I got into the habit of making presents for my husband’s friends as well as family and my friends - besides the fact that he cleans my Glowforge for me! - because they provide new sources for inspiration (ham radio, motorcycles, F1, etc.). This time the Cigar Enthusiast deserved some stuff made for him. I found a photo of a cigar gauge - with a ruler on it, so I used that to measure everything and create this gauge from scratch. Filled the engraved parts in with an oil paint stick (applied before taking the masking off, but still a bear to clean up). But you could reverse the whole thing and that would work too. Mine is personalized and you can do the same. Don’t ask me what use it could possibly be other than measuring your cigar’s circumference - but the cigar aficionados would know. Caveat - I have not tested this for accuracy either - I guess we’ll find out once our friend tests a few - if he’ll tell me…
Even though I left the masking on for the application, after weeding, it still smears around the areas. I did use a alcohol pad inside a tissue to wipe off the paint stick residue - carefully.
I made one of these and just haven’t gotten around to posting the build and the files. I’d is a full sheet of proofgrade cherry and I want it to be the bottom of a serving tray. Need to get the sides glued in to complete the box (hardwood not laser processed) and then pour epoxy over it. I have shapes and names for standard sizes.
I did my ring gauge chart with a spreadsheet. Since they go in 1/64ths of an inch, I got that figured out and then did a kerf compensation so that when I cut the holes, they were within a thousandth. It was tedious, but with the spreadsheet generating the numbers and labels a lot easier.
I don’t see it as measuring the cigars as much as giving a frame of reference for purchasing a cigar that says ring size 48 or 56 or something. How fat is that going to be? After a while, you get a sense for these dimensions. But for some folks it’s helpful.
Another thing is to check if the cigar is really made to specs. I’ve not had an issue with it, but some folks might be a bit picky. 1/64" is quite small of a difference, but not negligible when checking a whole box.
It’s pretty amazing that the premium cigars are still all hand rolled. There are presses and jigs to assist with sizing, but it is pretty much done by hand. the idea is to get a bundle of exactly similar cigars with length and girth. So the ring gauge measurement is often a sign of quality control.
Here is a bitmap of my design. I patterned it after a fairly common image depicting the classic size/shapes of cigars.
Exactly. The fermenting/aging of the tobacco. The varieties of tobacco and conditions. It’s like wine or whiskey. Chasing those nuances of flavor/smell. Of course tobacco has its downsides for sure, but it is an amazing thing what cultivators and manufacturers have done to make the most extraordinary variety.
stuff made for him. I found a photo of a cigar gauge - with a ruler on it, so I used that to measure everything and create this gauge from scratch. Filled the engraved parts in with an oil paint stick (applied before taking the masking off, but still a bear to clean up). But you could reverse the whole thing and that would work too. Mine is personalized and you can do the same. Don’t ask me what use it could possibly be other than measuring your cigar’s circumference - but the cigar aficionados would know. Caveat - I have not tested this for accuracy either - I guess we’ll find out once our friend tests a few - if he’ll tell me…
