Homemade caliper template

Drew this up on Acad at full scale. Works well at 1=3/4" or it will reach across wider boards at 1=1". I made a sample out of corregated cardboard, bolt/wingnut and 3 flat washers. It worked okay but wood would be better. Feel free to copy it and make your own.

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Wow, you needed CAD to make a thickness gauge?

How high tech!

We just screwed a pivot point on two sticks, and attached a right angle to both. Tighten screw, measurement stays.

Then we found thickness is not all that important, as float can be adjusted by deck shape, bottom shape, outline.

And wave catching adjusted with outline, profile, and rocker.

Offering a template royalty free is the true spirit of Swaylocks, even if it is only for calipers.

Cheers.

LeeDD why do you always have to be cock to others on the forums?

I’ve just found Swaylocks about 3 months ago and I can’t get enough of it…

During this time it seems like I read post after post from you that seem ridicule or mock the guys asking the questions…Yea I admit there are alot of silly questions that could easily get answered but searching the archives, but comon…give some of these guys a break.

It’s obvious you have a wealth of knowledge and have been working in the boardmaking field for many years. I find your posts very informative but often can’t tell when your giving real advice or being sarcastic. It just seems like you get off on slamming novice

posters who haven’t been around as long as you have.

Quote:

LeeDD why do you always have to be cock to others on the forums?

I’ve just found Swaylocks about 3 months ago and I can’t get enough of it…

During this time it seems like I read post after post from you that seem ridicule or mock the guys asking the questions…Yea I admit there are alot of silly questions that could easily get answered but searching the archives, but comon…give some of these guys a break.

It’s obvious you have a wealth of knowledge and have been working in the boardmaking field for many years. I find your posts very informative but often can’t tell when your giving real advice or being sarcastic. It just seems like you get off on slamming novice

posters who haven’t been around as long as you have.

I’m afraid Lee might have voted for Kerry :slight_smile: It explains the sudden plunge to the depths of depression.

Sorry, just calling a diamond a diamond.

I tell it as I perceive it, and something like the calipers, I have to comment.

Did you read the thread about CAD surfboards, and fins?

Do search to find it, it has about a zillion threads, all hilarious.

Speaking of hilarious, this subject…

lotz of chain yankin’ n here

thanks HH

LeeDD, Sometimes it’s easy to get ahead of the game. I like you, your knowledge, and your vibe. I too have also been reminded in the past here on Sway that there are guys out there looking to learn info as basic as how to make calipers. We gotta be there for the newbies when we know something, just as we hope guys will be there for us when we need something that seems first-grade to them. We’ve all got a phd in our own thing…something to teach, but I’m still in the dark with lots to learn about another guy’s thing. I’ll bet someone out there is stoked to make their first set of calipers with the cad help.

Stay cool brah. What say you? We all gotta… Enjoy the ride!

Thanks guys! I didn’t take the comments offensively. I use acad all day, every day at work so it was easy to just draw up something and plot it out real quick. Since I had it on the computer, I figured why not put it here for people who just want to make something simple. I did search and there are lots of good examples in the archives. Just sharing an interest.

Hey HH,

I also designed my caplipers in cad before making them too. I can even go one worse though: For my FCS, Edge, etc templates; I first made a cad template before making the actual working templates = a template to make a template, haha.

Best,

HerbB

Cool! If you have access to CAD, might as well use it. Sure does make things easier and you can re-design in a snap. Makes curves/fillets a piece of cake…well, time to plot out my 6’6" template :wink:

… and in cad its a snap to rotate the handles to make sure they open and close OK

standing in the smoke at a beach fire is just good manners.step into the prime spot and it says something about your expectations…especially if you block the draft and everybody gets back draft smoke…the cad guys and the pencil on wood guys have a tenuous tollerence that has developed over time to allow a poke in the ribs with a smile…the art of sardonic humor and sarcasm are a given in the mystique of the native sons of" bagdad by the bay " san francisco’s history of emulating the likes of Brett Harte ,Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce,Damon Runion,Herb Caen,Don Sherwood,Arrthur Hoppe and greater men than I is a trait I share with mr. Lee

The friendly jibe “Nice Wetsuit” to a familiar’s torn and worn delapidated threadbare hoplessly ineficient suit may drive the haughty attitude to distraction but may be the lead-in to the release of high security secret documents handed down through the ages to worthy receptive academik…such is the teaching of some martial arts as well…whining turns off the water… perhaps the secret for turning on the water at some springs is a wince and a smile… tolerating a little abuse from a genetic dry drunk skilled in crafts beyond your ken…the defensive response of a right brainer who’s deft understanding of the pencil outstrips their grasp of the cordless mouse, MOUSE:a wiley and slippery tool of great potential [useless on a beach under a peir on driftwood burnt out with a nail pivot bent over to measure three knuckles thickness for the perfect floatation … dont pick on My friend Mr Lee. his uncle was my shop teacher and Ill bet his grandma is a great cook if you are nice he might share his lunch with you to see if you like Kim Chee…ambrose…I practice adding kim chee to everything to see how many diffrent ways I like it…I still have a problem with tako poki and mole

accurate to 0ne-eighth of an inch… these will save you 30 seconds everyday 3.04 hrs a year - but after making them you won’t see any time savings your first year unless you can open the CAD drawing (if I can upload it) and plot it to scale.

those who can use the pencil and the mouse are evolving. is the sun up yet? cheers, Brennan

Okay…I’m resurrecting this ancient thread.

Does anyone have a .SVG file for a pair of scissor Calipers? I have access to a laser cutter and would love to save myself $80.00
I’m in the process of making my own, but would like to see what else is out there.

Cheers.

Really Rhino? After all the previous responses, you still think it easier to do this on a machine? The mind’s eye can’t see it and transfer it to paper?? The paradigm on Sway’s has shifted. More and more of these threads on machine drawing instead of what we already have at hand. Not trying to criticize your approach but if it can’t be done inside the head, how will it get anywhere? Seems to over complicate the process. It really isn’t that critical for the need of a laser cutter unless you want to run off several dozen at a time. And that can be done with a router and a pattern making bit. Not saying either process is right or wrong. It simply surprises me that so many choose the machine route first. Brave New World Aldous… no offense meant. “Wave your freak flag high”. Guess I’m getting too old for this shite.

…From the keyboard.
Austin, I’ll give you a tracing of my calipers (circa 1965) that I’ve used for THOUSANDS of surfboards. You only need to draw it out on some good quality 1/4th inch plywood or Masonite, and cut it out. Rely on your eye, and craft skills.

I was only looking for a pair like this on grabcad the other day with not much success, love what you have done with these I drew my self a pair on cad to cut out on my cnc but they didn’t look any were as cool as these, have you had them cut yet? if you did them in plastic or something you could probably engrave the scale in with enough detail. any chance of the file? Learning cad and cam and being able to run a cnc is a massive skill in its self that takes just as long to learn as wielding a hand saw and just as rewarding its defiantly not to be underestimated.