# need help with compass (drawing not navigating)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-compass-drawing-not-navigating/512689
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 5, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-compass-drawing-not-navigating/512689 "2009-10-05T16:11:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Dead\_Flowers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Flowers)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-compass-drawing-not-navigating/512689/1 "2009-10-05T16:11:22Z")
I just acquired these compasses among a box o stuff at a garage sale and I can’t figure out how one of the legs works. It looks like a needle nosed tweezer that you pinch together with a knurled knob. I can’t get it to hold a lead so it must be for some other purpose. Anybody know what I’m missing?
All I want to do is draw circles. I tried to find a picture online but my google-fu is not strong today and I don’t have anywhere to post a pic.
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-compass-drawing-not-navigating/512689/2 "2009-10-05T16:21:45Z")
Are you sure it’s a compass and not a divider missing the point?
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-compass-drawing-not-navigating/512689/3 "2009-10-05T16:24:06Z")
there are compasses that will have a clamping groove for a mechanical pencil lead, the lead may have to be a larger diameter.
some compasses can also have an ink nib, you may have an adjustable width nib.
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### Author:  [@Dead\_Flowers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Flowers)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-compass-drawing-not-navigating/512689/4 "2009-10-05T16:41:13Z")
Eureka! Yep, I have an ink compass. I found a [pic](http://www.sxc.hu/pic/m/a/al/aldoaldoz/1180215_ancient_ink_compasses.jpg) easily once I knew the name.
That was fast. Gotta love The Dope.
Thank you.
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-compass-drawing-not-navigating/512689/5 "2009-10-05T17:00:55Z")
Those things are the single biggest reason for CAD!
It’s amazing to me that anyone was ever able to create a presentable drawing using an ink nib - I always ended up with blobs and uneven lines.