I think Warren is right here. I'm about as "numbers-obsessed" as they come, and I wouldn't try to do this any way but the one Warren suggested.Originally Posted by Warren Mickley
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I think Warren is right here. I'm about as "numbers-obsessed" as they come, and I wouldn't try to do this any way but the one Warren suggested.
Contributor
i agree with you Patrick. Your engineer "shorts" are showing a little on this one. We can also readily see a human hair, +\- 3 thou or so. If I try to get much better than that woodworking I'm bald tires on ice, IMHO.
Jim
Contributor
Nowhere anyway near Warren's league in any way, shape or form, but I could see/understand what he was talking about. Once again, thanks Warren for the great advise. But Jim just blew me away with the "Eye Calibration" exercise. I got to try that as soon as I acquire a digital micrometer. Like Edward, I graduated to using story sticks when turning out a set of kitchen cabinets or other household build-ins years ago when I was doing that, but have just started scratching the surface of divider use after reading through some of the "By Hand and Eye" content. "Numbers are not real, only one interpretation of reality". Thanks for that Edward - a very, very good one.
David
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Yes, you can see a hair. I don't think you could see a spread of .003" between points of a divider. Let's face it, the points aren't .001" diameter.
Member
Thanks folks, This reminding of what was taught in shop class during High School years. I have started using dividers again, but hadn't thought of story sticks. Thanks Stan for bring this to mind. I use a scale to get accurate measurements, or sometimes a folding rule for consistency. Took blueprint drawing after mechanical drawing, very interesting. Still make numbers that way today.
You never get the answer if you don't ask the question.
Joe
Contributor
If you are stepping off you are only looking at one point and a previous pin prick. I don't know how small that would be exactly but if right next to each other good enough for me.
Jim
Member
We need to remember why they are called dividers. They are useful for division. Imagine you have a board that is 5 7/32 inches in width and need to divide it in three. The mental math needed to a this slows down all but math geniuses. On the other hand, doing this division with dividers is simple and fast. You take the divider, set the width to what looks like a third and then set one point on the edge and the other on a line across the width. Then you step across the width moving the point on the edge rotating the divider 180 degrees pivoting on the other point. You then do the third pivot by rotating the divider a third time to the far edge. You look at the gap at the edge of the board. If the edge point is off the edge of board, adjust in by a third of the distance. If the point falls short of the edge, adjust the divider out by a third. Then repeat the process until three steps across the board results in the divider point stopping exactly on the edge of the board. No fancy fractional math needed. Once set, the dividers can transfer the correct measurement distance to a marking gauge, fence, story stick, or rule.
Contributor
Maybe a little practical use knowledge for some of those that don't use dividers regularly. This is what I do if dividing. I step off from my start point with very light pressure, no mark needed yet just enough to set the leg. Step off until I get what I like. Now walk down applying more pressure to make a deep mark you can see easily. Now if you want to square off put the point of your knife in the mark slide your square up and knife in. I would guess others do differently. This works for me.
Jim
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Warren you got me laughing with your last sentence. In school the shop teacher was also the chemistry teacher. Good combination for learning about measuring. Tough combination for examinations.
Jim
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Wonder how hard it would be to buy some Brass bar stock.....and make your own dividers?
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Yesh, it was super funny. LOL. Thing is, when I went to school we used sliderules, not dividers. We certainly didn't use dividers in any drafting class, although we did use a compass, but never to do division. I suspect that back in the really old days, before "new math" they might have covered ancient techniques. I haver never seen a machinist use a dividers although they all use calipers. I have never seen dividers used in an industrial setting. I think if you are happy using the dividers then more power to you.Warren you got me laughing with your last sentence. In school the shop teacher was also the chemistry teacher. Good combination for learning about measuring. Tough combination for examinations
Jim
Contributor
It would depend on the quality you want.
I made some Fibonocci divider/gauges out of wood:
Fibonocci Gauge.jpg
Dividers wouldn't be any more difficult.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
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Maybe start a "build thread" about how to make one? I'm sure someone here can do that? I'll look around this weekend, and see what metal I can scrounge up. maybe some Brass knobs to dress it up a bit? Quandrant might be just a plain flat piece, have a brass knob to lock it in place? Hmmmm....
Contributor
Pat makes some valid points. But besides engineering there is the consideration of how things look. Columns and other architectural features need to be done with dividers. Yes, there are different systems ,dividers are needed with all of them
at the custom shop level. I'd rather listen to condescending comments about how my work is accomplished than be guilty of turning out the schlock now seen in the nuttier post modern dreck. I concede that the mass produced factory millwork could be designed with a slide rule. But I don't want to assign blame to useful methods.
Contributor
Those look very nicely done Jim. I've never used any. Thought about making or buying them. What ratios did you use to make them?
Jim
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