# My Fibonacci caliper.



## Chaincarver Steve

I got a wild hair up my rump (as I often do) a couple of nights ago and made a small Fibonacci gauge (Golden ratio/Golden Mean/Phi gauge) using the plan posted by Steve Ramsey of _Woodworking for Mere Mortals_.









































The plan can be downloaded here: 

http://www.zram.com/Golden Caliper Parts.pdf

http://www.woodworkingformeremortals.com/2011/03/phi-and-golden-rectangle.html


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## jharris2

Also see:

http://www.goldennumber.net/do-it-yourself/


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## CenCal_Sawyer

That is Awesome! I've wanted to make one of those for years, just never got around to it. Is that walnut? It looks great.


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## Chaincarver Steve

CenCal_Sawyer said:


> That is Awesome! I've wanted to make one of those for years, just never got around to it. Is that walnut? It looks great.


Yes, it's walnut. It ended up being so incredibly simple to make I wonder why I put it off so long.


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## Fastback

Where did you get your rivets from. I don't think I have seen that type around here. Then again maybe its because I have never looked for them LOL

The ones I saw on Woodworking for Mere Mortals I like even more. Very clean looking. I should make up a golden rule thing-a-majig.


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## Shop Dad

Nice work Steve. Looks very useful, but I see additional larger versions in your future. :thumbsup:

...and thanks for putting another project on my to do list. :surrender: :laughing:


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## Fastback

Hope you understand that I was talking about the rivets and not your fibonacci caliper. Nice job.


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## Kenbo

Nice job. I love the walnut. And yet, another project for my to-do list.


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## Chaincarver Steve

Fastback said:


> Where did you get your rivets from. I don't think I have seen that type around here. Then again maybe its because I have never looked for them LOL
> 
> The ones I saw on Woodworking for Mere Mortals I like even more. Very clean looking. I should make up a golden rule thing-a-majig.


The rivets I used are some I've had for probably 20 years or more. They were in a box of rivets my dad gave me when he was in the arcade/amusement machine business. They're brass and of the type you have to flair and peen the back end of. I used 3 brass washers per rivet. One under the head, one between the wooden parts and one at the end. I briefly considered using pop rivets but was concerned it might pose a split hazard.

I like those 2-piece rivets Steve Marin used on his. I don't think I've ever seen those until his video.



Shop Dad said:


> Nice work Steve. Looks very useful, but I see additional larger versions in your future. :thumbsup:
> 
> ...and thanks for putting another project on my to do list. :surrender: :laughing:


Yeah, I almost certainly will make one or two more larger ones. It's only natural. Darned near irresistible :thumbsup:


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## notmrjohn

Great! Now i can measure my Fibonacci, as long as no one's looking. Ya know I got a box of those same rivets and I got them from my dad, too. i wonder where I put um...
Fibonacci's golden rule; Do unto others in proportion as they have done to you.


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## mikekahle

Chaincarver Steve said:


> I like those 2-piece rivets Steve Marin used on his. I don't think I've ever seen those until his video.



If I remember correctly, Steve from WWMM used what are called Chicago Rivets. I have been using the for years in my leather work. 
You can find them at ohiotravelbag and several other places. OTB is about the cheapest I have found them.


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## Chaincarver Steve

mikekahle said:


> If I remember correctly, Steve from WWMM used what are called Chicago Rivets. I have been using the for years in my leather work.
> You can find them at ohiotravelbag and several other places. OTB is about the cheapest I have found them.


Oh cool. I appreciate the information.


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## mikekahle

I was incorrect. I went back and just watched SteveinMarin's Fibonacci video. He did not use Chicago Rivets, he used long cap rivets. Sorry. But... I would personally use Chicago over cap any day...


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## mikekahle

Just made me one from WWMM sketchup plans he had on his site. Used the large paint sticks from the blue box store (every time I am in there I ask for a free handful). Used copper rivets to attach the pieces together. 
Reading on WWMM site the rivets he used were sent to him by a viewer, they are cutlery rivets, available at leevalley.com

BTW, Steve, thanks for the motivation to make one myself.... been one of those get around to it things...


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## Shop Dad

Very nice! Do you just pound the rivets or is there some finesse involved? :laughing:


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## Brian T.

Lee Valley supplies the 2-piece "cutlery rivets" with the Haida-style crooked knife blades.
You can buy them seperately. Good idea to make a little bit of a countersink for the heads.
Male and female parts in brass, they just tap together until snug. If you really work the tool
hard and the blade loosens, a gentle tap firms them up again.
Mora #171 & #188 Equus hook knives are built the same way.

I think that they would be OK for this caliper but the washers whould certainly smooth the movement action.


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## Tommie Hockett

looks good bud... but would some one clue me in on what one does or how? I use digital calipers at work


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## Chaincarver Steve

Tommie Hockett said:


> looks good bud... but would some one clue me in on what one does or how? I use digital calipers at work


I allows for easy determination of the "golden ratio", "golden mean" and whatever other names you come across that refer to the same thing.

In simple, plain English, the golden ratio is a proportion (height to width, for example) that has a generally pleasing appearance. It's used in a lot of architectural and furniture design. It helps lay out designs where things don't look out of balance (such as appearing to be too wide for its height so that it looks weird) and so on. It's not a hard, fast rule of course. Only a guideline for dimensional aesthetics. It also happens to be a ratio that occurs in nature on a surprisingly high number of occasions.

Determining the relative sizes for graduated drawers, for example, can benefit from the golden ration.


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## Alchymist

fxgjxfhmxhmgxhm


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## thegrgyle

Chaincarver Steve said:


> I allows for easy determination of the "golden ratio", "golden mean" and whatever other names you come across that refer to the same thing.
> 
> In simple, plain English, the golden ratio is a proportion (height to width, for example) that has a generally pleasing appearance. It's used in a lot of architectural and furniture design. It helps lay out designs where things don't look out of balance (such as appearing to be too wide for its height so that it looks weird) and so on. It's not a hard, fast rule of course. Only a guideline for dimensional aesthetics. It also happens to be a ratio that occurs in nature on a surprisingly high number of occasions.
> 
> Determining the relative sizes for graduated drawers, for example, can benefit from the golden ration.


Very nice job on these calipers. I do have another question about what these are used for.... IF I understand you correctly, then these are mostly used in the design aspect of a project? Not really used WHILE working on a project per se?

I know that the golden ratio is somewhere around 1 : 1.6, but this seems to be a very easy tool to come up with the ration when designing something. 

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.


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## Chaincarver Steve

thegrgyle said:


> Very nice job on these calipers. I do have another question about what these are used for.... IF I understand you correctly, then these are mostly used in the design aspect of a project? Not really used WHILE working on a project per se?
> 
> I know that the golden ratio is somewhere around 1 : 1.6, but this seems to be a very easy tool to come up with the ration when designing something.
> 
> Thanks for bringing this to our attention.


Correct, this is a tool you'd use primarily in the design process.


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## Brian T.

Thank you all for this thread, the links and the plans. I intend to make at least one to see how the Golden Mean might influence some sizes and shapes in my wood carvings.


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## Chris Curl

mikekahle said:


> ...
> Used the large paint sticks from the blue box store (every time I am in there I ask for a free handful).
> ...


me too! only difference is that my big box store is orange ...

:thumbsup:


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## Chaincarver Steve

Robson Valley said:


> Thank you all for this thread, the links and the plans. I intend to make at least one to see how the Golden Mean might influence some sizes and shapes in my wood carvings.


And keep in mind that this caliper can be scaled up or down to any size you want or need. Just enlarge the pattern as desired.


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## Alchymist

Just a little exercise in math for those who might want a different size. :icon_smile::smile::icon_confused::sleep1:


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## Crusader

This is very cool! I found the screw posts at a place here in Washington called Tacoma Screw. 4 aluminum 5/8" screw posts $1.32. I plan one making one for myself, and if I like the way it turns out maybe several more for some friends of mine.
Thanks again.


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## cowtown_eric

_If yer gonna make one, make one with 5 (or more) divisions. Three will only help you lay out small projects, not kitchen base unit drawers or dresser drawers.

Like the scots said...."better a sheep than a lamb!"

Eric in Cowtown _


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## purplenurple

Where do you find the plans for a 5 point tool


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## frankp

This looks like another great option for a swap. Simple, useful as hell, and quick to build but with lots of possible variations in size and materials.


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## Chaincarver Steve

purplenurple said:


> Where do you find the plans for a 5 point tool


What's a five point tool?


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## johnnie52

These things are only supposed to have 3 points. They help to determine how tall to make something of a given width.

If you want to measure really big stuff like wall shelves or kitchen cabinets, make a longer 3 point gauge. Nobody says they have to be limited in how long the legs of the gauge are.


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