I do a lot of spindle-turning at the lathe, and find myself turning sections and details to the same common diameters time and again. Rather than constantly resetting my calipers, I devised a gauge for these diameters, making it from plastic laminate, which is thin enough to slip into parted areas and in between beads.

Making a gauge like this is easy. Begin with an oversized scrap of plastic laminate for safe handling. Lay out the centers for the desired diameters along a line drawn parallel to one edge. Bore out the holes on the drill press, and then saw through the centerline. Finish up by trimming the gauge to a convenient size.

—Mark Pilsner, Milwaukee, Wisconsin