ARISTO Rod Compass for Circles up to 1280mm Diameter with Accessories AH59000

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Under the two trays is a space for set squares, protractors and French curves. Apart from two large (45 and 60 degree) celluloid set squares that could be original (although they were catalogued as Vulcanite) the original items are all lost. There are two celluloid protractors and an angle template, all from different vendors, that are later additions. After the glue had dried, I sanded the beam smooth on my belt sander platform, and trimmed the ends off: Scribing a circle [ edit ] sharp point used to score a fine line in the birch plywood connected to each other by a piece of 3/4" × 3/8" mahogany Circles can be made by pushing one leg of the compasses into the paper with the spike, putting the pencil on the paper, and moving the pencil around while keeping the legs at the same angle. Some people who find this action difficult often hold the compasses still and move the paper round instead. The radius of the intended circle can be changed by adjusting the initial angle between the two legs.

A while ago I bought a nice compass for sketching ideas on paper, to use at my desk. As expected, at some point it found its way into my shop and now has wound up in this debilitating condition: A beam compass (or trammel) offers longer reach and easier adjustment than an ordinary compass. This update of our beam compass is made largely of stainless steel, providing it with improved toughness and rust resistance, not to mention a more modern look.This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Beam Compass 52 inch” by W H Harling with broad arrow marks and dated 1917. It is complete with its pen and pencil lead points stored in the centre fixture. The box is pine. Early Sets There are two views of the second tray, the second being with the solid electrum rolling parallel rule and some spurious items removed. The case was offered by Stanley (Catalogue number K2202 in the 1912 catalogue) with either six chain scales and six offsets or six mechanical engineer’s/architect’s scales. There are three, possibly four, of the original scales remaining. They are ivory and for mechanical engineers/architects. Three are signed Stanley. The fourth is signed Reynolds but faintly discernible under is an erased Stanley signature! All are stamped with the original owner’s name. The fifth scale in the illustration is a boxwood scale by J Archbutt that dates from 1838 - 64 and is clearly not original to this case. There are also two later boxwood scales, one by Stanley and one by Reynolds. Two offsets by Gray & Selby of Nottingham are additions and irrelevant as there are no matching scales. The ivory sector and the four line ivory protractor are unsigned and possibly replacements for the originals. The eight line ivory protractor is signed Elliott Bros London and clearly an addition. Some of the electrum drawing pins and the horn centres are probably original items in the case. The pencil lead draws the circle on a particular paper or material. Alternatively, an ink nib or attachment with a technical pen may be used. The better quality compass, made of metal, has its piece of pencil lead specially sharpened to a "chisel edge" shape, rather than to a point.

To get started, I cut two strips of hardwood, leaving them long. I then cut them to length and kept the off-cut ends. These pieces were then glued in at each end of the “beam”: Distances can be measured on a map using compasses with two spikes, also called a dividing compass (or just "dividers"). The hinge is set in such a way that the distance between the spikes on the map represents a certain distance in reality, and by measuring how many times the compasses fit between two points on the map the distance between those points can be calculated. Occasionally I need to draw circles or arcs of a specific size, usually smaller ones. In the past I’ve used various ways to do this, often searching for the right size round thing in my shop or surrounding area. Much time can be burned up that way and after looking high and low, I still might not find the diameter I need. Loose leg wing dividers [4] are made of all forged steel. The pencil holder, thumb screws, brass pivot and branches are all well built. They are used for scribing circles and stepping off repetitive measurements [5] with some accuracy.

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The last commonly seen instrument is always referred to as a set of trammel points. These were made by all quality instrument makers and were commonly sold separately from the beams. They are in many senses the best design,probably the most accurate to set, and easiest to use for radii over about 300 mm / 1 foot. These are certainly the prettiest of the designs. They do required finding a beam. That means finding a furniture maker and having one made in mahogany or rosewood. I have seen these with beautiful 3 meter mahogany trussed beams in the auto design shops. I will not comment on these further since they are all slightly different and the method of setting them is usually obvious by inspection. Setting Beam Compasses to Radius

I have this set up as you usually find them, steel point is adjusted. I actually find it easier to control the point while I adjust if I reverse the points so that I am holding the compass at the lead point as I adjust it; I hold the steel point on center with one hand and adjust with the other. Personal choice. If you prefer an easy to print pdf version, Jay Bates took the time to make this one from the SketchUp file available above: The screw through the hinge holds the two legs in position. The hinge can be adjusted, depending on desired stiffness; the tighter the hinge-screw, the more accurate the compass's performance. The better quality compass, made of plated metal, is able to be finely adjusted via a small, serrated wheel usually set between the legs (see the "using a compass" animation shown above) and it has a (dangerously powerful) spring encompassing the hinge. This sort of compass is often known as a "pair of Spring-Bow Compasses". Credit subject to status and affordability. Terms and conditions apply. Axminster Tool Centre Ltd trading as Axminster Tools is a credit broker and is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Credit is provided by Novuna Personal Finance, a trading style of Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Services Register no. 704348.A beam compass can also be used to make a series of repetitive measurements in a precise manner; the same as using a divider. Each point is rotated 180° along a straight line or large circle, and this process is repeated until the desired measurement or division is reached. The indentation created by the sharp point of the trammel is easily seen and makes a precise point to reference to the next location. The handle, a small knurled rod above the hinge, is usually about half an inch long. Users can grip it between their pointer finger and thumb. Find sources: "Compass"drawing tool– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( November 2023) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)