Nifty use for busted tape measure / Drawing a big arc

[RedShirtGuy]

Here's a trick I thought I'd share in the middle of the night

If you've got a busted tape measure, remove the tape and use it to draw your especially big arcs for templates.

- At the desired length/radius (plus 100mm...see why in a second), punch a teeny hole in the middle of the tape that is big enough for the point of your pencil/pen/texta to go through;
- With a small brad nail, secure the tape at the 100mm point (that's why) on a piece of timber the same thickness as what you're marking on;
- Stick the bit of timber with the starting end of the measure down with double sided tape on a large flat surface (I've been using my driveway);
- Mark the start and end of your arc on the workpiece;
- Through the marking hole on the tape, check your arc by sighting the start/end marks and pivot the workpiece until it hits both marks. (Use one end mark as a reference and pivot the other around until you've got both in the 'sight'.) Remember to pull the tape taught and make sure the secured end isn't moving;
- At this point it's not necessary but it helps to have a slave hold the workpiece down....Stick your choice of drawing implement into the hole at the desired measurement and mark out your ginormous arc;
- Marvel at your handiwork;

I've been using this to mark out templates for curves on furniture legs that are in the vicinity of a 3800mm radius and it's been fantastic. Better than the ol' "pencil and string", "bend a ruler" or "masonite with string" methods (I feel).

There is a useful calculator here for determining what radius to use (what distance to put the hole in the tape at).

Enjoy

[Enfield Guy]

Good one. I see you can calculate for the length of the arc as well. Useful for curved laminations.

Cheers

[joe greiner]

I've used a similar method with a strip of mylar drafting film. The hole for the pencil is typically larger than the puncture by the brad nail (although I use a push pin). For repetitive use at multiple radii, I found it better to place the pencil hole near the end, e.g. your 100mm mark, and to put the pin/nail at the desired radius (plus 100mm). Thus there's less damage for subsequent uses. Later punctures can be as close as about 2mm from previous, or even 1mm if you exploit the width of the tape.

Cheers,
Joe

[Chris Parks]

This tape has the arc/radius facility built in plus a lot of other features as well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ovuFoiVwr0

[RedShirtGuy]

Ooohh!!

"Dear Santa...."

[Chris Parks]

I'll sell you one at a highly inflated price....scratch that I only have one, bad idea. Fence Furniture did a group buy on them but I don't know if it was a raving success or am I wrong Brett??

[Handyjack]

Festool tape measure has the same feature. http://www.idealtools.com.au/festool...ool-by-festool