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I needed a compass to draw a circle, and I couldn't find any of the four I have somewhere in my shop, and none of the paint cans I have were the right size, so now I have five compasses somewhere in the shop.

Took a piece of oak from a pallet, and planed it roughly square. Cut two pieces, then used the bandsaw, a backsaw, and a spokeshave to shape the two arms. Sanded the edges smooth with a scrap of 60 grit that wasn't completely wore out.

Drilled a 1/16 hole in the end of one of the arms and super-glued in a brad. Blue-taped a pencil that I planed one side flat on onto the other arm, then hand-riveted the arms together with a washer between the arms and drew the circle I needed.

Sanded the hinge ends round and hit it all with a coat of shellac. Done.

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Flat stick with 2 holes, nail and pencil, at radius of circle works for me? For larger circles!
 

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Nice improv Dave! Can't count the number of times I've been in the same situation, but never mustered the energy to just build one.

Now if you were at all like the LBD, you'd be hard at work making a nice fitted box for storage.
 

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Andre, I have a handful of those around the shop too. None the right size, of course.

Thanks, Splint. It was a pretty easy build, and it beat cleaning up the shop!
 

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In a pinch I mark circles with a ruler. Mark center, measure out radius and mark. Rotate 1/8 circle and repeat. Put in as many measurements as needed to define circle segments and then freehand the arcs between marks.
 

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That will do it.
 

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Well that's better than running around in circles looking for them!

OMG not again!
 

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Good work!
I have one almost exactly like this in Maple somewhere in my shop… I found the scribe leg for it the other day, now if I can just find the rest of it.
 

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Mark, I wanted better results than free-handing it.

Thanks, oldrivers!

Exactly, Rob. Plus, another shop-made tool.

Brian, I have no idea what you mean. ;-)

Thanks, Jim.
 

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Congrats on the Daily top 3 Dave
You're going to have to at least sand it now though ;)
 

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Thanks, Mike. I was figuring it would develop a patina over time. I just need to draw more circles.
 

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some fine looking blue tape there Dave 0 oh, and a really neat compass
 

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Another use for blue tape. So we are up to what now, like 3,847 uses? Somethin like that, anyway…........
 

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Make a tool to do a specific job or procedure when needed, the true meaning of craftsmanship.
 

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Thanks, Dick, Brian again, and Tom. It was a lazy solution to the problem, since I could've cleaned the shop and found one of the other compasses I have. Or my trammel points. Or even my dividers.

I also took another piece of the same board from the pallet and made the little jig to hold the pencil so I could plane a flat side onto it. Will probably end up using that for something again, too.
 

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Good way to fix the problem Dave. Yep been there myself before. I finally have mine in a special place.
 

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Sweet. Have one myself for larger stuff, very useful.
 

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Thanks, Dave & butcher. I should probably have a special place for all my layout tools, but that's still behind all the bookcases on the to-do list.
 

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Bravo, lovely to solve a problem like this.
One of those, where we feel like explores again.
Best thoughts,
Mads
 

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Thanks, Mads! Not as elegant as a MaFe solution, but less is good enough. ;-)
 
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