Mr. Pen Circle Templates
I draw arcs all day long. You might be a fancy “irregular curve” person, but I am as cheap as a segment of a circle. Arcs are the foundation of the decoration of vernacular furniture. You might think peasants were channeling their squid god when they drew that shape on the chair’s hand, but really, it was just a segment of a circle, joined to a straight line.
If you want to explore arcs – the basic building block of furniture curvature, then you cannot do this for any less than the Mr. Pen Circle Templates. They are $8 for everything you need.
When I ordered mine (from Amazon, for shame), I was disappointed when they arrived. They were insanely thin and flimsy. How, I wondered, would these ever stand up to workshop use?
The answer: beautifully. The thin plastic material bends over curved surfaces and is just thick enough to catch the lead of your pencil. They are just translucent enough to be able to see the shape behind the template. And they are as flexible as hell. They are perfect.
I have the two-piece set hanging on a screw behind my bench, and I use them almost every day. They describe and mark circles in sizes from “mouse butt” up to 3-1/2″. In other words, perfect for furniture work.
These are indispensable to my work. And just $8.
I can’t think of anything to say about a couple of pieces of plastic punched with holes. They do exactly what they are supposed to, for very little money.
Are the center line markings dead on?
My set seems to be. I use them for my calligraphy, woodworking and more. If not they can be marked easily for true.
From mouse butt to elephant butt….