Protractor(2)

[bent]

I discovered the perfect protractor.

I drew a polar array in AutoCAD. 360 lines emanating from a common point. Each line represents a degree. Believe me when I say it doesn't matter how large the circle is, the lines are accurate. i.e equally spaced, even when printed.. Every 5 lines is a solid line, the 3 in between hidden lines. At

22.5, 45, 67.5, 90, etc... are center lines. This helps you to see. the center doesn't go to a messy blob. Terminate in a small circle, maybe a dollar size. But alternate where you terminate each type of line i.e. the center, the solids

It requires a little flip/flop during alignment, and guessing and erasing with a pencil mark, but you can get it PERFECT. No other method/tool even comes close. You can mark your angle/line/point anywhere within the size of the printout. You can also cut a slit with a razor along one line, say 90 degrees, so you can put your pencil through it. Just adjust the starting point, or make a calculation.

I printed some on my inkjet on mylar paper that I cut to 8-1/2" x 11', from scraps from a printers shop roll, so my circle was a max of 8-1/2" side to side, and 11" top to bottom. Just let it dry. If you go to a high-end printers shop, the maximum side to side mylar is 36", but length is infinite! And their $250, 000 OCE printers' ink is heat activated and permanent

You can make many types of them, and print many, slice them up, cut them... Mylar is see-through, almost indestructible plastic. printing is not expensive if you need these. I don't know if you can buy it Office Depot. You wouldn't believe how incredible this method is!

I'd love to hear back anytime if someone tries this and likes it. Believe me, if you go through with it, you will be laughing at the discovery you made.

You can take the drawing to the reproduction (copy)shop. They do literally millions of .dwg files! CAD in a "copy" shop is a majority of the profit. Astley -Gilbert Reproductions (Canada) for instance. I did this a while ago. If anyone wants my file , I think I got it on floppy some where. Can I put a .dwg or .dxf in a newsgroup?

[bent]

no wait, 15/30/45, etc. are center lines!! I was wondering about that .5 degree.

[bent]

actually the spacing between line segments helps to see reference components, such as machine components, where I needed it,, as well as tell you what (type of) degree your looking at

[bent]

you could draw concentric circles, indicating how many inches from center you are.

Use a center mark (+)at the very center ?

[bent]

and put a pin hole in it.

[bent]

believe me, using this for any angle: 51.66°, 18.2°, 181.9°, with any size terminals, with the same template, is a breeze. No lay out tools.

[Leon]

Umm looks like you may still be in the Beta stage with 4 comment corrections after the original.

[bent]

no its pewrfected for the use I needed it for. I'm using OE, so I can't edit my messages where and whenever I want. Agent could. I have newbin Pro, but haven't looked into it. Maybe I can get a FreeAgent still. I'll tell you why I stumbled onto this thing in the first place a little later. Brings to mind a drill press, you can lay it on the table underneath the wood, or on top, set-up the angle. then remove it. Just blows away anything else. I couldn't understand the stubborness of anyone who wouldn't or can't who could actually use this method. I go from job to job seeing this crap everywhere. Makes me want to kill myself in public.

[bent]

ok, very short.

Martin Gear & Sprocket.

Keyway cutting machine.

Cutting keyways into standard bore of gears and sprockets like a broach machine.

Bore of gear/sprocket lifted onto arbour of keyway machine (built like broach machine w/ cutting tip iside arbour). Sometimes with crane hoist, some were 4' in diameter. - chair lift size.

Align bore to center of arbor w/ tapered yoke on top. Clamp down to table.

Look at diagram of part on purchase order. It indicated angle from center of internal bore to the center of the keyway I had to cut.

Insead of using blue dye, scriber, protractor, straightedge(s), etc. I just placed the see-through concentric rings mylar on the oily machine & gear, and spun the refence point to the degree I needed. I could tell instantly this waxs sent from heaven.

You could adapt it like aq jig to the machine, and if possible set fences, whatever. Or use them as checkers once parts are done.

With this idea, I could draw and cut out the size of the circular arbour(s) on the printout, and it was self centering.

As with all things standard and preffered sizing affects stock, design, cost, time, interchangability, accuracy, etc. In keyways, having two 180° apart was most common, but but some applications required sysnchronous alignment, and the position of the keyway, w/r/t the center of one tooth, was sometimes a given angle. This, compared to the previous method, was most definetely an improvement.