A draftsman's beam compass consists of a set of points and holders, mounted on a plated brass, aluminum, or German 'silver'[2][3] rod.
The locked tip holder consists of a needle, for the centre of the radius, and the other holds either a lead clutch, or an inking nib.
The beam compass is used to scribe a circle, either by drawing with lead, penning by ink, or scratching with a sharpened point.
Some trammel sets include a support roller for attachment at mid span of the beam or rod, to take out the sag.
Each point is rotated 180° along a straight line or large circle, and this process is repeated until the desired measurement or division is reached.
This cutter is used primarily to score a circular pattern in the drywall to fit over recessed lighting in the ceiling.
The tool consists of a square shank with a sliding pivot that is locked into the desired location with a turn knob.