January 21, 2015
Contour Gauge: What it is and how to use it. A contour gauge is a tool that will be of great help to you if you need to make a difficult cut in a piece of wood (i.e. curved or oddly shaped). It consists of “a set of steel or plastic pins that are set tightly against one another in a frame which keeps them in the same plane and parallel while allowing them to move independently, perpendicularly to the frame.”1
Other Name: A contour gauge sometimes goes by the name “profile gauge”.
How to Use a Contour Gauge:
1. Press the pins against the object that your wood will be joined with. This creates a “template” of sorts for you to make the cut.
2. Next, trace the outline on the wood that you need to fit with the object (maybe it’s a post, some trim, or any other object that you need to work around)
3. Finally, you are ready to make the cut with either a jig saw, band saw, or hand coping saw.
If you are at all interested in woodworking, a contour gauge will be an inexpensive and very helpful addition to your woodworking toolbox!
by See Jane Drill, Copyright 2015, All Rights Reserved
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