One Compass to Rule Them All

Designing and building a handsome large compass that accommodates a wide variety of markers that can write on many surfaces and colors, and big enough to handle most furniture and small woodworking projects.
Links:
I don't have complete plans with dimensions and tolerances, but full size templates will be posted to my website and can be downloaded for free at: psullivancarme...
Link to my video on making a super accurate angle jig: • Making a Super Accurat...
Link to Matthias Wandel video on beam compass: • Making a beam compass
Sources:
Screw Post Barrel Nut and Screw: amzn.to/3ELH3vf
Large M5 knurled thumbscrew: amzn.to/41DqFXi
Small M4 knurled thumbscrews: amzn.to/3J6fGi9
PenTouch white marker: amzn.to/3Y8dnPH
DeWalt scroll saw: amzn.to/3J3pR6O

[@pauljenkinson8798]

So many of us have that special piece of wood waiting for that special project. This is the perfect build for all of those smaller exotic species. A fantastic idea, with superb execution. Having the foresight to use the white filming background was a great touch. And as always the voice over narration meshes perfectly. . This video was pleasing to the eye, mellow on the ear, and just the right length. Patrick all I can say is please post more often. Thanks

[@PatrickSullivan]

I spend a lot of time trying to get high production values. The payoff is when people like you pay attention to the details and let me know it was worth it. Thank you.

[@geolisadrag-racing2349]

Man, PJ you said that so much better and way shorter than my over share would have been. Lol. Thanks for summoning PS & the video up so well.~ 🛠Lisa♿

[@KA-yk9fw]

I am so happy for you. You are just an antique little boy with his toys.

[@AndreaArzensek]

Your video woodworking projects are a gem and your calming voice makes a perfect companion for a relaxing experience.

[@Stoney327]

Hi: Beautiful job. A few "tips" come to mind. I've been an 18th. and 19th. century knife, and Black Powder accoutrements maker for 50+ years. Here's a few tricks I've learned. When you're gluing waxy woods, rough up the surfaces with 100 grit paper, then clean the roughed surfaces thoroughly with acetone and let it flash off before gluing. Next, when you "tap" wood (softer wood more so) After you run the tap through the hole and remove it, Saturate the threads with thin Super glue, and after the glue dries run the tap through the threaded hole again. This will "harden" the threads and give you much longer thread life. These are a few things I picked up over the years of using hard, waxy, exotic woods on knife handles and Powder Horn caps. Keep it up. Your work looks great. I'm not a "wood worker" per se' , but I use my share of wood. God bless: "Two Feathers" Proprietor of: The Mountain Man Emporium Pennsylvania

[@tonyja661]

You are the master of "How to make this" your instructions are always clear and concise. Excellent stuff.

[@SwedeEad]

There's nothing like the feeling you get from making and using your own tools especially when they're as lovely as this.

[@user-sb3wh3dd4v]

You're right, that is a gorgeous compass! I bet it feels great and has a nice weight too. Just a note, experience shows that wax finishes are just fine for dark oily woods since they are naturally protected against moisture. I'm sure you know that, but wanted to help others who might enjoy making one like it.

[@PatrickSullivan]

Thanks, g. If I were making this out of oak, I would certainly provide a durable varnish finish, and would put it on before I drilled the holes. I would also like to get some experience with the newer, hard-wax finishes, like Rubio Monocoat. Do you think that would work well with rosewood or cocobolo?

[@homemadetools]

Beautiful compass. We shared this video on our homemade tools forum this week 😎

[@nutsmcflurry3737]

I didn’t know I needed to build a custom compass, until now.

[@Kosh42EFG]

A thing of pure beauty that will last generations.

[@caroleast9636]

10:15 Anyone who loves creating things, values their tools. This is a true work of art. Thanks for sharing the creation process with us,

[@samspade4634]

You build such simple yet outstanding projects. It is a joy when I see your next video pop up - it makes for another great lesson. The rosewood was the absolutely right choice. Very beautiful.

[@chrisherald2338]

I second this comment wholeheartedly.

[@weldabar]

That last part about buying vs building is so true, isn't that one of the reasons we all build things? I love the compass shown here.

[@MCsCreations]

Amazing work, Patrick! Beautiful compass! 😃 That's a work of art! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@dale1956ties]

Wow! That is one gorgeous device! I absolutely love it. I want to thank you in advance for the plans/templates. One tip I'd like to offer as it pertains to tapping machine threads in wood. I've found that after tapping, if I put several drops of water-thin CA glue in the threaded hole and let it work its way over all of the threads. it tends to toughen the threads enough to make it worth doing. Once the glue covers all of the threads, I like to run the appropriate bolt/screw in and out of the hole repeatedly to prevent any issues with glue build up that would require retapping the hole which would basically negate the gluing step. It may be less effective in superhard woods but I know for sure it works well in cherry, walnut, and mahogany. I do it in hard maple as well for good measure. After the glue is 100% dried it can be also worthwhile to run a waxed screw in and out a couple of times to make the threads work smoothly and easily.

[@CaptainSpock1701]

Only just found this channel. Wow, what an underrated channel! Definitely worth a subscription!

[@eggsngritstn]

Wow. Great attention to detail. A tip for other watchers -- another name for the barrel nut used is a Chicago bolt.

[@stauffap]

Beautiful design!

[@iansteer4803]

Stunningly beautiful tool.

[@Rsama60]

You don’t need to think the compas is beautiful, it is beautiful.

[@bryanbarkla9193]

Built my own version of this and am impressed. Turned out virtually the same looks stunning and have used it on two projects. Many thanks

[@lv_woodturner3899]

Very well done. Looks terrific. I have just cleaned up an old pair of dividers which use the same design of the curved wing to lock into position. I have three different drafting type compasses. Two have long attachments so I can get large diameters. I like your idea to be able to use a pen. I may have to make a compass for myself. I also have some rosewood. I normally wipe the surface oil off with acetone prior to using wood glue. I also like Titebond III. I have tapped wood with mixed results. I get the best results with denser wood when I am able to drill into face or side grain. I agree threaded inserts would look too big, but you could have cut off the post of one of the binding screw nuts and epoxied this in the wood. Dave.

[@P_Ezi]

Yes, use acetone on oily wood that you are going to glue. I came here looking for that comment.

[@genardusfaberus6514]

Excelent job! What a really fine tool.

[@grkuntzmd]

Beautiful! Norm Abrams used to suggest wiping down oily and waxy woods with a solvent like alcohol, acetone, or mineral spirits before gluing them. He thought it might improve the adhesion.

[@PatrickSullivan]

I considered doing some research into glue strength on woods like rosewood, cocobolo, and teak, similar to the work I did on end-grain glue joints, but It would take a lot of samples to get a really comprehensive answer, and the cost of the wood required discouraged me. My hunch is that the surface texture is the critical factor. If the surface is mirror-slick from waxes and oils, the glue has very little to grab onto. The open question is how to effectively produce microscopic texture. Would light sanding be more effective than solvents? Would solvents actually make the waxes flow, making the surface even smoother? If there are woodworkers who have actually done comparison studies, I would love to hear about them.

[@P_Ezi]

​@@PatrickSullivan All of the guitar builders and luthiers that I watch use acetone on oily woods like this before gluing. They wipe until no color is seen on the rag.

[@stumcconnel]

That's gorgeous, what a lovely piece of wood and what a lovely tool you ended up with!

[@SeanMcGown]

Whew, that's nice. Great job.

[@markhedquist9597]

Just beautiful. I think this project merited the 20 year wait with the rosewood. Such a lovely piece of wood for an equally lovely piece.

[@tommooe4524]

Beautiful job. A tip we use in our shop……When gluing woods like rosewood, mahogany, spanish cedar etc, wipe the surface to be joined with a rag soaked in acetone to remove the oil on the surface. Let it dry for a few minutes before applying the glue.

[@jcsrst]

Fantastic! Very beautiful and heirloom quality!

[@professortrog7742]

Nice to see the Sakura line being used even here. I stumbled on their pens by accident a year ago and am a brand-fan since.

[@joco4488]

Mr. Sullivan, thanks so much for sharing. A beautiful work of art. I hope you get to use it for many many more years than you anticipate.

[@noobFab]

Looks fabulous! Thank you for taking the time to document the journey in such detail, and also for making free plans available!

[@agzalez1]

Thank you Patrick

[@dcsensui]

I had to scribe a 7-foot arc for the leading edge of a countertop template that would be used to make the island of our kitchen. I made a compass using 200-pound Spectra fishing line because it doesn't stretch. I forget exactly how long the radius was, but I think it was around 30 feet. The result was flawless!

[@michaelcoceski5442]

It is a beautiful tool Patrick and your narration is excellent, as always.

[@zzota]

That's a beautiful compass.

[@patrickflanagan8008]

What a beautiful, tactile instrument......Bravo Sir.

[@robnichols9331]

Such an elegant tool. It must be a pleasure to use.

[@zohranbloedjes9770]

I really like the ability to changes the tips and it looks great

[@morrelljw]

What a gorgeous piece of craftsmanship!!!

[@pepplerock]

man what a beautiful tool. that wood is GORGEOUS, and the shapes and curves are really aesthetically pleasing. great video!!

[@btodoroff]

Beautiful outcome! For tougher small threads in wood I've used two techniques successfully: 1) Drill the hole small like you did but allow some thin CA glue to soak into and harden the edge of the hole before threading. 2) rough up and epoxy a small metal tube into the hole then drill/tap that for fine and frequent used threads. (Plus a nice accent ring). Great project!

[@PatrickSullivan]

I really like your idea of gluing in a metal tube and then tapping the metal. It might look really sharp, and would resolve all my concerns about how clunky threaded inserts might look. Great idea. Thank you.

[@btodoroff]

@@PatrickSullivan Thanks for the great content! I don't really have a need for a compass, but yours looks so good, I still want to make one just to have it hanging on the tool rack and making me smile.

[@NeilSoulo]

At the start of the video, I was thinking "why make one when there are excellent ones available to purchase?" By the end of the video, I was thinking "why buy one when such a great one can be made, and with such versatility and beauty?"

[@wrstew1272]

Class act! Anyone can buy, craftsmen build. 😊

[@Boslandschap1]

You made yourself a beautiful tool, optimized to your preferences. I'm sure it is a pleasure to use it each time you reach for it. Excellent work, well done 👍

[@justmusing2569]

Thank you! I had planned on buying some compasses, but not now. The small hardwood pieces in the leftover bin are going to get used!! Great videos and narration. Thanks for sharing the plans!

[@kurtgoodwin9490]

What a beautiful and clever instrument

[@MrKrikkefy]

tip: you can drip some superglue in the screw hole to strenghten the threads

[@selianboy8508]

shaaw is maardee purrdee! lovely to watch. Thank you.

[@woodandwandco]

This is an awesome design! A few weeks ago, I needed to draw a 35 inch radius arc and thought it would be cool to make a large compass to manage large arcs in the future, and while I already built one that functions okay, your superior design makes me want to build another one! Thank you!

[@thwwoodcraft1449]

Very nice Patrick

[@tomjkelleher]

That is a beautiful tool! Thank you very much for sharing the build process and templates.

[@dcsensui]

That's a nicely made tool. An heirloom, perhaps. Some people only think of cost when it comes to getting things that will help them do certain tasks. A few will take the time and effort to create something because the process of doing that matters.

[@RichWoods23]

A very beautiful and highly pragmatic compass.

[@glencrandall7051]

Very pretty. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@joeylo73]

Beautiful tool

[@mehill00]

Beautiful!

[@user-rt6nn4jf1p]

Sinto que, se eu continuar me esforçando bastante, dentro de 40 anos eu consiga realizar algo próximo disso! Obrigado por compartilhar! Simplesmente sensacional!

[@robertvancleef5220]

As always your work as well as your video editing are flawless...Thank you for taking the time...

[@Aprendiz-de-Marceneiro]

Thanks for the content.

[@pachting]

Very nice! I love it. Thanks for this nice video.

[@jamesmurphy114]

As always Patrick great craftsmanship and beautiful but functional tool.

[@johnsullivan6560]

Beautiful design and brilliant execution. Thank you for a wonderful video!

[@vinny7168]

Very good job!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@ArsenMovsesyan]

Thank you very much. You provide much more educational information that it might appear at the first glance.

[@stephenwebb1978]

Fantastic job on the compass build. Regarding the threading for the set screws, I also drill the pilot hole a bit smaller than needed but then I put a drop of CA glue into the hole and wait a minute for it to soak in and then do the tapping. I have never had a failure. Keep up the great work!

[@PatrickSullivan]

I considered adding water-thin CA glue, which I have done on softer woods, but thought the rosewood would not need it. However, I can't see any downside to putting it in every time. My guess is that the blend of wood fibers and acrylic is considerably stronger than either alone. Next time. Thanks.

[@stewartmcmanus3991]

Mate, that is a work of art. I've been searching for something like that but it never occurred to me to make one, (some woodworker eh?) great video, thanks, Stewart, south west Australia.

[@BalancedLugger]

Absolutely stunning. Thanks for this. Made my evening.

[@thesawdustfactory]

Nicely done Patrick. Thanks for sharing.

[@xudongguan3768]

It's always satisfying just watching your video.

[@markgordon4368]

Splendid that!

[@andykg73]

such a beautiful compass. Rosewood is such a nice wood to use. Hard too.

[@hder8740]

Beautiful! I love tool making done right! With wax like wood you can clean it of with acetone before gluing. The Chinese did in generally not use glue with rosewood. They had the most amazing wood connections. Ming and Qing furniture are glue and nail free and build to the highest standards.

[@ffff1758]

As always, excellent video Patrick Chapeau!

[@timseabee]

This is on my to do list for sure. Another suggestion for the points is to use a tungsten electrode. No hardening required and available at any welding supply store or amazon.

[@PatrickSullivan]

I have never worked with tungsten. Does it hold a point well? Is it easy to shape? Should I be making tools from tungsten?

[@wf8933]

Beautiful piece, love the design and execution. As with all your videos, great job and thanks for the free templates.

[@SheWhoWoodworks]

This is beautiful

[@ronhochhalter3491]

Great video ! Thanks so much for taking the time to produce your content, it's always clear and understandable. Looking forward to your next project.

[@WoodWorxGuy]

What a beautiful tool! I love it!

[@red58impala]

Nicely done! I'll have to build me one the next time I need a compass. Thanks for the free plans!

[@arbyars.chicksawdust]

Thank you!

[@daviddickmeyer5231]

Nicely done!

[@simonr6793]

Patrick that's a fine bit of woodworking and the compass turned out pretty great, the rosewood looks amazing and what a relief it is to see someone actually build a item that is not made or the usual oak or cedar etc. I wonder just how nice the compass would look if you made another but replaced the steal screws and anything in a silver colour with good old brass !!!.keep up the great work 💯% 👍.

[@yossiyaari3760]

Lovely. Looking forward to building one

[@stevenwilgus8982]

Very very nice!

[@pedrotome9119]

Hello, Sir! Loved this video of yours. Thank you for posting it. I adore wood and metal works, d.i.y.s, and so on and on. So, I think I'll take look to all other videos. I'd love to know how could I make a checkering tool, to make some gun grips and similar jobs. Hope you will still around here for quite awhile!! Best wishes.

[@williambacon6520]

Another great tool ! I'll be making this one too. Thank you.

[@amandaleslie9013]

Always love watching your videos Patrick please keep up the amazing job your doing 😊👍

[@ronaldoliver1700]

Thank you.

[@Chlupac010]

king of kings.. of woodworking :) thank you for inspiration

[@jozsefizsak]

Everything about your videos makes me think of the sci-fi alternate universe plot device wherein we can visit a version of earth in which things are uniformly better.

[@geolisadrag-racing2349]

Thrilled to find new content from you, Mr. S. Great video & subject. Timing for me is perfect, I have been putting off starting a piano desk for my niece. I just keep looking for the curvy side panel design that I have in mind for it, to appear, either out of thin air, or in a store on someone else's furniture, or on YT in someone else's build, so I can copy it. Lol. I am just not as creative as I used to be. This morning, i finally asked my husband to stop & pick up some 11 x 17 graph paper on the way home. 3+ hours later I was checking in on some channels I subscribe to & saw this video. Now, I will procrastinate a little longer, while I build this compass. But hopefully, once made, i'll get off my butt & come up with a template. I'll be looking forward to new videos ~Thanks .🛠Lisa♿

[@theeddorian]

A true functional beauty.

[@davidjennings9253]

A nice looking compass but really needs the addition of a top spigot so you can rotate the compass on the smaller radiis - nice job though!!!

[@carycleland9506]

Beautiful work. I think a stainless or decorative pin would look nice through the curved blade. It would assure it not coming loose.

[@estrellalopeztorralba3146]

Thank you very much!!

[@korgan7779]

Absolutely gorgeous, and functional tool, excellent work, Sir! And sure, you can most likely purchase anything but to any crafter a tool made by themselves will generally always be better to said person then what they could have purchased Also. great idea on using the spatchella for raw materials. I can see that as a cheap option for a project I am working on so thank you!

[@tonyc7352]

Very nice!

[@Bbutler787]

Great looking tool. I’ll give making one a try. Thanks.

[@billm2158]

Beautiful piece! Excellent video!

[@keithspencersr.6806]

Outstanding