Eric's gizmo made multi-use

[Pat B]

This tool is made for drawing a center line down a stave, no matter how crooked or irregular it is. Since I use Eric's gizmo for tillering anyway I figured with a little addition of the short pieces of dowel it would be a multi-use tool.
  To find the center line, reverse the pencil so the point sticks out on the side of the dowels(for use as a gizmo, have pencil point on opposite side). Them with a dowel on either side of the stave and the pencil point on the back of the stave slide the "tool" down the length of the stave, keeping the dowels tightly against the sides of the stave as you go. Then rotate it so the forward dowel is back and the back is forward and trace another line down the stave. Where these pencil lines separate I mark the center between these lines as my center line.
  Here are a few pics to help demonstrate...
 
  This is the gizmo as we know it.
...and reversed for the multi-tool...
 
...and in use. Note how I angled the tool two different ways and make two center line marks...
 
 
...and the center line down a snaky bow stave
 

[Joshua Lee]

That's pretty cool. Thanks for sharing

[Jason Jelinek]

Awesome, great idea!

[klm5121]

Cool, Thanks for sharing!

[Eric Krewson]

I like it Pat. I have thought about making "super gizmo" like that to put on the St Jude auction.

[Roy from Pa]

Nice Pat thanks.. I made a gizmo a few years ago after seeing Eric's thread about it.. Really works sweet.. Thanks again Eric..

[Pat B]

This thing works great on any stave and I thought it fit right in with Eric's gizmo. It's hard to improve on perfection but I think I came close. Thanks for the gizmo, Eric!
  I gave one of these to Pappy last year at the Tenn Classic.

[RB]

They work good (really good on flat stock), but on a stave, you gotta keep 'em level as you move it along  - or the line can get way off center. I have to glide mine along very slowly and keep a close eye on it's 'attitude'.

Another variation is to use a shorty pencil with a slot cut in the eraser - and a rubber band. It keeps light down-tension on the pencil as it tracks up-and-down over knots, bumps, etc.....so you can concentrate on keeping the center finder on track. Of course, that is with an ordinary center finder that doesn't use a threaded nut in it to hold the pencil. - rb

[Osagetree]

Apply for a patent; Hurry up or some trad archery catalog will have the item for sale!

[Apex Predator]

I have mine drilled to fit my extra-fine sharpie for working on glass bows.  Works great!

[ishi1archer]

Nice I'm going in the shop now to make one!!

[ChristopherO]

I used my tillering gizmo just yesterday.  Good addition to it, Pat.

[b.glass]

COOL!!  

[hova]

the rubber band idea is just awesome. now i have to pick up a block of zebrawood and some yellowheart , and make an inlaid , top notch (including the nut) advanced gizmo. maybe some antler for the pins...


i use my gizmo daily , and have one edge tapered to work a little better into the fades.

-hov

[KellyG]

I drilled holes on the ends of mine and put nails in the holes for finding the center. Now the Nails are out so I can run the gizmo down the belly without hitting the string. Yours looks a lot better then mine.

[ber643]

I have a Gizo. It was made by Eric for a St.Jude auction and another friend beat me out on both that Eric put up. Then the friend had Eric send one of the two to me. Trad world is full of nice folks. I used it on every bow i made after getting it. When I started back this time I had lent my Gizmo to Ruddy so a couple weeks ago, when Pat told me about the multi-use gizmo, I made one. At first it was wibbling and wobbling (but not falling down on me              ), so I had some weird lines. This thread helps get the idea better, and I think what one post said about watching the attitude of it very close (keep the ends level) on staves with a crown is the key for me. I really like it now, Pat, and I still have Eric's Gizmo for tillering, so I don't have to change the pencil around.

Thanks to Eric and Pat (and to RB for the tip about keeping it level when using it on a stave)                          

[CaptainJ]

Brilliant Pat!
I had thought of that but was trying to figure out how to correct the offset of the dowels. Flipping it around and drawing the second line is so simple I missed it!
Thanks for showing us this!
CJ