DIY Scribes

[Query]

Believe it or not, the old ones are apparently "collector's items", and are priced accordingly.

I think you could make yourself something equivalent pretty easily.

Take a sufficiently long small thin board (beam). Hammer in a nail at one end. Use a self tapping screw to make screw holes at various distances from it. Screw it in at the desired distance to use. You only need one hole - or just another nail - if you only want one radius.

Or imitate the old design. You need a hinge.

If a dollar store is nearby, buy a cheap broom or mop. Also buy a pencil, a long nail, and duct tape. The nail is the scribe point. The eraser end of the pencil is the pivot point. Duct tape them both to the broom or mop stick. If one broom or mop isn't long enough, duct tape two together. Such class! 

Or buy a pair of "beam compass heads" or "trammel heads" with points that mount on a beam, to form a "beam compass", e.g.,

  http://toolmonger.com/2007/03/23/beam-compass-heads-draw-big-circles-like-a-pro/

  https://www.ebay.com/itm/TRAMMEL-HEAD-SET-2-pcs-set-31mm-CAPACITY/172570931652?hash=item282e0771c4:g:FVYAAOSwzgBYw~QO

  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Trammel-Points-Heads-Beam-Compass-Hard-Points-Fine-Adjustment-Pencil-Hold-TP/132126141300?hash=item1ec354eb74:g:tBMAAOSw4UtWSVRG:sc:USPSFirstClass!22191!US!-1

Done right, this can look very professional. If you are a coach, class matters. If you are making something for a child, class matters more.

(Yet, the dollar store / duct tape solution has its own appeal.)

Please be careful. Cover the nail and screw points so they don't cut anything or anyone.

Note: all these ideas are untested on the ice. Also, I can't guarantee that your rink will allow any of them, or the original figure skating scribes, on the ice.

I bet someone on this board already has trammel heads, and a spare beam, they could try it on, and tell us how it works.