If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...

In this video, I demonstrate how I use a handmade jig to accurately draw a perfect ellipse on plywood. This is one of my favorite tricks for woodworking projects that demand precise and clean curves.

The Ddiin Exlicon drawing tool combines a compass, protractor, ruler, golden ratio tool, curved ruler and hexagon and pentagram and the lip stencils all in one device. From accurate ellipses to ...