A batch of 18th.C. folding rules we made

[george wilson]

This is a batch of the folding rules Jon and I made for Williamsburg. Sorry for the out of focus detail picture. Today is very dark and rainy,and my wife packed the tripod. You get the idea at least.Someone asked for these photos,and I need to put them up today.

This project was a huge amount of trouble from the beginning. We had to order 4 different types of boxwood to find a kind that wouldn't warp at once. We tried local boxwood,dried for several years. No luck. Castello box also warped. Finally,we got some Maracaibo boxwood that stayed straight for the most part.

The big problem was that in the old days,boxwood was dried very differently than now. They used to bury it in a pile of horse manure,and let it all dry together for 50 years. They planned for future use. We don't. Our quick drying processes induce stress in the wood,and the harder the wood is,the more it releases stress when cut.

The numbers are copies of the original rule. I made the stamps very sharp,like knife edges,which I believe they must have done for rules,as the numbers on old rules are always crisp,with no crushed wood at all.

The numbers were applied freehand,and not too precisely on the original,which we emulated,though the graduations were accurately done. In fact,the original rule had two number 11's on it! They sold it anyway.

I had to make special graduating devices to apply the grads. There was a special "rack",rather like a rack gear,with notches every 1/8". I also made 3 special stamping tools,one for each of the 3 lengths of graduation needed. These stamping tools clicked into the notched rack so that accuracy was assured. Graduating these rules was hypnotic! The rules are 2' long,with grads every 1/8".

These rules are the standard of accuracy in the Historic Area,so I felt a responsibility to get the rules consistent every time. The cabinet shop had been long plagued by using more modern 4 fold rules,which were 1/16" out with each other.

The lengthwise scribe lines were made with special scratch stocks made for the purpose.

The brass hinges had to be made also,and riveted on. I got them photo etched,but they had a step around the edges,so each piece of brass,9 per rule,had to be gone around by hand with files to eliminate the little steps.

Blackening the rules was the last problem,and no one seems to know how they did it originally. I have been informed that there are more modern sources explaining the process,but our researchers only investigated early sources,I suppose. It was usually not our task as toolmakers to do research. We relied upon others to do that. We figured out how to make the tools,which was trouble enough at times.

What I ended up doing was french polishing each rule several coats. Then I took a ball of cloth,dipped it into linseed oil,then into a little lampblack,and rubbed it into the marks. The finish on the rules kept the lampblack from rubbing into the wood. The oil dried,locking the blacking in.

[Michael Sobik]

Those are gorgeous. Thank you so much for continuing to share all the amazing work you do, it's an inspiration.

[John Schreiber]

That looks like a hugely challenging process. We take so much for granted now a days. I'm sure each one will be treasured.

[Bill Houghton]

Those are really lovely tools, even if you didn't get all authentic about the horse manure (talk about using everything but the whinny!).

You mentioned, "The cabinet shop had been long plagued by using more modern 4 fold rules,which were 1/16" out with each other." I buy most of my tools at garage sales, and wound up getting rid of several rules, folding and otherwise, after testing them against my Starrett rules. It's truly amazing how many measuring devices measure only vaguely.

[george wilson]

I read somewhere that the government standard for 6' tape measures is within 3/16". I can't remember where,but someone may correct me on this.

It is amazing how many uses were found for manure and urine in the old days. They used manure in wattle and daub housebuilding,sometimes sat their anvils on it(called horse mook) sometimes. The uses are very numerous.

Urine was used in treating raw wool to degrease it in Elizabethan times,and later on on long ship voyages for washing clothes when water was too scarce.It was used in the production of alum,in making saltpeter for gunpowder. The list is very long. they collected it and used it for many purposes.

The cabinet shop used an assortment of Rabone,and other 4 fold rules for a long time. I am glad I didn't have to use the rules we made. They are 5/32" thick,and the graduations do not go all the way to the edges. There is every opportunity for parallax errors. I always used dark brown patina 2' steel rules when I was in the historic area. They had metal rules,and when they turn brown,you really can't see that they are modern from a short distance away.

[Jeff Dege]

The big problem was that in the old days,boxwood was dried very differently than now. They used to bury it in a pile of horse manure,and let it all dry together for 50 years. They planned for future use. We don't.
What I'm thinking is that there isn't anything stopping you from burying a bunch of boxwood in a pile of horse manure, so your grandkids don't have the same problem you've had, fifty years from now... (aside from your neighbors and your local health commission) :)

[george wilson]

I know my grand daughters wouldn't touch them!

[Dominic Greco]

George,
Thanks for posting this. Every time you show a tool you made, I learn a little bit more about the craftsmanship of that era. I just love learning these little facts!


They used manure in wattle and daub housebuilding,sometimes sat their anvils on it(called horse mook) sometimes. The uses are very numerous.

Now you've got me curious. :D Why bury the boxwood in manure? Because it would generate it's own slow, even heat from decomposition? :confused:

And why would you sit an anvil in it?

[Jim Rimmer]

Thanks for posting this project. Great work. I have a folding rule like those that belonged to my Grandfather. Have no idea how old it is. I have always liked it (but don't use it) and now will have more respect for it.

[george wilson]

Dominic,the boxwood would dry exceedingly slowly buried in damp material,and have much less tendency to crack and warp. Kiln drying does just the opposite. I've found that the harder the wood,the worse it is to stress.Ivory is even worse. The natives used to bury freshly taken ivory in the ground for some time to let it dry slowly before selling it.

I suppose the anvils had less shock to the arm if sitting on resilient material. I don't know for sure. It's something the old English smiths sometimes did. I have mine chained down tight to a stump so it has no ring to deafen me.

[george wilson]

Joel,they did bury the boxwood thus. It was particularly done to make wind instruments. I've gotten a lot of old lore from 39 years in a museum.

[george wilson]

I learned it from an old English furniture conservator who is no longer living. He worked at Williamsburg,and was in his late 70's when I knew him back in the 70's. Roy Underhill bought his tool chest from his son and put it on his show a while back, Mr.Simms. I do not think this is so incomprehensible as ongoing companies perpetuated themselves through planning for their futures,and doing what they had to do with the materials they were forced to work with. They were more sensitive to the ways of natural materials than we are.Today,we solve all sorts of problems with plastics,and other artificial materials and diverse technologies which they didn't have. More recorders are made of plastic today than any other material.Yet,no knowledgeable musician would say that a plastic recorder sounds better than a boxwood one. I think they were more on top of quality than we are today,in the areas they worked in.

Don't we do similar things today in very long stretches of selective breeding of plants and animals? In decades and decades of cancer research? 50 years isn't so long from that point of view.

You have heard of manure under anvils,but not of boxwood in manure,so you think it must not be true? On the face of it,don't both things sound on the surface just as unplausable? You can search,but things like this are some of those little tid bits not frequently uncovered.

Joel,it would be nice to see some pictures of your own work.

[Carl Maeda-San Diego]

Very nice work as always!
Now I know why air dried lumber seems to work better... I have some white oak that was air dried for 7 or 8 years and when I cut it, I notice that it tends to stay straight for the most part.

[george wilson]

Joel,google boxwood buried in manure. A bagpipe maker mentions that they buried boxwood in manure for 20 years for making bagpipes. Bagpipe pipes are not as large in diameter as oboes,clarinets,and large recorders.So,I have little doubt that these instruments would require even longer seasoning.

My information on old lore is usually pretty factual with the background I have had,and the experts I have been able to meet.

[george wilson]

Mine didn't go to the edge because the rule provided to me to copy by Jay Gaynor did not go to the edge. This particular unused rule was in the gentleman's tool chest in the Governor's Palace in Col. Williamsburg. Jay likes to use pristine examples where possible because they are not too worn out to accurately determine exactly what they looked like when new. Jay is the former curator of tools.Personally,I would have found it more useful if the grads went to the edge. Maybe they thought they were making the edge more durable by leaving it in one continuous piece. Perhaps they found the rules accurate enough for wood work,I cannot say.I like mine more accurate.

I have already answered your other question: bagpipe pipes are fairly small in diameter. The article mentions 35mm. diameters,about 1 3/8" maximum. Oboes are easily more than 2X that diameter,and bassons are three times that diameter. The large rings found on the ends of some of the pipes are added separately,and aren't very thick. They are also frequently made of a different material,like ivory. I have done work on bagpipes,and know how they are made. Therefore,the wood required is smaller than the wood on an oboe,or large recorder. Hence the longer drying time.

I have provided in just a minute of research,the basic practice of burying boxwood in manure. The premise is shown to be true. Surely mold would ruin the wood in 20 years if it was going to,wouldn't it? I think you can take this further on your own if you wish to do so. Except to argue,I cannot see the value of your needing this information in your own tool making efforts. I also put more value in the work a person can actually do,than I do in the arguments that are very easy to put up. The 39 years ,plus my previous experience,I have had to work and exchange information with a large number of experts in their fields cannot be dismissed so casually.

[Martin Shupe]

George,

I like your posts. Your tools and things you have made are fantastic.

I also enjoy the history behind the tools and production techniques.

Thanks for posting.

[Wilbur Pan]

I thought that one of the aspects of learning a trade back in the day also involved joining a guild, and that one of the purposes of a guild was to protect their members, in part by ensuring that their trade secrets were kept, well, secret.

If this was the case, then there wouldn't have been much crosstalk among different craftsmen about how they use and prepare their materials, and methods would have been developed in parallel and in relative isolation from each other. So it isn't much of a stretch to suppose that the instrument makers developed a different way of using boxwood than a toolmaker using boxwood for making rules. It's sort of like Darwin's finches.

[george wilson]

Joel and Wilbur: In just a few seconds of googling I have shown my basic statement about burying boxwood to be true. There is no magic: the slowing down of the drying process was the aim. I have also given reasonable explanations as to why larger instruments would require more time to season. You will have to do research yourself for further ammunition to discredit what I have said.

Wilbur,your are perfectly right that guilds tried to keep secrets.But, I submit that Benjamin Huntsman invented cast steel toolsteel in 1740. By 1750 his secret was found out,though he made the most vigorous efforts to keep his process secret. You may google that,too. He had his small factory in his back yard,and had materials carried through his house,the only way in,to keep on top of security. I have studied early steel making quite a bit. Every basket of ore and charcoal was carried through his house,leaking all the way. Must have been a dirty house!

Also,All of the violin makers in Northern Italy,and Jacob Steiner in Austria,used the same "Cremona" varnish.

These last few statements are well known,easily proven facts about the state of industrial security at that time.

If you look at the large picture,all of the tools,furniture,etc. were pretty uniform as a whole. I think it would have been very difficult to keep a bunch of poorly educated workmen from arguing in half,or fully drunken states in pubs at night. Naturally,all of them would have liked to prove their own work superior. From the huge number of wine bottles dug up in Williamsburg,it is very clear that alcohol was the common opium,the pain killer of the masses. I cannot blame them as life was brutal.

I can assure you,we had a time getting boxwood to remain straight.I have grocery bags full of paint stirring sticks of boxwood to show the rate of warping. Being one of those "weird bunnies" myself,I have done a lot of wood bending.I straightened boxwood rule blanks only to find them warped again next morning. Other woods generally stay as re bent. Violin bows are straightened over a pot of charcoal when they warp. In the old days,extraordinary efforts were definitely taken to try to make this wood stable. The boxwood we used was from South America. Before that was available,other species had to have been tamed.

I submit that rule makers had an even more difficult time than wind instrument makers in trying to keep slender rules from warping,and used the same seasoning procedures.They had to stabilize the wood very carefully. A single 5/8" X 5/32" strip of wood is inherently less stable that a cylinder of the same.

Joel,I find your Grammercy saw handles quite graceful,though mass produced,and they obviously work quite well.

[Walt Nicholson]

Joel, I am sure my response will be pulled in short by the moderators but felt a need to express myself about your comments. I have always felt that the Creek was a place where "you check your ego at the door" but I guess that is not always the case. I am a rank amateur and can only dream about creating works that folks like you and George do. My great grandfather used a combination of chemicals to create a stain he liked, he passed that information down to my grandfather who passed it down, etc. Apparently if you cannot "google that" and immediately find it on the internet your comments of "reasonable questions which you may not know the answer", "definitive answer to obscure question", "I don't agree with their generalization" would be issued about my statements as well. George works in an environment full of history that is often passed down through generations without "exacting" documentation but that does not diminish their value to the rest of us. I would assume that you are documenting every method you use in your work on the internet so that 200 years from now people will know how you did it without having to rely on the word of knowledgeable people. George is obviously much more of a gentleman than I am for holding his tongue about your comments.

[george wilson]

Joel,you just cannot rely on contemporary literature to get to the bottom of all the trade secrets. I have those books you have referred to,and have read them and re read them for 4 decades. They are valuable sources,true,but they do not explain everything that was done. Diderot is full of misinformation,though some good knowledge is in it. Of course,Diderot was not a craftsman.

I have just proven to you the seasoning of boxwood by bagpipe makers in manure,just by googling it. Frankly,I think that was a bit of luck on my part,this being such an obscure subject. That is not mentioned in those books,which should tell you something. It cannot be dismissed or lessened by calling instrument makers "weird bunnies." Some consider good violin makers as the apex of fine wood working. No other small wooden objects fetch as much as some fine violins. The fact has been shown that this wood was seasoned in this way,at least by serious users who wanted maximum stability. That must include rule makers. Even I,with several species at my disposal,wasted many times more boxwood than I was able to use. That was from improper seasoning. Now,the only remaining argument is for you to dispute how long it was seasoned,not that it was even done at all,which was your initial argument. I should have known that by posting such information I would draw fire.But,I don't post information in an idle way,for the whole World to see.

I drew similar fire by posting not to wash your knives in hot water,which will dull them.That was dismissed as an old wive's tale. Fortunately,a professional butcher who probably got his information from his elders,backed up my advice. I could draw more fire by telling readers to not leave their files in hot sunny windows,which will dull them,too. These 2 facts are not in books either that I know of.

I have been very fortunate to have had a career working with people of special knowledge and skills. I enjoy sharing it with others,if they will accept my background. I find this work imminently more exciting than a rock concert,personally,such as you have apparently enjoyed so much.

[Joel Moskowitz]

George,
I've deleted all my posts in this thread. I am still of the opinion that your original seasoning thesis was not generally done but obviously we are having a failure to communicate.

Your work is lovely please continue posting pictures.

[george wilson]

There is no failure to communicate,Joel,I understood your stance perfectly. I have proven my statement enough that you have withdrawn. I think this special seasoning must have been done in situations,like making rules,when extreme stability was paramount,having had the experience of wasting most of my boxwood to make what I was able to salvage. Making less critical objects probably did not require this special seasoning,though I have had several chisel handles I made some years ago,of the London pattern warp so severely that I cannot use them. And,the boxwood I used was dried several years.Fortunately,I have some 10" diameter boxwood logs on hand that are about 100 years old,dried in manure,which I got from a retired wind instrument maker about 20 years ago. I'll have to bite the bullet and cut some of that,though I hate to. I'll put up pictures of a log,in case anyone thinks I made that up.

There have been times that I have withdrawn my posts,too. We can't all be right all the time. I'd suggest that you do some research before rejecting what has been said,though. Keep making your nice saws.

[george wilson]

Please see the thread"large boxwood logs". I didn't put it up last night due to it being hard to get at. I think it will be seen that such wood must have to be dried very slowly and carefully.

[Pam Niedermayer]

When you delete messages to which others have replied, you muck up the thread. Here I am going back trying to find Joel's original message to which George replied, but it's not there. How about simply editing the message to dosavow it instead?

Pam

[george wilson]

I do have some wide planks of the same boxwood we used on the rulers. I bought some for myself,and plan to make some guitars from it. A boxwood guitar I made years ago had a great sound. I'd forgotten that I had these boards,which are about 10" wide. Maybe I won't have to saw up my logs after all.

[Jeff Willard]

Fortunately,a professional butcher who probably got his information from his elders,backed up my advice.


But not until after trying it my own way, and repeatedly failing, did I choose to follow the advice of those that came before me. But now my knives only see a rock 3-4 times a year. I guarantee it. Show me a pristine knife edge, and I can dull it beyond use with nothing more than hot water.

I had never heard of the manure technique, but have no reason to doubt it. I have a small cache of boxwood I got from a historic site here in No.Va. The site will remain nameless, but the original tenant of the plantation shares a common name with you, and his other name has something to do with bricks. Ennyhoo-there is a boxwood garden on the plantation that they pruned some years ago and the director wanted to do something with the wood. Samples were sent to UofVa and Columbia University to be dated, and the results were that the shrubs were 250-265 yrs. old. That would mean that the boxwood was put in at just about the time the plantation was built and settled. I ended up turning a number of small lidded containers and pens for sale in the gift shop. The cuttings were stored in an open air shed, and checked terribly. Some of the pieces were up to about 5" in diameter, but I had to fight to get the small pieces just for the boxes and pens. The second "load" I got from them, I got my hands on much more quickly, and I immediately gooped them up with wax emulsion. They have fared slightly better, but not much. This is very unstable material in drying.

Unfortunately, if I ever run across an opportunity like this again, I don't think I'll have 50 Yrs. to see how well this works. Nor do I have that much manure lying about.:eek:

[george wilson]

I wish I had a way you could use your wood sooner,Jeff. We got some big(up to 5") boxwood from a plantation whose very old hedge was blocking the view of the river. I mentioned that we (painted the ends first) and kept it for over 10 years in the heated and cooled toolmaker's shop.I took a 2" diameter piece of it,and made some chisel handles of it. Some of the thinner sized handles proceeded to warp over the next few years until they could not be used.

I can only recommend that you saw the pieces down to the minimum sizes you think you will need,and let them dry. Of course,we hate to try to anticipate the sizes we will need in the future. And,there is always the danger of a crack developing,going right into the heart of the wood,too.

that said,I hope you aren't too old to wait at the very least about 15 years for 5" box to be usable,and probably even then,not stable for boxes with lids. IF you don't mind boxes with a little wooden handle in the center of the top,you could drill a 1/4" hole in the center of your lids-to-be,and that would help avoid the wood splitting open as it gets dry. Then,redrill the distorted by now hole,and put in a handle. You could do the bases like that,too,and plug them when you make the box. I did this on a larger scale on the big cider press screw I posted pictures of weeks ago.The screw never did split open,as the wood had some place to shrink into in the center of the log.

If you are VERY careful,you could microwave some 1/2" square X 5" long pieces for making pens out of. I was able to do this with some freshly felled oak. I burned the heart of some of the pieces in figuring out how much cooking time I could get away with. Boxwood truly shrinks radically when treated this way. Maybe 1/2" dia. isn't enough. you can get away with microwaving only on very small pieces of wood.Most certainly NOT on 5" diameter material. MAYBE 1" dia. at the most,once you learn to control the heat,and not burn the heart of the wood.

[Mark Versprille]

Mr. Wilson's information about "curing" boxwood and Mr. Willard's conundrum about what to do with the box wood he has brings to mind a problem all fine craftsmen of all disciplines face : Can the next generation be trusted to do the right thing with what we leave them? Obviously we don't really have an option, but there will be formal structures like Colonial Williamsburg where one generation can lay out some plans for the next to follow and so keep the impetuosity of youth from wasteful errors.

As a side note I was a theatrical carpenter (a 16th" gap isn't a gap) at the Shakespeare Festival in Williamsburg in the late 70s. I frequently had my lunch peering through the doors of the cabinet shop, or coopers. In my memory I still marvel at the patience and the finished pieces that work ethic produced.

Another side note. If any of you can be in Williamsburg for the Christmas candle lighting, do it. It is one of the purest, most peaceful images of Christmas you will ever carry with you.

[george wilson]

Mark,the problem most always is that big egos and perhaps stupidity ruin chances of learning things that are offered. I have known very good craftsmen in Williamsburg,for example,who never believed anything they didn't find out for themselves. One blacksmith in particular made plane irons,and rounded over the fronts of his blades badly. I told him that they weren't made that way."Well,every one I ever saw was that way" was his reply. It took another 20 years before he finally "saw" original irons from an unused gentleman's tool chest that had not been dubbed over by workmen carelessly stoning their burrs off,and wearing out their irons. These worn out 18th.C. irons were what he had been looking at. Meanwhile,everyone had to put up with using new,but screwed up irons,because this guy had a huge ego.

Next thing with him: I told him that the popping sound he was hearing when he was reversing his metal taps,was the tips of the tap's teeth pressure welding to the metal they were cutting. He didn't believe that,either. Meanwhile,the gunsmiths down the street knew perfectly well that they were getting big lumps of pressure welded iron on the tips of their rifling cutters. A better lubricant would have helped both situations. I wonder if that emminent blacksmith ever got the message. I also surprised the then Master Gunsmith when he was in my shop.and I used cutting oil on a hacksaw when I was cutting a steel bar off. "I never saw anyone do that before,but it makes sense",he said. I replied that the human body can only put out a sustained 1/10 horsepower,and we need all the help we can get.Plus,your blades last much longer.

I always willingly pick up information from old craftsmen,and try it out,before rejecting it just because it doesn't seem logical,like some do. I think my work might show that.

it seems like,as in drugs,and teenage pregnancy,some people have to learn the hard way,and pay for it.

[Jeff Willard]

Can the next generation be trusted to do the right thing with what we leave them?


Well, speaking in the context of the meat industry, I'd have to say no. In my trade, like so many others, much of the focus has been on a reduction of labor, and other cost cutting measures. When I entered this trade in 1978 I was handling carcass beef, a product which at that time was a rarity. Now it's all but gone the way of the dodo bird. I still remember some of the things that were drilled into my head at that time, "They're paying $1000 for this, make it look like it's worth it", and "exhibit some craftsmanship". I learned to practice my trade as craft. Maybe it's a cultural issue, a function of my geographic location, but I seldom run across anybody that even cares about craftsmanship in this trade anymore. Seems that all these guys want is the paycheck, and aren't concerned with doing the job better, or even making it easier on themselves. The hot water thing is a great example of that. Not only do I rarely find anybody willing to take my advice, but they won't even take the most basic care of the tools that they use to earn a living, and then fuss about having dull knives. I remember the day when people like this wouldn't last two weeks in the trade. Now they are the rule, instead of the exception. I remember a conversation with a customer some time ago, he approached me and started to talk about some product (don't remember exactly what) that we handled, and he spoke about it with some authority. And he was completely wrong. I politely corrected him, and provided him with accurate information, at which point his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "hey! You know what you're talking about!".:eek: I thought that was part of the job.

[george wilson]

That's the way it goes too,Jeff. Every job I had,I was curious enough to want to learn everything about it. Life is too boring without wanting to learn,and having dedication to your work. I think a lot of people drift into jobs,have kids,and get stuck there for good,bored to death,but too dependant upon that paycheck.


I got a private tour aboard a nuclear submarine once. It was amazing how little the sailors knew about their ship. I wasn't asking classified types of questions,either. You could tell that most of them just didn't care. Same deal when we spent a day cruising aboard an aircraft carrier. My favorite place was the machine shop. It looked like nothing much ever happened there,though,and some of the machines were surprisingly old.Probably these days,parts can be gotten to ships in several hours by plane,anyway.

[Mark Versprille]

I got a private tour aboard a nuclear submarine once. It was amazing how little the sailors knew about their ship. I wasn't asking classified types of questions,either. You could tell that most of them just didn't care.

I don't mean to be rude, George, but what they didn't care about was you. Every Submariner has pretty good knowledge about every job and every piece of equipment on the boat. I fear you ran into some sailors who would prefer to not give tours. If the tourists hadn't been there they might have been on liberty chasing tail on the Va Beach strip.

[george wilson]

You are probably right,but I am not made that way. I had up to 3000 people a day in the shop for 15 years,and I did care to respond to them. I cannot but think it is also related to passion for the work.

[Mark Versprille]

I can see you have found "Your Bliss" in classic woodworking, but reading your posts I get a feeling you could have been a happy man as a teacher of any number of subjects. The best teachers stay excited about learning their whole lives. So don't be too disappointed in some sailor's lack of motivation for the 'publicity' job at hand. Your desire to perform at your best, no matter what the job, is what makes you one of the few.

[Jeff Dege]

Your desire to perform at your best, no matter what the job, is what makes you one of the few.
A desire to educate does not imply a lack of a desire to perform.

I enjoy teaching, but now while I'm trying to get a job done.

[Mark Versprille]

"Those who can not do, teach" is one of the biggest lies ever told. It was my intention to compliment George not only on his ability in traditional joinery and cabinet making but also to communicate the what, how, and why of it. That he is willing to make the effort to do both sets him apart from the crowd in my books.

[Andrew Swartz]

George,

I'd like to make myself a boxwood rule similar to the batch you made for CW. Can you give more details on how you made the hinge? How are the brass ends joined into the boxwood?

As always, I'm a big fan of your work.

Andrew

[george wilson]

The hinges were the biggest thing about making the rules,other than getting boxwood that would not warp. They were made of .020" thick 260 alloy brass. One side of the rules had 2 layers of brass(one on each side),riveted together through the boxwood with 2 brass pins that were 1/16" diameter,made of 260 alloy brass also. You need to use the same alloy throughout,or the pins will show,being of a different color brass.

The other hinge had 3 layers. There was 1 layer in the center of the rule. It was fitted into a .020" saw cut. The round end of this centered layer of brass was secured on one side of the rule. The offset round end extended into the center of the offset round pieces on the other half of the rule. There was a 1/8" dia. 260 alloy brass pin fitted through all the layers of brass,in the center of the round pins,to form the center of the hinges' folding action.

The important thing is that the center pin was located exactly half way out of the edges of the rules,and half way beyond the ends of the rules,so the rule could fold correctly,and become a straight rule when the rule was fully open. Any inaccuracy in positioning this central pin would result in the rule not closing properly,or not becoming straight when it was fully open.

This is getting way to complicated to explain. I need to take pictures,but Chris Vesper just left,and I'm tired out. Over did my bad knee this whole week. I'll mention that all the rivets and center pin had to go through holes that had a TINY bit of countersinking on each side. Then,the pins were riveted and filed flush and invisible. The central,pivoting rod,had to be riveted carefully to be secure but NOT too tight for the rule to fold and open without too much friction.

I'll try to make some photos showing views of the hinges and post them soon. It's the only way I can try to make things clearer.

[Andrew Swartz]

George -- Thank you for your quick and thorough reply. I think I follow you, but pictures would be wonderful, particularly if anyone else is thinking about trying this. If nothing else, it presents an interesting set of challenges!

[Joe Bailey]

Absolutely stunning George, not that I would expect anything less from you.

[Bill Bukovec]

I had the pleasure of holding a folding ruler when I was at Colonial Williamsburg a few days ago. One of the wheelwrights was kind enough to let me see it.

I was wondering how the graduations were spaced so precisely.

Thanks for pictures!

Bill

[Joe Fabbri]

Those are great looking, George. Really fine work there.

Joe

[Joel Moskowitz]

In the considerable surviving documentation from various rule making companies the procedure for boxwood was very simple. Buy as much boxwood as you can get you hands on. bring it in green and saw it up to fairly small blanks. Let it air dry for a year or so. Make it into rules. Anything that doesn't stay straight during the process gets discarded (about 50% reject rate even after the basic flawed wood is rejected.
One of the advantages you have in rule making is that you don't need large pieces, just straight ones. The market for boxwood for turning and musical instruments was different. What the rule makers needed was quantity. I don't know of any historic information that details the sales of differing qualities of boxwood for different markets. However in the ivory trade, people who needed large pieces sold their scrap to turners who needed small pieces who in turn sold their scrap. Nothing was wasted. In the modern boxwood trade really good stuff is used in the music industry, the rejects go for handles - which is why if you look at any modern boxwood handles they routinely have filler in them - too expensive a wood to just toss. Considering however how common boxwood handles used to be, the wood wasn't in that short a supply (although English boxwood was in short supply pretty much from day 1). A cool idea I learned from a handle maker - is center drill your boxwood as soon as you get it. This will allow it to try from the inside and out (much faster). and of course without a center there will be fewer stresses and checks.

[Paul Incognito]

George,
I only post sporadicaly, but I always read your posts and they always motivate me to do my best work.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with me, I am inspired by them.
Paul

[george wilson]

I had made a special jig which was fairly elaborate,with accurately spaced notches to graduate the rules. For each length of graduation,I had made a special block of steel with a sharp cutter on the end. The blocks had a groove machined into their bases,which slipped over the notched master spacing bar. These blocks had pins underneath that slipped into the notches neatly and without shake. The tops of the steel blocks were lightly tapped with a little brass hammer to cut its mark into the rule. I would start with one set of lengths,
cut them,then go to the next one,etc. It was rather hypnotizing to have to sit there and keep cutting those grads!

Special scraper planes were made to scrape in the numerous horizontal lines in the rules.

This project took more special tooling and prep work than any other tool we made. Glad someone else has the responsibility of making more in the future.

Joel,I ,as a musical instrument maker since 1954,approached the use and preparation of boxwood from the viewpoint and history of musical instrument use. I do not want to get into another discussion of drying boxwood. I got this job done,and solved the technical problems by inventing ways to deal with it,and moved on. Just another job to deal with out of many others along the years. I'd hate to be a rule maker!

[Joel Moskowitz]

George,
no argument there. I only mention this because you started off the thread with the manure story implying that the procedure was typical for rulemakers. It wasn't and I think it's important for people to realize that the process of making of few million boxwood rules wasn't a romantic craft. Skilled yes (but not as skilled at instrumentmaking) but a skilled factory job like most others. Your particular broad range of skills makes you a perfect candidate for highly difficult one off productions and I can see why you would hate to be a rule maker. Me on the other hand, what interests me, and what I work in is industrial production.

But there is real elegance in both approaches. Think of it. For a wind instrument maker, while you might have an idea how the instrument will sound before completion, any flaw in the material that manifests itself during production means a huge waste of labor - so it makes sense to carefully use the best material you can find and take every precaution that the material is dry and sound before starting. Since large pieces are needed drying needs to be particularly careful.

For the rulemaker, needed hundreds of thousands of rules that are sold for very little each, labor on each one is a small expenditure (especially since in England most craftsmans were paid on piecework) so it makes also elegant sense to just buy the forest, cut it into small pieces that dry quickly, and use want you can and simply ignore the huge scrap pile.

[george wilson]

I didn't mean to imply that all boxwood was dried in that way. That's just the way I learned that it had been. Perhaps just for wind instruments.

[Andrew Swartz]

George -- In addition to the hinges, could you talk us through how you made the number stamps? Thanks George!!

[george wilson]

I left the number stamps at the toolmaker's shop,so I do not have them here to photograph. The numbers are exact copies of the originals. They look larger,but are 1/4" high,exactly. I made them out of 3/8" square W1 stock. They were made with quite sharp edges to cut the wood rather than squash it. I made the angles filed on the outsides of the numbers quite acute. They were filed out,and finished with needle files. To do the inside shapes of the numbers was the hard part. The number 8 is just 2 holes drilled. The hole on top is slightly smaller than the one on top. After that,it was all just filing the outsides of the number,which was easy.The #3 was the hardest number to make. The interior surfaces were chiseled out with engraving tools driven by a small hand hammer,like a chasing hammer. So was #4. You can drill a carefully placed hole to do the interior of the #2. The same for the #6/9. Just cut away a bit of metal to make the drilled hole oval. Numbers 1,5,7 are all easily reached with files as they have no interior contours.

Since these stamps were made for wood ONLY, and I did not want their knife-sharp edges to crack off anywhere,I hardened them and drew them to a blue color,which is a spring temper. Hard enough to hold an edge,and tough as possible.