torch head w circle cuter trammel or compass marker

[Frank S]

A new use for a cutting torch with the circle cutting attachment mounted is to use it as a trammel or compass for marking a circle
It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention if that is so then I must be the father of wacky ideas. there will be probably 4 or 5 new tools in this post
This afternoon after boring the swing beam pivot mounts I needed to layout the hole patterns for drilling. After searching every tool box in the shop trailer I remembered that most of my layout tools such as dividers trammel points and such are still packed away in one of the half dozen tool boxes in the other trailer still 200 miles away. SO I started looking around for a suitable object to make a circular hole pattern out of. I found an old parts cleaner basket with just such a pattern already in it All I needed now was a way to mark a circle to determine a center-line for 4 to 8 holes. the holes in the basket are 1/4" this made me think of using my circle cutting guide on my torch for the center hole and a bar or other object to hold a trammel point or something to mark the circle. It was already mounted on the torch so I removed the head from the torch body then rotated it on the aluminum basket it made a slight mark well lookie here I have both my circular pattern template and a means to mark it

What I needed nowwas a center locating plug to fit the bore of the plates

Then since my transfer punches are also incarcerated and none of my center punches would quite fit the holes I grabbed an air hammer punch sharpened it to become a center punch I actually think it rates among the highest as being a center punch especially since it is both harder and tougher than any store bought center punch on the market.