Greeting! Printers beware - this was the first model I have designed and 3D printed. Designed it back in summer of 2024, and now finally have got around to getting a printer to prove it works. You will indefinitely find that there are a billion better ways to print this than what I have landed on. I have chosen to go with with a 1mm thick upper and lower, with a 15% rectilinear infill. This allows for a very capable piece, however you can add more infill if you fancy. It's pretty rigid, and you would really have to try to break it to actually break it - but if you want a sturdy feel, go for a 25% rectilinear or even play about with other settings like recursive fill. You are guaranteed to know more than me.

We have a sweet shellfish gauge here, which hopefully some of you can make use of for some responsible foraging along the coast of South-West of England. This has been made to comply with both ‘Devon & Severn’ and ‘Cornwall’ Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) specifically. DO NOT USE THIS IN OTHER REGIONS WITHOUT CHECKING YOUR LOCAL BYELAWS. All markings are in mm, and when there are different sizes for male and female (eg. edible crab is 150mm female, 160mm male) I have opted for the larger of the two to avoid any possible confusion.

This gauge is capable of measuring the minimum catch size of lobsters, scallops, mussels, spider crabs and edible crabs. Know what you are measuring. With lobsters, you are measuring carapace length - back of the eye to the far end of the carapace. Scallops, you measure the widest point. Mussels you measure their length. Spider crabs are carapace length. Edible crabs are measured at the broadest point of their carapace. A reminder, that you are not only looking for the right size - berried (egg-carrying) or V-notched (tail will have been clipped) MUST be returned to the sea. 

Forage responsibly, and be sensible. Check your tide times, and know the environments you are entering. Please, keep safe.

Enjoy the model! If you find it useful, please leave a review as I'm eager to see peoples prints and catches!