Miter Protractor

[mayday0017]

I have always done the old method of taking a scrap piece of trim and guessing my angle to start with when I am doing trim work. I then always tweak it until it is a good tight fit and then finally get to cut my actual piece of trim. This takes a bunch of time and makes having a 2nd person almost useless because it is hard to explain to someone else how to cut what you see unless you can put a measurement to it.

This morning I was thinking I wonder if there is a gauge that allows you to cheat and tells you exactly what it should be (not sure why I never thought of this before). I was even thinking, if it doesn't exist I could make one there really isn't much to it. So with that I did a quick google and found several on the market and read a couple stories and reviews and they really do seem to work well.

So with that information, who here has used these? Is there one I should stay away from or one that stand out above the rest? Any feedback or information would be great. I am currently looking at the Starrett 505A-12 and have included an image of it for example.

 

[signcrafter]

I have the bosch digital one and love it. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001MUHXQ6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I bought it for doing crown but have used it on tons of other things. Comes in real handy.

 

[Ign]

I have the Starrett but it has none of the yellow in your pic. I like it. I stayed away from digital here as I don't use it very often and I didn't want dead batteries after sitting for months.

 

[mayday0017]

Sorry looks like I posted the CP505 and not the regular 505. The CP is the one I believe I will get because the yellow section is a conversion chart which seems useful but mostly because I understand it to be laser etched marks instead of a sticker stuck on. I was reading the sticker type are hit or miss on how accurate they are.

 

[mayday0017]

In process of ordering the Starrett off Zoro since it will be about $25 cheaper then anywhere else with the current 30% off promo.

 

[7th Kahuna]

Funny, I was looking at one of those a couple weeks ago. I too would stay away from the digital versions because I don't like the idea of having to worry about batteries, at least until I have to otherwise start worrying about reading glasses.

 

[Dave88LX]

This is the one I bought and it's been great so far.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003CJSQ4S/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[mayday0017]

Ended up getting the $100 one for $78 from Zoro during their 30% off sale. Used it this weekend and talk about results. Typically I uses scrap and cut angles and match up until perfect which is very time consuming especially in a finished house not a new construction where the saw is right next to you. I am no pro and maybe the pro's have learned enough to not need one of these, but for me the measurement was perfect each and every time making for less and less trips to the saw. The other trick I learned was use one of the folding ruler with a slide on it. Fold it out then let the slide do the final reach. Quit measuring because there is to much going on to get it with in a 1/16 of an inch like is needed. Use the ruler with slide to transfer the exact length to the board being cut, between using the ruler, the protractor, and deciding I can make a jig to make perfect copes in seconds trim work has never been so quick and easy.

 

[Stuart in MN]

A regular old sliding T bevel gauge works well:

You don't really need to know what the angle measurement is, just put the tool against the trim and set it, then hold it against your saw to set the angle of the cut.