One Massive & Precise Protractor –
Recently I wrote about the vintage chalkboard protector I use for laying out precise angles in woodworking. Now Ed Sutton at FirstlightWorks makes a version that is far nicer than my old screen-printed tool.
The Firstlight protractor is laser cut from 6mm birch ply and is 12” long along its baseline. The large size is what gives these tools their advantage. Suddenly, marking an angle to a third of a degree is child’s play.
Ed sells them to customers inside the UK plus those in Europe and the U.S. After the currency conversion, the protractor cost me a bit more than $40 (which includes shipping). It’s a small price to pay for the precision.
I ordered one today. Full confession: This is a tool we had considered making for Crucible. Ed beat us to it. Nice work, Ed.
— Christopher Schwarz
