Editing Compass (drawing tool) (section)

==Variants==
A '''[[beam compass]]''' is an instrument, with a wooden or brass beam and sliding sockets, cursors or trammels, for drawing and dividing circles larger than those made by a regular pair of compasses.<ref>{{1728 |title= Beam-Compasses}}</ref><!-- {{ref label|1728|1|^}} -->

'''Scribe-compasses'''<ref>Fine Woodworking, Build a Fireplace Mantel, Mario Rodriquez, pgs. 73, 75, The Taunton Press, No. 184, June 2006</ref> is an instrument used by carpenters and other tradesmen. Some compasses can be used to draw circles, bisect angles and, in this case, to trace a line. It is the compass in the most simple form. Both branches are crimped metal. One branch has a pencil sleeve while the other branch is crimped with a fine point protruding from the end. A wing nut on the hinge serves two purposes: first it tightens the pencil and secondly it locks in the desired distance when the wing nut is turned clockwise.

'''Loose leg wing dividers'''<ref>The Carpenter's Manifesto, Jeffrey Ehrlich & Marc Mannheimer, Holt, Rhinehart & Winston, pg. 64, 1977</ref>  are made of all forged steel. The pencil holder, thumb screws, brass pivot and branches are all well built. They are used for scribing circles and stepping off repetitive measurements<ref>Fine Woodworking, Laying out dovetails, Chris Gochnour, pg. 31, The Taunton Press, No. 190, April 2007</ref> with some accuracy.

A '''[[reduction compass]]''' or '''proportional dividers''' is used to reduce or enlarge patterns while conserving angles.

'''Ellipse drawing compasses''' are used to draw ellipse.
{{Gallery
  |title=Compass variants
  |align=center
  |File:Beam Compass.jpg|Keuffel & Esser Arrow [[beam compass]] set for drafting.
  |File:Ellipse compass-MHS 614-IMG 3827-gradient.jpg|18th-century [[Trammel of Archimedes|ellipse-drawing compass]] ([[Musée d'histoire des sciences de la Ville de Genève|MHS Geneva]])
  |File:Reduction compass-MHS 1880-IMG 3829-gradient.jpg|Simple [[reduction compass]] ([[Musée d'histoire des sciences de la Ville de Genève|MHS Geneva]]).
  |File:Reduction compass-MHS 1914-IMG 3834-gradient.jpg|Sliding-pivot [[reduction compass]] by Nairne on London, 18th century ([[Musée d'histoire des sciences de la Ville de Genève|MHS Geneva]]).
}}