What is this plastic measuring thing?

Vorde

http://postimage.org/image/urnvnzkhz/

I was watching a tv show (the astute watcher will recognize it as How I Met Your Mother), when I saw one of the characters holding this thing (the curved plastic measuring-thing).

My dad used to have one of those on his work bench, and I used to play with it as a kid, but seeing it in the TV show I realized I had no idea whatsoever what it was. I tried googling it, but I ran into the inherent problem of figuring out what I would call it and I couldn't find anything, so I was hoping PF would help me.

The character in the show is an architect and my dad is an engineer, if that helps.

Thanks :)

Pythagorean

compass?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass_(drafting)

Vorde

No the other thing, the one that looks like a big plastic nine (I'm so technical).

Pythagorean

Huh. Didn't even notice that. No idea. Looks like a specialty protractor, but I'm reaching here.

Pythagorean

Here's one I found (maybe?) googling drafting tools. No name, but very similar looking (scroll down a bit, it's yellow).

http://www.nextcraft.com/importanceofgoodtools.html

Jimmy

French curve?

Pythagorean

Looks like it's a "French Curve" for drawing non-circular curves:

http://upload.ecvv.com/upload/Produc...7291110502.jpg

Pythagorean

why, you!

Jimmy

Sorry.

My monitor is too old. I couldn't even see the french curve in the OP's image.

Pkruse

French curves were very valuable tools in the days before CAD. I probably have more than a dozen of them in storage somewhere. Haven't uses them since about 1980.

phinds

It's definitely a French curve, as others have suggested. Like Pkruse I have several of them.

Vorde

Haha thanks everyone, that solved a little part of my childhood :)