Ruling my shop with my sector

[Glen Johnson]

After reading Chris Scharz and George Walker and Jim Tolpin's book By Hand and Eye I decided to take the sector plunge. I bought two folding rulers of e-bay for less than five dollars. One ruler was a twenty four inch ruler and one was thirty six inches. Before I sanded the marking off one side, I set in inch marks with a chisel with ruler folded in half so the chisel marks would align. The factory marking sanded off easily and I used a template to mark new numbers on both sides of the fold sector. With the chisel mark it was easy to carry down the marks to the side of the ruler as well. I left the normal factory markings on the other side of the ruler. I have found this has quickly become my favorite marking measuring tool. It has normal inch and fractional markings on one side while the other side allows me use the other side as a sector to set dividers when trying to lay out equal sections of something. It is quick. Just set the sector, use the dividers to take a division and test the division by stepping off the piece I am measuring with the dividers. Usually, it is a little long or short but a small tweak to the dividers is perfect.

[Jim Belair]

I just came across the old issue of Pop Woodworking with Jim's article on making a sector. Sounds like the book revisits the content of that article. I do want to get around to making one but will probably use some fresh stock as I don't think I could bring myself to convert old rules.

[mike holden]

but will probably use some fresh stock as I don't think I could bring myself to convert old rules.

If you look around, you can find old rules that have never been imprinted. I have seen them available on occasion from Patrick Leach, Jim Bode, and Sindelaar had a box full of them.
Mike