Why or why can't we get a 6" rule that works for everybody?

[Clinton B Chase]

It is so simple: mm graduations on one side and 1/16th and 1/8ths on the other (not the 32nds and 64ths b/c nobody uses those!) with end graduations, which are very, very useful. This 6" rule is impossible to find.

[Gerarddm]

I have a plastic 6" ruler that does that, but it was from a company I used to work for.

[The Jeff]

That does sound like a handy ruler! I've got a 6040 CNC router, maybe it'd be a fun project to cut one out of some brass with an engraving cutter.

[Spot]

Looks like they only want to stamp/etch/mark on one side

https://www.hobbylobby.com/Art-Supplies/Drafting/Measuring-Tools/6-Inch-Metric-Ruler/p/2717
144519-1116[6].jpg

[jpatrick]

Bridge City Tool. https://bridgecitytools.com/products/sr-rules

Jeff

[Paul Scheuer]

Empire Level Co.
Mukwonaga WI 53149
www.empirelevel.com
Mad in India
#2730

Inches and metric on the front (32" & 1 mm)

Conversion Tables on the back 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64.

Depth Gauge & pocket clip.

[David G]

Bridge City Tool. https://bridgecitytools.com/products/sr-rules

Jeff

Beat me to it. With care, the 6" version will live in your apron, providing precision and clarity, under all conditions... for a very long time.

For a price.

[The Jeff]

Ok, here's my idea. The ruler is 3/4" x 6" with sixteenths and eighths on one side and millimeters on the other. The end graduations are in sixteenths and millimeters. I didn't realize it, but 19mm is within .002" of 3/4", so shifting everything .001" works out really well.

[Hugh MacD]

Brown & Sharpe make a good one. Lots of them out there. I like the matte finish on B&S as it's easier for me to read without the glare from a bright finish.
https://www.amazon.com/Brown-Sharpe-...19293188&psc=1

[sp_clark]

($$) McMaster: https://www.mcmaster.com/20265A6/

($) Zoro: https://www.zoro.com/empire-6-pocket...commended=true <or>

https://www.zoro.com/westcott-ruler-...commended=true

(and happy b'day CB!)

[Nicholas Carey]

Bridge City Tool. https://bridgecitytools.com/products/sr-rules

I just read this yesterday: Chris Schwarz, the guy who runs Lost Art Press, doesn't sound too impressed by the Bridge City rules: https://blog.lostartpress.com/2021/0...ve-failed-you/

For years I used [a rule] from Bridge City, but the markings were blurry. I suspect they were screen printed or not etched deep enough.

And at $50 for a 6-inch rule, you're looking at Starret prices for a Chinese made tool

And they don't seem to know much about precision From their page on rules at https://bridgecitytools.com/products/sr-rules &mdash;

Besides the obvious use as a straight rule, SR series rules are also excellent little straight edges with precision ground surfaces. They are terrific for marking, scoring, or cutting with knives (emph. mine).

If you use a knife or other cutting tool with your straight edge, it won't be a straight edge for long.

Schwarz seems to like SPI rules (the MSC Direct house brand). See above link.

English 4R in black chrome: https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/78988128

English/Metric in satin chrome: https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/59624676

[Clinton B Chase]

Oooof, that Bridge City one looks perfect though the webpage doesn't make it clear that metric is on the back and imperial on front.

Thanks Nicholas will look at those too. I suspect I am going to need to carrry two, imperial and metric.

Thank you

[Spot]

A co-worker has a ruler from General (MED678) that is double sided inch/MM and has various fractions and decimals of an inch.

https://generaltools.com/industrial-...le-steel-ruler
cf678med.jpg

[John Meachen]

Moore and Wright ER206F would conform to the requirements.No idea if any ever got to Maine.

[jpatrick]

One thing that I certainly agree on is the lack of need for gradations in 64ths. My (corrected) eyes simply can no longer cope with the tiny lines.

Jeff

[jpatrick]

Beat me to it. With care, the 6" version will live in your apron, providing precision and clarity, under all conditions... for a very long time.

For a price.

I tried to take care of it.......

IMG_4570.jpg

This was a mishap at the table saw. I really don't remember the details. But there was no blood lost.

This happened many years ago and I still use the ruler. What upset me most was that back in the day, Bridge City had a policy that they touted in the ads: They said that they wanted people to use their tools and not just collect them because they are pretty. To back that up, the ad said if one damaged a tool while in the course of using it, they'd replace it for nothin. I took them at their word and so after this damage I wrote to them asking for instructions on how to get it replaced. Well, I guess they "forgot" that promise. I got nothing but an offer to sell me another ruler. No thanks.

Anyway.... the ruler is really nice and not cheaply made at all. But like I said, this was a long time ago.... mid 80's I believe. Things change.

Jeff

[neil.henderson]

Or, just go metric & come with the majority :-)

[Paul Scheuer]

What is the logic behind having the zero inches and zero mm at opposite ends of the rule shown on many of the examples above?

[rbgarr]

I like these Stanleys but haven't needed metric (yet). I've got several in different styles and lengths: https://www.ebay.com/itm/15519547509...Cclp%3A2047675

[Dusty Yevsky]

Brown & Sharpe make a good one. Lots of them out there. I like the matte finish on B&S as it's easier for me to read without the glare from a bright finish.
https://www.amazon.com/Brown-Sharpe-...19293188&psc=1

Perfect. Ordered.

[Hugh MacD]

Cool...you'll like it. My wife absconded with mine for sewing, so I need to get another one for the shop

[pez_leon]

For a group so quick to carry on about the wisdom of superposition and the absolute need to fit every part to the boat (and not some planned ideal), you all are remarkably picky about your rulers! I would have thought we'd have all settled on this by now:

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop...e?item=99W7850
Measurement, forsooth.

Mostly kidding.

- James

[Spot]

For a group so quick to carry on about the wisdom of superposition and the absolute need to fit every part to the boat (and not some planned ideal), you all are remarkably picky about your rulers! I would have thought we'd have all settled on this by now:

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop...e?item=99W7850
Measurement, forsooth.

Mostly kidding.

- James

Nice!

@the Jeff, I worked on one that is like your two combined into one, let me know if you want the data. Did a test burn on cardboard, ticks were good but too deep, computer ate the digits....

spot_ruler1.jpg

[Clinton B Chase]

Hmmm, still not one with:
-metric on one side
-fractional/imp on other in 1/8ths, 16ths and 32nds
-end graduations

But thank you all for suggestions.

[Clinton B Chase]

Ok, here's my idea. The ruler is 3/4" x 6" with sixteenths and eighths on one side and millimeters on the other. The end graduations are in sixteenths and millimeters. I didn't realize it, but 19mm is within .002" of 3/4", so shifting everything .001" works out really well.

This is good - will you share the Rhino file?
And will you have this laser cut?

[John Meachen]

Hmmm, still not one with:
-metric on one side
-fractional/imp on other in 1/8ths, 16ths and 32nds
-end graduations

But thank you all for suggestions.

Did you read my earlier post?It is exactly what you described.

[Hugh MacD]

For a group so quick to carry on about the wisdom of superposition and the absolute need to fit every part to the boat (and not some planned ideal), you all are remarkably picky about your rulers! I would have thought we'd have all settled on this by now:

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop...e?item=99W7850
Measurement, forsooth.

Mostly kidding.

- James

HA! I wish I still had the "ruler" I had printed up for our machine shop foreman...a 6" scale printed on elastic.

[gypsie]

Or, just go metric & come with the majority :-)

hee hee

Things is, imperial is infact metric.

Try and find out what an inch actually is, and you'll discover it is based on the milimeter. 25.4mm in the US. Because - we know what a millimeter is;

Since 1983, the metre has been defined as "the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of

1/299792458

of a second".^[1] A millimetre,

1/1000

of a metre, is therefore the distance travelled by light in

1/299792458000

of a second.

I always find it a bit irritating that the wise old ones chose 25.4. Why not 25mm even and so much stuff lines up so easily! No need for two rulers, just decimalise the inch and hey presto! But alas.

[The Jeff]

This is good - will you share the Rhino file?
And will you have this laser cut?

Sure, here it is: sailingmoga.com/Ruler.3dm

I've got a CNC 6040 router that I've used to engrave some brass and aluminum. I need to get it set up again after moving shops, but I definitely plan to make one of these. I really don't like rulers that are cluttered up with 32nds or have the fractions labeled.

[sp_clark]

HA! I wish I still had the "ruler" I had printed up for our machine shop foreman...a 6" scale printed on elastic.

I have a set of suspenders printed with inch graduations... when I'm not wearing them.

[Nicholas Scheuer]

I have several. My favorite hardware store stocks them in stainless steel. I do use the 1/32 graduations.

[Spot]

Tell the quality department that you want a gauge R&R and MSA on both the elastic ruler and suspenders...

I ran a couple more tests on the laser, the smell of burnt wood indoors is pleasant with a cup of coffee and loungewear at 0 degrees F (-17 C) outdoors and more winter weather on the way. The LED on mine is rectangular and between that and the software and the inexpensive nature of the machine...it did quite well except for the end marks which are not going 'the good way' for the laser. The text could stand to be bigger/clearer as well. It would be interesting to move it to the 6060 CNC and also get it to cut the perimeter and try it in metal.

What did people do before the mass manufacture of rules and pencils?

spot_ruler1b_whole.jpgspot_ruler1b.jpg

[Bill Perkins]

Clinton; I'm glad you started this thread.I now think I am ready for a shop rule that has 32'ds .That's like reading the inch scale on a 3/8 in. = 1 ft. scale rule : not that hard . I might use it for modeling or machine set up . The 64ths I will be willing to estimate ,that's too much clutter on the tool and just too small for me . I also really like the idea of gradations on the end of the rule ,I've not seen that .

[rbgarr]

What did people do before the mass manufacture of rules and pencils?

We measured "by hand and eye". For example: https://www.byhandandeye.com/sizing-workbenches/

[Hugh MacD]

What did people do before the mass manufacture of rules and pencils?

Story sticks. Worked well as long as everyone used the same stick. I think some of the problems with the VASA was different sticks...or so goes the story.