Machine divided rules....ARRRGGGGG

[John Coloccia]

Anyone know of a source for a 36", 5R machine divided rule? Yeah yeah, I know all of the wonderful advantages of photo-etched rules. I want a machine divided rule for my application. Even Starrett is photo-etching these days.

I can't even find anything on e-bay.

[Chris Fournier]

I came across a tool supplier out in the countryside one day while I was travelling for business and I thought "why not pop in for a look?" (This is not my attempt at a H. E. Bates story.) The company had just bought a lot of tools from another supplier that had gone out of business. Amongst the boxes were several new 36" and 48" rules like you have spec'd. I bought a 36"er but at the time thought that the 48"er was a bit over the top. IDIOT. I kick myself once a month for this obviously ridiculous behavior, and this was over 15 years ago. 48"er, 64th increments, the guitar makers dream. What was I thinking? What a time for my 1/8 Scottish heritage to pop up.

[Jamie Buxton]

Machinist supply places like Enco. www.use-enco.com 36" 5R for $65. Or MSC. www.mscdirect.com

[John Coloccia]

The SPI from Enco is photo etched. I need machine divided unfortunately. Photoetched is easy to get.

[Josiah Bartlett]

What are you planning to use it for?

[John Coloccia]

Layout work. I want to be able to stick a knife in the mark and have it catch. That doest work well with the photoetched, not to mention the accelerated wear.

[Jamie Buxton]

That sounds like the Incra marking rules. http://www.incra.com/product_markingrules.htm Their longest is 18", but perhaps you could splint two together to get one 36"-long rule. You could use a metal splint, epoxied on to the two rules. You'd have to be careful to maintain your accuracy when you do the gluing job, but you'd only have to do it once.

[Van Huskey]

Sorry, I can't help but I wanted to say I hate when I get it in my head that I want something like this. Usually, it is something that I only have to add zeros to the check but it is more painful when it seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. Good luck on your quest. You might try posting on a machinists forum when it comes to layout stuff those guys probably know all the little spider holes it could be hiding in.

[Matt Winterowd]

Where's George Wilson when you need him? :)

Actually, you might want to PM him. This is right up his alley.

[John Coloccia]

re: frustrating
The thing is that photo etching does have some advantages, namely that the lines are a lot sharper and easier to read. They also have the potential to be more accurate. I know from experience that they're far less durable (though some would say they're durable enough, and maybe they are). Until recently, anything worth anything was machine cut. Now it seems all but impossible to find what I want.

[Chris Fournier]

re: frustrating
The thing is that photo etching does have some advantages, namely that the lines are a lot sharper and easier to read. They also have the potential to be more accurate. I know from experience that they're far less durable (though some would say they're durable enough, and maybe they are). Until recently, anything worth anything was machine cut. Now it seems all but impossible to find what I want.

...you're so young to be so old school!

[Larry Edgerton]

Did you check with Mitatoyo? I don't have a long rule from them but several squares and such that are as you are looking for.

Larry

[John Coloccia]

Funny you should ask. I've spent the last 15 minutes trying to decipher Mitutoyo's website. I've yet to find the secret decoder ring. I'm about ready to give up. Maybe I'm simply asking for too much. I've seen a lot of "high quality" rules in the past several years where the graduations aren't even remotely accurate. Maybe I should give up the quest and just be happy if I can find any reasonably straight 36" piece of metal with 3600 evenly spaced lines on it, by whatever method. It amazing that in 2011 this is not trivially easy to achieve but apparently it's not.

[John Coloccia]

So after many many many hours of looking, I've given up. I just ordered a 16R Starrett "cosmetic second" from someone on ebay (whoever sent me that link, I deleted your e-mail but Thanks!). The 16R is like the 5R except there are 50th's instead of 10th's. Hopefully the etching will be deep enough that I can still get an X-Acto blade to catch in there. Paid about $130 for it, which believe it or not is actually a good price for a Starrett.

Anyhow, I guess it's time to get new school, Chris, as old school appears to be going the way of the dinosaurs.

[Van Huskey]

Good luck let us know how it works.