Is there such a thing as a 3D or flexible contour gauge?

[Hitch]

Mark a line on the bench, line it up with where you want to cut said object... shine a laser line at it from a couple of directions on the same plane, transfer with a sharpie/pencil or whatever... job done.

The basic indoor laser line generators are ideal for this sort of thing.

 

[hooblah]

Shining a laser and marking it still won't obtain the most straightest line, as you're then relying on your hand-eye coordination. It would probably suffice, but that only deals with a straight line. I need something thats adjustable in the X, Y and Z planes. I'm going to have to make something, as what I want just doesn't exist.

 

[smashweld]

yeah, laser line - or set up a board above where you want to mark and use it as a guide for a marker/pencil...kinda like this...

 

[hooblah]

yeah, laser line - or set up a board above where you want to mark and use it as a guide for a marker/pencil...kinda like this...

View attachment 347872

Yeah that's a good shout, only issue is trying to create a line that follows the edge of the board. A pen or scriber has a bit of an offset, and a thin board will have a tendancy to flex. I'm sure it can be made to work with a bit of thought.

 

[smashweld]

is the goal to mark a line on this object then cut it with a grinder etc (just you said would be easy with a bandsaw)

I mean use plyboard, or something thick enough that it stays rigid - need to cut the rough shape of whatever this object is out of the board so it goes down the sides
set the board up at 90 deg to the table (like a vertical bansdaw..) with blocks/screwed in place, offset the board/object to allow for the marker/pen etc so you get the line where you want it
like this...

 

[wyn]

Dip it into a bowl/bath of some sort of coloured liquid that will temporarily stay on it, to give you a line to cut.