a whozit and howzit used.

[Neals]

My first buy of 2012. Per the net it is a beam compass/trammel points/rule trammel. Wiki lists it as drafting tool. 17 5/8" long. It is marked J*B*M. Anyone know anything about them? What is it used for and how is it used? I have never seen one before. I don't believe the holes in the wood are original. No idea of age but it looks old.

[lbgradwell]

I don't know the maker, but beam compasses are still made...

Here's one from Lee Valley



http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32629&cat=1,42936,42939

Ordinary compasses just don't cut it in the shop; a beam compass (or trammel) is much more practical.

Using a single beam section, the Veritas® beam compass deals with circles from 1-1/2" to 24" in diameter. Additional sections take you up to 80" (203cm) for circular tables, rockers, arches, etc.

It has carbide-tipped points that readily scribe metal as well as wood, although the pencil head is usually used for scribing wood. A micro-adjust feature quickly gives accurate settings.

All of this comes in a fitted wooden case that even includes a small brass center pivot disc for use where it is important not to mar work. The beams are steel and the fittings are all solid brass.

Made in Canada

[rusty]

Great pic lg :)

To be a compass it needs a pencil holder, but it is at least a trammel, and a fairly large and nice one at that ....

I had no luck whatsoever finding anyone appropriate that might be J*B*M ...

[Branson]

Ain't no drafting tool.  This is a lay out tool to describe large curves when a pair of dividers, no matter how long, won't do the job.  It's not unlikely that the beam didn't come from the factory, but was made by the owner.  That's one of the virtues of trammel points.  You can make any length of  beam needed for a job, even keep several beams of different lengths.   And that's why I have two pairs of them.  I've used mine for any number of projects that called for a large arch, or even a large circle.   It's about the only way to lay out a full arch or segmented arch in building a window sash, or a curved window sash.  I used them to build wheels for an opera set once, and any number of times to lay out arches for sets.

Vintage or antique brass trammel points are commonly quite expensive.

[Branson]

Oh, and the Lee Valleys look pretty,  but also pretty wimpy.  I wouldn't have them.  A round beam is a recipe for disaster.  If you want a pencil at one end,  rip a proper sized beam and make a hole in one end to hold the pencil.  Just use one of the points.  I have a very pretty, but very single antique trammel point, and that one has its own beam and pencil hole.

[Papaw]

Like these, Branson?

[Papaw]

Two of those are being made to replace two like this-

[Wrenchmensch]

It looks like that Methodist Church is either in a rough neighborhood or suffered ancillary damage in a tornado.  What happened?

[Papaw]

Long story. I grew up in that church and we built a new one in 1961 across town. The old church has been for sale off and on for years, but has served several congregations in those years, along with a tea room in the basement, a little theater group, and recently owned by a semi-recluse, who used it to store his "Stuff".
It has been bought by a museum company- http://www.rain.org/~karpeles/ named Karpeles Manuscript Museums, who are renovating the building. I have been allowed to document the renovations.
Here are some pictures on Photobucket-
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v439/papao55/Old%20First%20Methodist%20Church%209-6-2011/

[Wrenchmensch]

Thanks, Noel.  I am Junior Warden at my church, and I am accountable for maintaining our 1945 church building in good repair. I saw a broken stained glass window, and felt "fixit" anxieties.

Bob

[Papaw]

I am not really a very regular attendee at church these days, but seeing the old one go to waste was painful. I'm fortunate to be able to document the renovations, and am very interested in preserving some of the history there.

[Neals]

Thanks guys! I just couldn't picture anything that heavy duty being for drafting. I think you also answered why there are 2 holes in the beam. One looks like a screw hole and the one I thought was a hang hole is right size for a pencil. I think the beam done double duty as a compass of sorts.
Hopefully some day I will find out who J*B*M is. Not an owners mark as each piece is stamped with it neatly.

[Branson]

Like these, Branson?

Yep, that's one kind.  It's a full arch.  The segmented arch is just a curve across the top.  And there are ogive or gothic arch windows.  The really expensive (and nerve wracking) sashes are the bowed sashes in which the glass is curved.  Very little wiggle room in these.  You have to lay the top and bottom rails out precisely and special order the glass to fit the curve.  There's nothing quite like installing a 4 foot by 5 1/2 foot bowed sash in a third story window on a windy day...

[1930]

We are all lucky ( judging from the little bit that I read on-line ) that this Karpeles company purchased this historic landmark. Baffles me why the original church group would give up on the building in the first place. Any idea Noel on the sale price?

[Papaw]

1930, I had the dream of buying that building if I ever won the lottery, but I don't buy lottery tickets very often.
The church decided we needed a new building due to growth and due to new demographics of our city. A plot of land in what was deemed a better location was bought and a new church was built in about 1961. The old church sat for years empty, but was used by several non-denominational church groups over the years, then later was a Mormon Church for a few years. It had had a for sale sign on it for the last 10 years or so until Karpeles bought it.
One of the Karpeles representatives told me that the asking price was very steep, but due to its condition, and the last owner's desire to unload it, it was bought for about $85,000! They will spend a couple million in the restoration, according to him.