AccuScribe Pro - compass, offset marker, scribe...

I won this in a promo pack of FastCap and Proxxon goodies at my local Woodcraft grand opening. If I knew how useful this tool was I would have bought one a long time ago.

The first thing I used this for was the obvious use – drawing circles. No surprises here, its the $0.99 compass I used in grade school … on steroids. The AccuScribe has multiple joints so the pencil can be adjusted to be perpindicular to the surface you are marking instead of angled. Each joint has a brass knob which locks it into place.

Where this tools really shines is scribing surface profiles. Remove the compass point and you can use the flat parts of the base to accurately scribe profiles. Because of the articulated arm that holds the pencil you can trace along one surface and position the pencil to mark on another. Now that I have a tool to accurately scribe profiles I find myself using it all the time.

Pros:
Sharpener attached to unit.
Extra compass points included, also attach to unit so they don’t get lost.

Cons:
Nice brass knurled knobs but they are sticky and hard to adjust. Probably just need to be broken in.

It retails for about $17.

-- David / Durham, NC