Contour gauge for handymen from $2.13

Working with tape measures or folding rules can be frustrating. Especially when you have to measure curves or corners, it quickly becomes inaccurate and you can start over. For such special applications you might want to take a look at this contour gauge.

• Contour gauge
  • at AliExpress from $2.13 | Amazon from $3.99

The gadget is available in 5 in /12 cm, 5,5 in / 14 cm and 10 in / 24 cm versions. These are then available in blue, red, green and black. Of course the price varies depending on the version.

Simply press the plastic teeth of the contour gauge to the object to be measured to reproduce the contour and then put it on a sheet of paper or a piece of wood and draw it to have the exact cutting edge.

But can it really be that accurate? From my own experience I can say: yes and no. It works great for corners or straight edges, but for curves or straight pipes, for which it is intended, the measurements do not fit exactly afterwards.

You can buy this tool for a small price, but you should not expect it to replace all other measuring tools. Nevertheless, it could be really handy, especially for laying new floors, for example.