General Tools Contour Gauge 837 - 6" Angle Finder Tool for Home Improvement - Gadgets for Men

I can't figure out why people don't like this tool. It works exactly as it should. I have owned several of these over the years. I have bought some expensive ones and this product worked the same as the pricey ones did. This is a delicate tool. You have to be careful to keep the pins from bunching up. As for the comment from the person who said the pins were in too tightly...obviously, if they were looser, they would fall out. Also, it is important that they stay exactly in the same position without moving when you finish taking your measurements.

I am by no means a carpenter. This tool is priceless for those hard to calculate contour cuts. The pins are solid enough that they stay in place so that you can move from your measurement to your drawing board or work table without fear of losing the design. It has measurements marked on it which is an added bonus. This is a must have tool for the DYI people out there.

Old school tools great copy os any contour on welding Jobs due steel Needles no risk of burning them

Works great!

I've been wanting to try one of these contour gauges for a while now, and I selected this particular one because I do a lot of miniature/model building and it appeared to be a smaller size, plus I generally prefer metal tools over plastic ones for their longevity.After experimenting with this one, I can attest that it functions well enough to see the possibilities in one of these tools, but I have to admit that this version probably wasn't the best option for me, and I intend to continue looking for another one.Therefore, here are my observations about what I did and didn't like:The overall size is good in the respect that the length is short enough to accommodate smaller items.However, the pins are centered vertically within the middle bar that houses them, which means that if the gauge is placed against a short/thin object, the pins pass over the top and don't create a good impression. Also, even when placed against a taller item to create a better impression, tracing that result onto the material to be cut is tricky since that pattern doesn't lie flat against it. Therefore, I wish that this had a flat bottom with the pins lying directly on my work surface.Also, although metal tools are usually sturdier than plastic ones, I have serious doubts about the quality of this one, because it already had flecks of rust on many of the pins when I received it, so it's clearly made from very cheap materials.Therefore, my overall assessment is that this isn't necessarily a total waste if you're only looking for an inexpensive option to use for a couple of projects and aren't looking for a serious tool. However, I personally wouldn't buy it again or recommend it to anyone else.

Yes, this is a niche tool that you may or may not use in your lifetime. But if you are renovating an older home, this tool comes in handy when trying to decipher the profile of an existing moulding in order to determine what to buy at the local lumber yard, or if you are a woodworker, what tooling would be required to replicate the moudling. This particular contour gauge is well-made, with the pins tight enough in the body to not readily fall out but loose enough to quickly and reliably take a measurement. The only trick with this type of gauge is to store them properly in a sturdy case when not in use since they are relatively fragile and kids like to play with them.

The pins were overlapped which lead to them leaning and falling out the first time used. No way of fixing it. Completely junk.

As it comes out of the box it is quite stiff in its action - so much so that the metal pins can bend - or scratch the object - when trying to profile something. Lubrication didn't help.The tension is supplied by the two brass-colored caps with dimples on the ends that hold the whole assembly together. By CAREFULLY slipping a screwdriver blade under each end cap, both sides, both ends, and prying up a little at a time, you can adjust the tension so that the pins slide more easily. Be careful you don't pop the end caps off, I imagine you'd have a re-assembly mess on your hands...If you get the pins too loose you can just use pliers to press down the brass cap ends again to restore some tightness. But this won't be a problem if you just go slow and easy. Now I can use this tool to profile guitar necks and anything that is delicate or fragile or subject to scratching, without worrying so much about damaging it.