A profile gauge or contour gauge is a tool for recording the
cross-sectional shape of a surface. Contour gauges consist of a set of
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
or
plastic pins that are set tightly against one another in a frame which keeps them in the same plane and parallel while allowing them to move independently, perpendicularly to the frame. When pressed against an object, the pins conform to the object. The gauge can then be used to draw the profile or to copy it on to another surface.
Applications
Profile gauges are used widely in
metalworking and
woodworking. In
architectural conservation, they are used to document the profiles of
decorative moldings.
[Neal Vogel, Christopher Jenks, "Documentation Projects, Part 2: Measured Drawings", ''Common Bond'' (New York Landmarks Conservancy) Winter, 199]
full text
In
archaeological illustration, they are typically used to record the profile of
pots
Pot may refer to:
Containers
* Flowerpot, a container in which plants are cultivated
* Pottery, ceramic ware made by potters
* A type of cookware
Places
* Ken Jones Aerodrome, IATA airport code POT
* Palestinian Occupied Territories, the We ...
, and are thus named pottery gauges; but in ceramics, a
pottery gauge is a template used in making pots.
References
Metalworking hand tools
Woodworking hand tools
Methods in archaeology
{{Archaeology-stub