This week on Cool Tools' Maker Update by Donald Bell: Bluetooth controlled lights for your skateboard, tracking your hamster health, a classy Kaleidoscope, a tool for finding the center of a circle, beautiful circuit diagrams and Maker Faires. Our featured Cool Tool is the Robert Larson 800-2875 Plastic Center Finder.
I learned about this tool from maker Ben Light, who uses it to drill out the center in the tin can robots he builds. Online, I see a lot of videos of jewelry designers using these. Woodworkers use them on finding centers on dowels or centering up work to chuck into a lathe.
They also work for finding the center of squares. Using the side with the 90-degree angle you can mark out the center of a square. This is especially useful on smaller material (like small tiles where a speed square isn’t as helpful.
The smaller, 60-degree angle on one side of the tool is intended for use finding the center of hexagon shaped material. I've yet to come across any hexagons I need centered, but I can imagine it being useful around a geodesic dome build.
I also have to just say that this is one of those tools that I simply find aesthetically satisfying. I probably only break it out every couple months, but every time it catches my eye it makes me smile.
