Adam Savage's Favorite Tools: Trammel Points and Rotape Beam Compass!

Adam's shown some tools for drawing small circles on work materials, but what if you need to draw a very large circle? Here are two tools to help with that: a set of trammel points that you can clamp onto any length of wood, and a novel device called a Rotape that combines an adjustable tape measure with a drawing compass! Adam demonstrates how to use each of these, and now you too can draw large circles!

Adam's Everyday Carry in his apron:

Shot by Joey Fameli and edited by Norman Chan

Disclaimer: Tested may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links here.

Tested is:

Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman

Thanks for watching!

#AdamSavage #FavoriteTools

[paulscrevane]

Adam using his tape measure tattoo made everything right in the Universe for a fleeting few seconds.

[DaOneAndOnlyKDubb]

Love the fact that you have not only the master tool, but the starter tool also.

[brucecarlton]

I used Trammel points a lot when working in Theatre shops. And have used them since when needing to draw circles. Wonderful tools!

[JinxsyYT]

the most practical tattoo ive ever seen and of course its on Adam Savage

[DETHMOKIL]

Oh man I could have used this big time. I ended up taking a old 1x2, driving a nail through one end and drilling a series of holes to poke a pen through. I worked, but I had to rebuild it and redrill holes constantly. Great tool, that's why I'm subscribed and watch everything!

[steelscooter]

A protractor is not the same as a compass, a protractor is usually a clear plastic angle guage in a D shape measuring 180 degrees. During lockdown being pedantic is all I have left. 👍

[DaOneAndOnlyKDubb]

Dude… You truly have the shop of my dreams!!!

[alexreith]

Not a protractor. You were right the second time. It's a compass. A protractor is an instrument that measures angles.your compass has no angle finder on it.

[fifty]

- I have learned something! I personally would never have thought of making something so simple as a pair of c-clamps like that!! That's really helpful for my current project, actually - trying to make a phone-clamp for my adjustable-height desk that wont wiggle like mad, so i can actually TYPE on the phone while it's clamped in the air... I only thought of this project idea because of Tested, too, so thank you guys so much for these videos!

[ianmckenzie]

"It's in my trammel points drawer." He's got a drawer of 'em.

[Thoroughly_Wet]

Yep, came to the same solution when I was making speaker cabinets in Jr. High and needed to make a perfect circle to mount 18 inch subs. I took a piece of OSB measured it to 9 inches, drilled two holes and put a dowel in one and a pencil in the other.

[catchingcalifornia]

We use trammel points in set construction all the time, so invaluable.

[FlybyStardancer]

I need those for drawing out skirts!! They look so handy, and a lot of skirt styles are basically based off of circles.

[CarboniteDreamer]

I love those we used them in construction I did concrete pouring and smoothing that's how we marked out those round planter boxes everybody wanted in front of their buildings

[erallen]

Tank you for the video. Making big circles is always a struggle for me and another reason I also need a spindle sander

[eliignatoff]

Any discussion of the Starrett or the US General trammel sets needs make mention of the fact that the divider points supplied with either are ground to points that are off-set from their centers. This enables the beam compass' 'set' to be precisely tuned over a range of nearly 1/2".

A slight loosening of the knob in the center allows the point to be rotated in its fixing. This moves the pencil (or scribing point for metal) back and forth over this range. When the required distance is dialed in, tightening the knob holds it at the setting.

The adjustment has to be made at the pointy end while watching the marking end. Also great for precisely picking up wild measurements where your tape may be problematic

[DavidLucas-hfcx]

I mentioned the Omicron Beam (Rotape) compass in the last circle tool video, nice to see Adam playing with one.

It’s no so much a gimmick but more of a large scale drafting/patterning tool apposed to a fabrication tool. I’ll clarify.. When I started at Universal Studios 30 years ago all the Art Directors used them. Most of the drawings were done on D and E size sheets (3’ and 4’ across respectively) plus the need for an occasional full-size mock up drawing or large scale plot plan.. the Omicron filled the bill; adjusts like a tape measure, stores in your desk drawer or bag, would do a larger diameter than most beam compasses and was pretty darn accurate ta boot. The original also had one more option, you could add an ink pen or marker.

Back in the day when this tool was developed most industries used large scale if not full-size drawings (pre-Cad). Think automotive, aviation etc.

I still have mine, but if I was to pick up another one I think I would buy it off of eBay. I see them pop up from time to time and usually in pretty good shape.. plus made in Los Angeles.. what’s not to love about that?

[drainfunnel]

Nice! Just found some vintage W. H. Harling Trammel Points and Compasses

[tartanphoto]

I have those exact trammel points and also love them!

[otakuribo]

i remember seeing Adam whip out these during the poker table build and being really curious about them then... they're a really clever thing! ( I have a thing for compass-and-straightedge Euclidian art constructions )