A sauterelle is a tool used to create, duplicate, and measure angles. It consists of two straight edges held together by a pin and can resemble a grasshopper. It may be related to the masonry sauterelle used in the Middle Ages. It can be used to create, measure, and duplicate angles, but requires a protractor or ruler for specific measurements. It is useful for duplicating irregular angles, such as trimming a room’s trim.
A sauterelle is a tool used to create, duplicate and measure angles. The name comes from the French and translates as “grasshopper”. This may be related to how the tool can resemble a grasshopper when viewed from the side. The use of the word sauterelle in other languages indicates that the instrument may be related to the masonry sauterelle used in the construction of castles and cathedrals in Europe during the Middle Ages. A sauterelle may also be known as a T-bevel, bevel gauge, or bevel square.
In its simplest form, the sauterelle consists of two straight edges, each rounded at one end; these edges are held together by a pin at the rounded ends. When opened at a right angle, the tool has the “L” shape of a framing square and may also be known as a false square. The pivot is commonly secured by a wing nut or other adjustable mechanism. This mechanism is loosened so the arms can be moved to the desired angle, then tightened so the angle can be copied to another object or surface.
Sauterelles have no markings to determine the angle. Another tool, such as a protractor, is needed to measure specific angles. A linear measuring device, such as a ruler held perpendicular to the end of one of the arms, can be used to calculate the angle. The math required to do this may be considered too clunky, however, given the common availability of protractors.
To create an angle, the sauterelle is placed on a measuring device such as a protractor and adjusted to fit the desired angle. The sauterelle is then brought close to the object to be altered. If the object to be changed is adjustable, such as a miter saw, the sauterelle can be placed next to the mechanism so it can be adjusted. The sauterelle can also be used to trace the angle onto an object to be cut.
A sauterelle can be used to measure an angle by simply reversing the method to create an angle. It is adjusted to match the angle being measured and then placed against a measuring tool such as a protractor to determine the angle. This method can be useful if the available measuring tool cannot be used to measure angle directly, such as a circular protractor and the angle of a room.
To duplicate a corner, the sauterelle is placed in or against the corner and the arms are adjusted to match. The sauterelle can then be used to make an adjustment on another tool, such as a saw, or to trace the angle of an object to be cut. This use is one for which the sauterelle may be better suited than any other tool, because it can allow irregular or difficult angles to be duplicated quite easily. Examples include trimming the trim for a room in a home that has settled down or that just wasn’t built square in the first place.
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