The Spantastic is the black plastic span gauge with a clear plastic stud and white span markings, flat and about 3/4" wide.  The one I'm using is almost unreadable, and when I tried to order a new one I found out they're not making them any more.  Can anyone tell me where to find one (or several), or anyone have one they don't use and willing to sell?  If I can't find one, I'll try the metal span ruler.  I have a Jonell and Ace Mitchell, but the Spantastic works so well with my sidewinder drill press.  Thanks  --  JohnP

MikeP -- That does look like a good gauge, but I need one that will hook into the thumb hole and lay flat on the ball.  I drill with a sidewinder, and I use it to confirm the span before drilling the fingers.  Just hook it into the thumb hole, lay it across to where the finger hole will be and move the (not spinning) bit up to the gauge and confirm the span is correct, then drill and move to the next finger hole.  --  JohnP

MikeP -- The problem with this and most other gauges is that they don't lay flat on the ball.  You'd have to see a sidewinder press to fully understand, but the gauge has to hook into the thumb hole then pass between the grip center target plate and the ball, about a 3/8" distance.  So anything that doesn't lay flat won't work.  Unless I'm missing something, the Brunswick gauge doesn't lay flat.  --  JohnP

The machinist's rule doesn't have a stud at zero to hook into a hole and take away the hole's bevel.  However, there is a span gauge made that is metal, similar to a machinist's rule, and does have the stud.  When checking a span on the press before drilling, I move the (not spinning) drill bit into contact with the gauge so I can best see exactly where the cut is going to be.  I would rather that be soft plastic than metal, although the gauge is certainly softer than the carbide drill bit.  Also, the metal gauge is straight instead of curved to the ball's surface so I would have to hold it in place while moving the bit in, just a little trickier.  And, maybe most importantly, who wants to change what they've been doing for years?  --  JohnP

Yeah, that's the metal gauge I was talking about in my previous post.  --  JohnP