PIVOT X

Measuring, drawing lines and taking angles sound simple, but real workspaces add complications: tight spaces, glare, angle constraints and the wear of being carried around. According to the maker, PIVOT X was designed around exactly those practical problems, with PHI's team in Oregon focusing on professional users' needs from design through manufacturing and material selection.

A pivot at the core

The tool's defining idea is modularity. A central pivot accepts several types of blades that can be swapped easily for different measuring tasks. The Base Kit includes the pivot assembly and two ruler blades; opened out, the maker says it measures straight lines up to 30cm (12 inches). The pivot can be fixed at any angle from 0 to 180 degrees for angle work and tracing complex shapes.

All blades carry precision laser-etched scales in both inches and metric, with numerals sized for legibility and a surface finish intended to reduce glare. The design assumes one-handed use: a dedicated tool-free knob locks the pivot, which the maker says is precisely engineered to avoid slipping or wobble.

Blades and expansion

• Template Blade: for quickly drawing common shapes such as circles, ellipses and square holes
• Tech Blade: short scale and markings suited to drawings and model work
• Custom blade slot: accepts purpose-designed blades as well as self-made ones, with STL data to be distributed

Beyond the Base Kit, which also includes a storage pouch, the campaign describes tiered sets such as a Pro Kit and Complete Kit with additional blades. The Kickstarter page also floats future ideas including a writable blade and guides useful for CAD work.

Materials and build

The body is made mainly from high-strength 6061-T6 aluminum alloy, with stainless steel parts in the pivot for durability and smooth movement. It folds fully into a pocketable size. According to the campaign, the product is designed and assembled in the United States, and mass-production tooling design and prototypes have been completed, though schedules and specifications may still change, as is typical of crowdfunded products.