Steffen707s giant contour gauge How-To

[steffen707]

You can buy contour gauges on amazon and ebay, but they're only a few inches deep and like 10" long max.

I searched and found an instructables post; however, a few explanations are missing and also I would omit the "fulcrum" as he calls it.

Materials needed: Total cost = $44.14 (could be much less if you found cheaper felt, i liked the convenience of self adhesive backing)
$3.67 1 - 1"x3"x48" piece of oak https://www.menards.com/main/buildi...x-3-red-oak-board/1043817/p-1444422743352.htm
$2.40 1 - 1/2"x2"x48" piece of oak https://www.menards.com/main/buildi...08-c-13115.htm?tid=8713795790115355208&ipos=1
$12.99 200 1/8" dowels (cheap version) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0784MNRRV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
$16.69 3"x15' felt https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BB1GT7Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
$3.42 1/4" T Nut (This is for 15, only need 4, I think i actually found a package of 5. https://www.menards.com/main/hardwa...747-c-8925.htm?tid=4256526789837362611&ipos=2
$4.00 1/4"x2" Thumb Screw (Or a knob off ebay/amazon, don't need a ton of torque) https://www.farmandfleet.com/produc...4HRcz7WE5vC6NE4Byqx2pvuUo8kEPVhRoClLkQAvD_BwE
$0.97 4 1/4"hole 1" fender washershttps://www.menards.com/main/hardwa...1935-c-8943.htm?tid=282181417484559880&ipos=2

Instructions:

1. Cut 1x3 in half.
2. Cut 1/2x2 into 2 seperate 20" pieces.
3. Find appropriate drill bit size for T-nut to fit into. Doesn't have to be super snug, 3 "teeth" grip the wood.
4. Set up jig on drill press to drill 1.5" from ends of board and 0.75" from side of board. Drill 4 holes into each 1"x3".
5. Gently tap T-Nuts into bottom board (you pick which is bottom board now, keep nicer board for top), pull T-nuts out drill small holes where indentations are made from T-Nut Teeth. only pilot drill down length of teeth, not whole way through. Now hammer T-nut back into hole and 3 pilot holes for the teeth. You may not need to do this, but I was afraid of splitting the oak.
6. SKIP FULCRUM from instructables, you don't need it and making a 1/8" tiny board can be a pain.
   
7. Take 1/2"x2"s and use wood glue, glue in center of 1x3, with clamps for 24hours and wipe off excess glue immediately with baby wipes (lol). These add extra rigidity to provide even pressure accross all dowels, and on the bed of the JT raise the main 1x3 above the ribs of the bed.
8. Once they're dry, roll felt onto inside of 1"x3"s, cut to width and length. Use small phillips screw driver to punch through felt towards outside of board to not pull felt away from board. Don't try cutting it out, its a pain. Hole is bigger than 1/4" bolt and felt will simply be displaced around bolt in hole in the wood.
9. Lay out dowels on bottom board side by side. once you fill between the bolt holes, put top on, insert thumb screws with washers through top to bottom, gently apply light pressure to thumb screws which push down on the dowels.
   
   pull dowels towards one set of screws, this will snug up the gaps at other end, insert more dowels to fit inbetween dowels and screws.

Extra Notes:
These dowels are cheap. 36 of 220 in my package were bent. This only allowed me to have an 18.5" long set of dowels. To make the whole 21" span, you either need to live with it, or buy 2 packages of dowels and keep the best ones, or make your contour gauge smaller and use less dowels.
These dowels are supposed to be 1/8", but i used 168 over 18.5", which is about 9 per inch.

ALERT:@CarolinaGladiator recommended using plastic rods. These are harder to find, but these 1/8" square extruded acrylic ones would probably work great, if they're "true" 1/8" you could get 18.75" long from the package of 150, might try these and report back. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZTW8FFY/ref=biss_dp_t_asn

I'm also going to look into 1/8" welding rod as an option.

This looks to be the best, 5lb box of 14" long 1/8" welding rods is about $15.00 Not sure if them rubbing on each other will rub stuff off, but I bet they're all straight....

How to use:

1. Put near object.
2. Slowly push dowels towards object until they can't go any farther.
3. tighten thumb screws so dowels stay in place. (My thumb screws are in the mail, so i'm just using bolts for now.)
4. Move contour gauge to other material and trace/cut onto other material.
5. I made mine specifically to measure the contours of the JT bed for when i build my plywood or aluminum "decked" style drawers.

ENJOY YOUR HUGE CONTOUR GAUGE! ​

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[smlobx]

I only have one question.

Does you wife know you did this on the kitchen counter?

Very nice btw.

 

[steffen707]

I only have one question.

Does you wife know you did this on the kitchen counter?

Very nice btw.

Ha! Yep, tried teaching my son about measuring, cutting. He helped glue and pull out the bad dowels.

 

[CMac]

Ha! Yep, tried teaching my son about measuring, cutting. He helped glue and pull out the bad dowels.

Good job on wrangling the boy.... git him on tools and garage craft now before he gets hooked on the friggin video games.

 

[steffen707]

Good job on wrangling the boy.... git him on tools and garage craft now before he gets hooked on the friggin video games.

yeah, teaching him about safety and let him watch me use the miter saw.

i tried cutting a 1/8" thick basswood piece of basswood too quickly and somehow the saw shot a piece of it 20 feet across the garage. My son was shocked cuz it was a loud bang. "And that's why you wear your eye protection, son!"

 

[CarolinaGladiator]

I like it. I do have one suggestion though. Perhaps use plastic dowels instead of the wooden ones as the wooden dowels tend to absorb moisture and warp over time. Excellent job Sir.

 

[steffen707]

I like it. I do have one suggestion though. Perhaps use plastic dowels instead of the wooden ones as the wooden dowels tend to absorb moisture and warp over time. Excellent job Sir.

HA, didn't even think to find plastic ones, probably straighter too. The instructables I read, the guy bought 50 - 48" dowels and cut them down.......i just went for the pre-cut and packaged ones.

 

[SleepyJeep]

I didn't even know what a contour gauge was LOL
When I needed to measure something like that before I just used a piece of cardboard

Looks very nice! Do those dowels fall out if you are not careful?

 

[steffen707]

I didn't even know what a contour gauge was LOL
When I needed to measure something like that before I just used a piece of cardboard

Looks very nice! Do those dowels fall out if you are not careful?

I would use cardboard as well, but the cuts are never as nice as a contour gauge.

the dowels do not fall out so you can freely move them, then crank down the thumb screws a bit, and the dowels are going nowhere.

Now I gotta figure out how to store the damn thing.

 

[TrailHiker]

Yes, that is the issue with big jigs like that.
Cheers

 

[SleepyJeep]

Now I gotta figure out how to store the damn thing.

Hang it on the wall of the garage - would be cool wall art for da garage!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I suggest that you submit this to Woodsmith magazine....... I've not seen it there.

 

[Gatorized]

Now I gotta figure out how to store the damn thing.

I’m thinking you need a plywood holster to store it.
Are those bamboo bbq skewers stable enough for the dowels?

 

[steffen707]

Hang it on the wall of the garage - would be cool wall art for da garage!

that's what i was thinking. Drill a hole through the thumb screw and hang it from there.

 

[steffen707]

I’m thinking you need a plywood holster to store it.
Are those bamboo bbq skewers stable enough for the dowels?

LMAO, funny. i'd say bamboo skewers could work, or i could find bamboo dowels.

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