WorkMonk Posted May 20, 2020 Report Share Posted May 20, 2020 A friend gave this to me 6 years ago, said it was from Lee Valley, but I don't know what it is... At first I thought it was a beam compass with trammel points, because of the two slide-able spring-loaded pointy bits and the nice aluminium extrusion beam. But the trammel holders are mounted at 45-degrees on a rib coming off the main extrusion, and there's a hollow brass pivot or attachment point which is off-center from the trammels. There's also a spring-loaded round-hole clamp near the brass pivot, with a brass knurled activator knob. It's a puzzler for sure. Any clues appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G Ragatz Posted May 20, 2020 Report Share Posted May 20, 2020 Looks like a beam compass. I think that fixture off to the right in your last pic should hold a pencil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted May 20, 2020 Report Share Posted May 20, 2020 Would asking Lee Valley be out of the question? They're just a phone call, or email away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorkMonk Posted May 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2020 The 'pencil holder' won't fit any standard pencil, but will grab a fat-bodied marker, like a Sharpie. It might actually be a some sort of special beam compass, maybe there's some missing parts. Asking Lee Valley is a really good idea! I'm going to take it in with me whenever the lockdown here in Ontario lifts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted May 21, 2020 Report Share Posted May 21, 2020 Just send them a picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted May 21, 2020 Report Share Posted May 21, 2020 20 minutes ago, Mark J said: Just send them a picture. Aw, come on, that would be to easy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorkMonk Posted May 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2020 Ha, ha! Yes, well, I sent them a picture and am waiting for a reply; in the meantime the internet is my friend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorkMonk Posted May 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2020 More information! After fishing around in the barn we found the base for the bar. It's a Veritas tool called "Multi-curve". It is very nicely made, and the donor included a base plate made of melamine. But I still don't know what it's supposed to do! Maybe the Lee Valley guys will remember something about it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted May 21, 2020 Report Share Posted May 21, 2020 Well, searching those terms only hits in body armor. Is it possible that sold so long ago that it was pre-internet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted May 21, 2020 Report Share Posted May 21, 2020 Looking at the latest pictures it looks like it draws/scribes two "parallel" arcs. i.e. The arcs have different radiuses, but the same center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 21, 2020 Report Share Posted May 21, 2020 Nice mark out an arc or circle to make a plywood ring. ID and OD in one pass. I don't get the second post that fits the notch in the trammel bar, though. Why does the trammel need a stop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted May 21, 2020 Report Share Posted May 21, 2020 38 minutes ago, wtnhighlander said: Nice mark out an arc or circle to make a plywood ring. ID and OD in one pass. I don't get the second post that fits the notch in the trammel bar, though. Why does the trammel need a stop? That’s what made me search veneer products also. The base makes me think repeatable processes, not one off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorkMonk Posted May 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2020 I do think this tool is from the pre-internet-everything era. Maybe it was for some sort of inscribing of arcs, but it seems a bit overwrought for such a simple task - why not just use a regular beam compass with multiple trammels? Also the pivot is so heavy duty, and it's bolted down to a plate, and there's the business of the stop - why would you need a stop? It limits the arm travel to about 350-degrees. I'm thinking maybe it was supposed to move material through a bandsaw blade on a repeatable partial curve, and the little pins (which are spring loaded) are there to secure the work during movement. Lee Valley says '5-6 business days before we can respond to new emails'. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorkMonk Posted May 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2020 I think I have it figured out. Thanks to everyone who had a suggestion. The two points are not scribes, they are pivots. The idea is to line up your work, pin down the pivot point, and the curve you want to cut will be kept tangential to the blade. You push the work through the blade and it will rotate about the pivot point. There are two points so you can smoothly cut two successive tangential curves in the same workpiece in a single operation, e.g. an S-shape. The pivoting arm is there to let you set up your work before putting it up to the blade, and the stop is of course there to prevent the arm from accidentally encountering the blade. Lee Valley abandoned the tool after a short production run because the pivot points are too small (weak) to hold thicker workpieces reliably and there's no easy way to fix this short of redesigning the trammel points and their holders. But I think it'll work great for thinner stock. <ahem> If anyone is interested in acquiring this tool, well, let's talk! --WorkMonk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 23, 2020 Report Share Posted May 23, 2020 I am thoroughly intrigued. Now you HAVE to post pics or video of this thing in action! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted May 23, 2020 Report Share Posted May 23, 2020 Did you email Rob Lee? He's a member here, so maybe a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorkMonk Posted May 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2020 That never occurred to me - I just wrote to their customer service email account. So Rob Lee takes email directly from guys like us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorkMonk Posted May 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2020 Now that we know what it is there is a modest interest in trying in out, at least to cut some circles, and maybe a compound curve or two. If/when that happens we'll definitely video the event and post it for your viewing pleasure :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted May 25, 2020 Report Share Posted May 25, 2020 1 hour ago, WorkMonk said: That never occurred to me - I just wrote to their customer service email account. So Rob Lee takes email directly from guys like us? Yes. Send him a PM from here, and he will probably get a notification. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorkMonk Posted May 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2020 1 hour ago, Tom King said: Yes. Send him a PM from here, and he will probably get a notification. Thanks! That's really good of him to be available like that. I'll keep that in mind for the next mystery tool that comes my way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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