What is the name of this tool?

[Dave Kartzman]

Good morning...

I am a newbie who is taking lessons from a great teacher/mentor/friend and longtime woodturner, Peter Lamb. He was showing me a tool yesterday but did not know the name of it. It looks like a double comb but instead of plastic teeth, there are many metal pins. You can press it up against a spindle, top, bottlestopper, etc., the pins fill in the spaces of the spindle and on the opposite side you can see the reverse impression. This can be used to help mimic the shape of subsequent objects being turned...

Does anyone know what this tool is and where I can get one?

Thanks in advance....

Dave Kartzman

 

[john lucas]

I think what you are talking about is called a profile gauge. You can get them at any good woodworking store. Here is the one Woodcraft sells.
http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2004860/Plastic-Profile-Copy-Gauges.aspx

 

[craterdog]

Tool Name

They are called contour gauges. I just checked the Highland Woodworking catalog and they have 2 sizes of contour gauges, 5" and 10".
Tim Carter

 

[Rick M]

From at least one source, it's called a Contour Gauge. "Profile" might be another good key word for searching for one from another vendor.

EDIT:
Hey! Where'd those other posts come from while I composin' this one?

 

[john lucas]

I have both the metal pin contour gouge and the plastic version. They both have their place. The metal pin has finer bars so it takes details better. The plastic one won't scratch a delicate or painted surface.

 

[Dave Kartzman]

Gentlemen....

Thank you so much for your very quick responses. I sincerely appreciate all of the help that you and the others provide to us newbies.

Dave

 

[Owen Lowe]

My local Ace Hardware carries a metal pin version (less expensive than mail order).

 

[Joe Greiner]

Plastic version: Harbor Freight has the 6-inch, and Grizzly has the 10-inch.

I think Lowe's and Home Depot have the metal pin version.

 

[john lucas]

If you need to make an exact duplicate of something nothing beats drawing it, cutting it out and placing this pattern over the new piece. The contour gauge only gets you close.
Another trick I've used is to take my slide projector (remember those). Project the light on the piece so it puts a shadow on a piece of cardboard behind the piece. Trace this and cut it out. You do need to put the projector far enough back so the light produces the same size shadow. If your too close the shadow is larger. My LED flashing with just the center light works almost as well but the shadow edges are softer which gives too much fudge factor.

 

[Dave Kartzman]

Thank you for all of your responses. I went to Home Depot yesterday and picked up their contour guide... This is great.

One of my concerns all along as been consistency. I'm still working on tool technique, but eventually, I want to be able to create practical pieces. Our daughter has already given me a 'wish list' for Christmas (12 inch Maple bowl for their table, bottle stoppers, lots of custom christmas decorations, salad bowls, etc. etc.) Having the contour guide is certainly going to help me keep some things looking the same.

Now if I could only get my sharpening technique consistent and stop grinding down my tools (I have a tru-grind jig, but I have been working on my freehand technique which is not going well)...lol.

Thanks again to everyone!

Dave