A review of various compasses I use plus how to make the Dual Rod Beam Compass, based on an earlier magazine construction article but with a few changes.
We typically break a few driveway stakes every winter. I usually save some because the rods could be useful, but until now I didn't have a use for them. This is great. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the video Ron, as always very informative. Watching your video still makes me wonder why The US still hangs on to the Imperial measurement system - Metric is so much simpler.
Ahh, the school compass. Don't know how much fun I had with one of those, a 6" ruler and a protractor. Do they still make the unit that fastens to a yardstick?
Another great and inspiring video, Ron. Have you experienced the fiberglass marker rods delaminating yet? I have a used one here but cannot touch it without getting tiny shards of fiberglass in my hands. Painful! It might be the outdoor UV light that causes this, so an indoor, shop-stored rod might not breakdown the same way. I'm just curious about your experience with the rods and the effect the sliding portion might have on the red's gel coat. Again, great video.
Dave Potts I've had some white fiberglass rods at the end of my driveway for several years and have not noticed any UV deterioration happening other than they aren't as shiny as when new so possibly in another few years. Not much will stand up to UV long term. Now if a careless friend decides to run over one and the rod flexes more than it wants or then gets crushed by the friend's tire as he backs up and has another try at the driveway, it will shatter into strands of fiberglass which are pretty nasty but I can't blame that on the fiberglass rod. :-) The sliding portion of the beam compass moves very freely and I do not expect to ever use it so much as to wear away any portion of the gel coat.
Max Kalin The large wood beam with the ink pen would work. Replace the ink pen with a aluminum X-Acto knife with a No. 11 blade. Or the beam compass with the pencil hole drilled for an X-Acto knife.
Hi. Thanks. I will try to do that. I have a cnc machine and I will try to make a more sturdy device. I have 1 inch pressure pressed birch plywood. I will use few ideas of what you showed to make a heavy duty compass.
You mention that the person who sells this kit no longer sells ... But tell me in your particular case where you bought: brass thumb screw, threaded metal insert and brass rod. These parts would also be useful to modify my homemade gramil, and do better. Good Job!
I bought the few remaining thumb screws they had plus the solid brass rod for the pins. Microfasteners.com has brass threaded metal inserts. K&S Precision Metals has solid brass rod in many sizes. Google "Brass Thumb Screws" and you will get several hits. Looks like Home Depot has some sizes in their hardware drawers.
Thank you for providing all the sizes and details. I really enjoy listening to you talk. Hope you have a great day!
We typically break a few driveway stakes every winter. I usually save some because the rods could be useful, but until now I didn't have a use for them. This is great. Thanks for the video.
nice idea i got plenty of arrow shafts and the other stuff i can scrounge together my project for the day thanks for the vedio
Thanks Ron really informative
Very informative and useful!
Thanks, very good detail.
Good video. Now I have a use for some old arrows. Thank you.
Thanks for the video Ron, as always very informative. Watching your video still makes me wonder why The US still hangs on to the Imperial measurement system - Metric is so much simpler.
Ahh, the school compass. Don't know how much fun I had with one of those, a 6" ruler and a protractor. Do they still make the unit that fastens to a yardstick?
Another great and inspiring video, Ron. Have you experienced the fiberglass marker rods delaminating yet? I have a used one here but cannot touch it without getting tiny shards of fiberglass in my hands. Painful! It might be the outdoor UV light that causes this, so an indoor, shop-stored rod might not breakdown the same way. I'm just curious about your experience with the rods and the effect the sliding portion might have on the red's gel coat. Again, great video.
Dave Potts I've had some white fiberglass rods at the end of my driveway for several years and have not noticed any UV deterioration happening other than they aren't as shiny as when new so possibly in another few years. Not much will stand up to UV long term. Now if a careless friend decides to run over one and the rod flexes more than it wants or then gets crushed by the friend's tire as he backs up and has another try at the driveway, it will shatter into strands of fiberglass which are pretty nasty but I can't blame that on the fiberglass rod. :-) The sliding portion of the beam compass moves very freely and I do not expect to ever use it so much as to wear away any portion of the gel coat.
Thank you for the video.
Have you seen and compasses that are solid enough to use a knife to cut through rubber?
Max Kalin The large wood beam with the ink pen would work. Replace the ink pen with a aluminum X-Acto knife with a No. 11 blade. Or the beam compass with the pencil hole drilled for an X-Acto knife.
Hi. Thanks. I will try to do that.
I have a cnc machine and I will try to make a more sturdy device. I have 1 inch pressure pressed birch plywood.
I will use few ideas of what you showed to make a heavy duty compass.
You mention that the person who sells this kit no longer sells ...
But tell me in your particular case where you bought: brass thumb screw, threaded metal insert and brass rod.
These parts would also be useful to modify my homemade gramil, and do better.
Good Job!
I bought the few remaining thumb screws they had plus the solid brass rod for the pins. Microfasteners.com has brass threaded metal inserts. K&S Precision Metals has solid brass rod in many sizes. Google "Brass Thumb Screws" and you will get several hits. Looks like Home Depot has some sizes in their hardware drawers.
Thanks for the information Ronald...!
Beam compass, also known as a trammel.