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Thread: dividers recommendation?

  1. #1

    dividers recommendation?

    I'm looking for a decent pair of dividers, largely to use in laying out dovetails and other bits of joinery. I checked out Lee Valley today and decided I enjoy my first born son more than I would their dividers. Can anyone recommend a decent instrument? Amazon sells everything, including the things you don't know you don't want until they arrive. Recommendations for a decent, reasonably priced instrument are most welcome.

  2. #2
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    Howdy Clarke, you don't have your location listed. There was a pair in a shop along US 30 in Oregon if you are anywhere near Portland.

    It really depends on what you are looking for in a pair. Over time it has become convenient to have a few pairs. The manufactured pairs vary in size from ~3" to 8". My big pair, ~24", is shop made:

    Big Dividers.jpg

    The large ones get a little unwieldy for laying out small dovetails.

    The least expensive way may be to find an old drafting set. They will have one or two dividers in them most of the time. It is also easy to repurpose most compasses into a pair of dividers by switching the lead out for a pin which is usually included in many sets.

    Lots of them listed on the ebay.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  3. #3
    You can pay whatever you want to for dividers. Used are often cheaper if you can find them. Look for some at an art supply store. I bought a set of 5" brand name drafting dividers for about $12. But I learned that I personally prefer the type that are spring-loaded (like a bow compass) because they are eaier for me to set accurately. That type is more expensive in a "pretty good" brand.

    I just checked Amazon and they sell a no-name 4" spring-loaded divider for $10. Before Christmas, I bought some 4" PEC dividers (spring loaded) for around $22, but that's comparable to LV's in price.

    Good luck!
    Fred
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clarke Davis View Post
    I'm looking for a decent pair of dividers, largely to use in laying out dovetails and other bits of joinery. I checked out Lee Valley today and decided I enjoy my first born son more than I would their dividers. Can anyone recommend a decent instrument? Amazon sells everything, including the things you don't know you don't want until they arrive. Recommendations for a decent, reasonably priced instrument are most welcome.
    I like these at the lathe (but a larger model). The quick adjustment nut saves a lot of time. I keep several identical dividers at hand to transfer key dimensions for a project.
    https://www.amazon.com/Toolmakers-Qu.../dp/B01J0BIZGU

    They are not as nice as the Starrett but a fraction of the cost!

    I also have some with needle-sharp points from my drafting days. They allow precision transfers but one possible problem is they use a friction pivot instead of a nut. I have to be careful they don't accidentally get moved. I mostly use these as intended, for precision layout on paper.

    JKJ

  5. #5
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    Look on Josh Clark's used tool site, "HyperKitten". He has several nice dividers on this morning, all vintage and priced around $20 to $30. Josh is a great person to deal with for used/vintage tools.
    If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.

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  7. #7
    I haven't bought any dividers on eBay for a while but I used to find them readily available and at decent prices. Just watch out for people who take inside calipers and grind the legs to dividers. The problem is that calipers don't have spinners on the top which makes them hard to use as dividers.

    Jim's suggestion to use the compass from a drafting set is also good. Those usually sell pretty cheap and the compass is usually well made.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  8. #8
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    I use Osborne dividers available from Amazon. Good quality old school dividers with a quadrant with a locking screw and a spring loaded fine adjustment, a much more secure and accurate system than drafting dividers and slip-nut dividers. American made and a very economical value compared to Starret.

    https://www.amazon.com/name-C-S-Osbo...borne+dividers

  9. #9
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    dividers.jpg
    Have a 6" and an 8".....8" is by Peck, Stow, and Wilcox. No. 35....I have to dig the 6" out, and see whom made it....
    Seem to have a decent set in the shop..
    IMG_2487 (640x480).jpg

  10. #10
    Thanks in part to a post here on SMC about using dividers, I have become a big fan of this ancient tool. I can recommend the French Ledin La Cible brand available on Amazon. The 6" ones were about $15 or $16 if I remember correctly, the 8" a little more. They are very well made, with a nice quick adjust mechanism and sharp hardened points.
    Edwin

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Edwin Santos View Post
    Thanks in part to a post here on SMC about using dividers, I have become a big fan of this ancient tool. I can recommend the French Ledin La Cible brand available on Amazon. The 6" ones were about $15 or $16 if I remember correctly, the 8" a little more. They are very well made, with a nice quick adjust mechanism and sharp hardened points.
    Edwin
    +1. I have 2 of those. They are well made tools!
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  12. #12
    I've got a number of them. About a year ago I bought a pair for my son on line that had a date of 1846. Extremely beefy for a pretty
    common size. But not crude in any way,they were made by a British company that went out of business that year. No
    surprise to see beefy user made stuff; but I've never seen another finely made pair so beefy. Near the hinge both legs are
    about a half inch square and even the round part is that big. For good users we see a lot of old Pexto dividers around here
    for 12 to 15 dollars.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Frederick Skelly View Post
    +1. I have 2 of those. They are well made tools!
    Ditto on the Ledin's, couldn't justify spending any more once I'd used them. Assuming the size is ok.

  14. #14
    The PS&W's are really nice and not too difficult to find. A 6" pair would do great for dovetails, although I use an 8" set. The micro adjust capability is very handy.

  15. #15
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    eBay. Search for "machinist's dividers," and you'll get more possibilities than you can imagine. "Loose leg" dividers are nice - one leg removes, and you can substitute a pencil, for drawing instead of scratching - nice for arcs and circles. Pexto, Brown and Sharpe, lots of good brands. Don't bother with Starrett unless you manage a screaming deal - they're usually 25-50% higher than another product of matching quality, just for the name.

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