to a wall?

Thanks,

David.

Every neighbourhood has one, in mine, I'm him.

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FAQ

[Rudy]

Walmart School supplies

[Leon]

How about the Grocery store in with the school supplies.

[Dave Balderstone]

Two sticks, a bolt & nut, a nail, a golf pencil.

I made a large one a while back when I wanted to draw some 1' dia circles. Took me all of 10 minutes.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I'll swap you mine for a good one. Yesterday I was cursing my cheap one and if the stores were open I'd have bought the high priced quality compass. It's your if you want it, but Wal Mart is probably closer. Ed

[George]

Why not the washer and pencil trick? Template to wall, pencil inside washer, roll down the wall.

[Bill Rogers]

Flea market [or yard sale or auction] for el cheapo [don't go that way] or a decent drafting compasses. Or, as someone suggested, make your own, but I'd put just a little bit of effort into it. You might even also come across one of those larger ones used by teachers for the blackboard, and use a pencil instead of the chalk, with a shim to fit.

Bill.

[John]

For scribing, a pencil and a washer will do a very good job. Pencil in the hole in the washer, then run the edge of the washer against the surface you want to scribe to

Vary the size of the washer to vary the offset from the scribing surface

John

[Lew Hodgett]

Sure beats the hell out of what I've been doing.

Thank you.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

That sounds easy, but you left out all the important details.

What type of pencil? Is a #2 the #1 pencil for the job?

What about the washer? If it is a bath or kitchen will you need brass washers? Can you substitute a plated one?

If north of the equator does the washer have to rotate CW or can it go CCW? If one is preferred, what do you do on the wall on the opposite side of the room?

[Bill Rogers]

Neat! There's something new every day.

Problem: the hole varies in size also.

Bill.

[Morris Dovey]

In that case, you might need to find a high-end washer. In a real pinch, drill a pencil point sized hole in the center of a penny and use that. (-:

[Wes]

|On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 19:46:02 -0500, John wrote: | |>For scribing, a pencil and a washer will do a very good job. Pencil |>in the hole in the washer, then run the edge of the washer against the |>surface you want to scribe to | |Neat! There's something new every day. | |>Vary the size of the washer to vary the offset from the scribing |>surface | |Problem: the hole varies in size also.

No, the problem is keeping the washer from riding up the pencil.

[Wes]

Yes, unless it isn't. | |What about the washer? If it is a bath or kitchen will you need brass |washers?

Yes

| Can you substitute a plated one?

Not unless you spray it with TopCoat first.

|If north of the equator does the washer have to rotate CW or can it go CCW?

It doesn't matter unless you're using a brass washer, then it's CCW.

|If one is preferred, what do you do on the wall on the opposite side of the |room?

Scribe up instead of down.

[bridger]

stationery store. artist's supply. schoolteacher's supply. office supply...

[B a r r y]

Old router bit bearings also work well.

Barry

[Kevin]

In another life I was a Tool and Die builder and used a device similar to what John mentions. It is rather simply made.

1. Get a piece of .0625 aluminum (or whatever else your heart desires).
2. Place a center mark and scribe a circle with a .75 radius. This will be the OD of the tool.
3. Mark out angles from the center point maybe every 10 to 15 degrees and scribe a faint line.
4. Set the radius on your compass to different settings and swing an arc over each of the degree lines you marked on the tool.
5. At the intersection of the arc and the line drill a #40 hole.

Now the cut and grind out the tool. Place a scribe in one of the holes and you can scratch a line around the exterior of what you wish. Sorry if the description is a bit unclear.

[Mutt]

General (the company that makes rulers, dowel jigs, etc, not the CN green iron folks) makes a compass that is fairly robust, has a threaded cross rod with a nut, and works better than the grade school compasses you can get for $1.50 at OfficeMax or Walmart. I paid $5 for mine a few years back at a wood show. I think Lowes or the Borg carries the line.

Mutt

[patrick conroy]

Wal-Mart.

[More proof to bolster my theory...]

[Scott Lurndal]

Make one from two straight sections of wood. Tape a pencil to one end.

scott