Inside Measuring Yard Sticks

[Jim Koepke]

This is a simple and quickly made tool using yard sticks to measure inside spaces between 36 and about 60 inches. The nuts were also changed to wing nuts for ease of use.

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The markings are Metric on one side and Inch on the other. I learned that the bolts should be before the first foot of the non-slotted yard stick. This is so a 2' level can sit on top of the yard stick and not be hampered by the bolts.

It was made with the use of a router plane. The yard stick being cut is clamped to the bench and the edge of the bench is being used to guide the fence on the router. Before starting with the router, a marking gauge was used to score the area to be removed to help prevent splintering.

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Most of the time I advance the blade by watching the knurling on the adjusting nut. This picture shows some lines on the top of the nut that were drawn at 1/8th intervals around the nut. I usually advance about half an increment for each pass.

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This is a Sargent router and the adjuster is likely different for different makers. This one has 18 threads per inch. That works out to 0.055" per full turn. A 16th turn works out to be about 0.0035". That is a pretty good rate of stock removal.

An expandable story stick could be made the same way. Often a story stick of mine that is not needed for future use gets a pass or two with a plane to be cleaned for another use.

jtk

[Joseph Klosek]

Jim,

Did you bevel the ends so that you can get right into the corners?

J.P.

[Bill Houghton]

I'm curious: what benefit does this offer you over a folding rule with a slide, such as the one linked below (still available new - I think Lufkin still offers them, although one didn't pop up in a quick Google search; and about $1 at garage sales, when you can find them)?


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017JW80I/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000065CE8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=038GCWHXV8JWXC2VD8NY

[glenn bradley]

Jim, yours are just plain slick. Thanks for sharing. Bar gauges are very handy to me. I have three sets of bars (use the same couplers) that cover a wide range of needs; drawers, carcasses and bookcases. Great for fitting components or quick-checking for square during glue-up. Outside dimensions (with pins), inside (with or without pins), checking opening heights across multiple compartments, all sorts of handy uses.

[Marv Werner]

Jim,

That's a great idea. I've been transferring dimensions in that manner for years. The slot and thumb screw makes it a lot easier than two sticks and a clamp when measuring in cramped or close quarters. I've even used that method for transferring a dimension from floor to ceiling when building a new wall or partition for example. Surely beats using a tape measure. I don't care how many inches it is, all I need to know is what the distance is. I like your level idea.

At one time in my past, I designed one using aluminum extrusions that slide inside in tongue and groove with a locking screw and with measuring tap as part of it. About the time I was ready to manufacture it, I found the exact same thing in one of those cheap tool catalogs we get in the mail. I was going to make them in different lengths, from one foot to five feet.

[Bill Houghton]

Jim,At one time in my past, I designed one using aluminum extrusions that slide inside in tongue and groove with a locking screw and with measuring tap as part of it. About the time I was ready to manufacture it, I found the exact same thing in one of those cheap tool catalogs we get in the mail.

And isn't a drag when that happens? We've lost track of the things we've designed, only to find out someone else beat us to it.

[harry strasil]

I have a shop made one with several different lengths of sliders, a giveaway promotional one double slide that goes to 36 inches and an old factory one that is a triple slider with thumb screws.

Bill there are several tools or jigs now commercially available that are in my shop both wood and metal shops, that were made long before the commercial ones. Some that I have posted on SMC and other sites for the first time anywhere. Someone must be watching closely. LOL

[Bruce Haugen]

I generally don't use a ruler once I have a project's outside dimensions worked out. Instead, I use two sticks, but often just hold them together with a spring clamp. Your solution is better.

[Jim Koepke]

Did you bevel the ends so that you can get right into the corners?


Not yet, modifications can always be made. Sometimes they are difficult to unmake.


I'm curious: what benefit does this offer you over a folding rule with a slide, such as the one linked below...

Once set, it stays set. Plus, I have collected yard sticks for years. They do come in handy. They are cheap if one only collects the ones that are free.

I found the small chart I made for thread pitches in thousandths:

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I find this useful for a lot of measuring calculations and just general understanding of things mechanical.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

I use two paint sticks and binder clips. If I need really close measurements, I bevel the ends of the pint sticks.
I also have 6 and 8 foot folding carpenter's rules with the 6" brass slides on the ends.

One time I accidentally broke a 6' folding rule and the break was at the 36" mark. I then had two folding yardsticks, one with a slide on the end.:rolleyes:

[ian maybury]

Very atmospheric Jim! Do you work from measurements, or by transferring the length of the assembly? It gets so it's necessary to have a thought through system of working with these things.

If measurements it'd be possible to set up an accurate rule somewhere handy on flat surface with a fixed zero stop at one end, and a sliding stop at the other to take readings from the device.

It's very hard to get accurate internal measurements except by using a telescopic deal of some sort.

I've been mulling over the possibilities for a set of similar devices in a few sizes - possibly in aluminium. It'd be possible to stick or screw down a short bubble vial from guys like this on the rule: http://www.leveldevelopments.com/products/vials/

There's potential for error with square ends (if they get tilted), but the commercial variety that come with multiple differently shaped screw on ends seem very fiddly - it needs thought as you say as there surely has to be potential for a do everything with a single intelligently shaped format of end?

[Jim Koepke]

Do you work from measurements, or by transferring the length of the assembly?

Transferring and story sticks seem to work better for me. I am somewhat dyslexic and often get fractions on the wrong side of the inch mark. In other words sometimes 15-1/2" will be read as 14-1/2" or just the opposite.

If you look at my "Building Potting Benches" thread you will see my use of a story stick:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?227535-Building-Potting-Benches

My potting bench story stick is a little over 5' long. Here is a shorter one for another project:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?226134-Story-Stick-Gauge

Roy Underhill had an episode of Woodwright's shop where he made a couple of pointed sticks with a collar in the middle to hold them together for checking insides corners of frames. He had three different ones of various lengths. My recollection is he made the collar from a piece of copper pipe that was drilled and tapped to accept a thumbscrew to lock it in place.

jtk

[ian maybury]

Thanks Jim, will study and digest…

It's easy to get the numbers messed up - no matter how hard i focus too.

My background is such that i find it natural to sketch out everything i do and write down the dimensions in advance. I'll use a calculator on the basis that it tends to avoid calculation errors.

Even then it's so easy to mess up laying stuff out, and then when cutting - by going to the wrong side of a line or something...

[Stew Denton]

Jim,

Good hint. I was as much interested in your use of the router plane, though, as in the yardsticks measuring tool. This is because I just bought a Stanley router plane a few weeks ago, and have not had a chance/reason to try it yet. As per your comments, on my question on that subject which I posted a few weeks ago, I have decided to buy a 3rd cutter instead of an extended mounting all thread, but haven't ordered them yet. My normal practice on ordering stuff seems to be to immediately order stuff I won't end up using for a spell, and forget to order stuff I end up needing right away.

Your comments about using story sticks because of a tendency to be dyslexic is enlightening. I also mostly quit taking measurements for my carpentry finish work, when I am doing such, long ago. Instead, I make marks directly on the trim lumber, or whatever I am using. For example, I found it was too easy to have measurements be exactly 1" off. In addition, in my case I found that it was very difficult to measure and mark with extreme precision. It was easier to mark precisely if a tape measure, or other measuring device, was not involved.

I don't think I have a tendency toward being dyslexic, but used to have problems writing words that I knew how to spell, but would write the letters in the wrong order. I couldn't write one sentence without getting a word or two wrong due to that factor. Maybe the measuring thing was due to that, or just me measuring wrong, I don't know. I have mostly overcome the problem of getting letters in the wrong order on words, though, and it doesn't as happen nearly as often now, but it still does maybe two or three times in a paragraph, though.

The thing about story sticks for me, which is part of why I followed your thread on the potting bench so closely, and particularly the parts on story sticks, is they seem very practical, and look like a good way to repeat measurements more easily and accurately than using a measuring tool. I still have a lot to learn about the story sticks though.

At any rate, good idea, thanks for posting it. The idea that was listed about pointed sticks for measuring inside diagonals is also a great idea.

Regards,

Stew

[ken hatch]

Transferring and story sticks seem to work better for me. I am somewhat dyslexic and often get fractions on the wrong side of the inch mark. In other words sometimes 15-1/2" will be read as 14-1/2" or just the opposite.

If you look at my "Building Potting Benches" thread you will see my use of a story stick:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?227535-Building-Potting-Benches

My potting bench story stick is a little over 5' long. Here is a shorter one for another project:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?226134-Story-Stick-Gauge

Roy Underhill had an episode of Woodwright's shop where he made a couple of pointed sticks with a collar in the middle to hold them together for checking insides corners of frames. He had three different ones of various lengths. My recollection is he made the collar from a piece of copper pipe that was drilled and tapped to accept a thumbscrew to lock it in place.

jtk

Jim,

Several years ago I converted from a fractional shop to a metric shop. It took a couple or three months to get comfortable but once done measurement errors were almost completely eliminated. It also helps that once I have a couple of the big pieces sized all other measurements are relative.

I like your sliding storystick and expect I will copy.

BTW, I will be in the PNW towards the end of July/first of August visiting mostly the coast of Oregon and maybe Washington but will also make a run through the old home of McMinnville. We would love to drop by your Farmer's Market if it isn't too far out of the way.

ken

[Jim Koepke]

I still have a lot to learn about the story sticks though.

For me the best way to learn about story sticks was to start using them. Then you will learn quickly via mistakes.

One good thing about story sticks, is it is easy to erase a line with a plane and make a new one. Also it is easy to write a note next to a line.

My tendency is to use a thick line for pieces that may need some adjustment.

My root end or starting end of the stick is usually blackened.

One part of the repeatability is to always set your square to the end of the stick in the same way or make a knife/pencil mark in the same way.

The key is in the repeatability.

jtk

[Hilton Ralphs]

I found the small chart I made for thread pitches in thousandths:

I find this useful for a lot of measuring calculations and just general understanding of things mechanical.


Thanks for this Jim. I live in a Metric world (could be a new Madonna song) so when I need to adjust my brain for Imperial projects and/or tools, this chart will be really useful.

[Barry Dima]

Several years ago I converted from a fractional shop to a metric shop. It took a couple or three months to get comfortable but once done measurement errors were almost completely eliminated. It also helps that once I have a couple of the big pieces sized all other measurements are relative.

This. Very, very much this. Last week I was building a rack for wine glasses and ultimately got frustrated with tracking "X minus a 1/16...ish?" and "Y plus a 1/32." Luckily, the metric side of the ruler was staring me right in the face at the same time. Ten millimeters in a centimeter—not 32 or 64, you say? I don't have to remember that width as 5–1/2 minus a 1/32, you say? Sold.




I like your sliding storystick and expect I will copy.

Ditto. Thanks for sharing.