Telescopic/sliding story stick arrangements?

[ian maybury]

Wondering if anybody has any ideas on how best to do this for measuring especially internal dimensions inside e.g. crosswise inside a box or a drawer, or corner to corner?

Think i've seen clamps for use with with strips of wood somewhere, but can't seem to find them tonight.

This guy offering some possibly promising looking arrangements came up, but i'd need some convincing that the telescopic/radio aerial deal he uses holds a measurement without a lock: http://www.ezwoodshop.com/easy-wood-project-tools.html

[Jamie Buxton]

Coupla sticks out of the scrap barrel, and a spring clamp. Simple, easy, cheap.

[Lloyd McKinlay]

Take a look at the Veritas bar gauge heads from Lee Valley.

[Pat Barry]

Coupla sticks out of the scrap barrel, and a spring clamp. Simple, easy, cheap.
Here's a simiilar idea. (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?230404-Making-Pinch-Sticks)Posted in the Projects forum recently

[ian maybury]

Ta guys, some nice ideas there. I'd missed that Lee Valley had options - it didn't come up for the search terms I used. The DIY with the bulldog clips make sense for the smaller ones - there's quite a range of lengths/sets needed...

[Jim Matthews]

I made mine with two wooden rulers, one 12" the other 18" with a big spring clip. If the diagonal is less than 18", I have a ruler for that.

[Dan Rude]

There was another Thread on this a while back. I ordered them, I'm a tool gadget guy. They are good quality and easily fit in a tool pouch. I actually tried them out on a interior wall where I could not get a good measurement for a 4_gang electrical box. The small one worked great. My only problem is keeping track of them. You forget where you used it last. :confused: They were shipped promptly and had them in about a week. I would buy them again. Dan

[ian maybury]

Been digging back, should have done so before.

I've ordered some of the Lee Valley bar gauge clamps. Not sure about the fancier bar based systems with screw on tips - they seems a bit complicated.

Thought there might be some cheap electronic distance measurement tools about for use on smaller work given all the fancy budget electroic positioning systems sold now. That's stuff that would combine an instant readout with some sort of physical sliding gauge bar set up. Lots for site/construction type work e.g. , http://www.nedo.com//index.pl?Lang=ENGLISH&Page=products/mwzg/telemeter.html (take a dig through especially the link 'measurement tools', then 'messfix') but seemingly not much that's small. (or budget)

[Jim Dwight]

Ron Paulk has an interesting idea in one of his videos on putting up crown molding. He uses a 10 foot piece of plywood scrap to span the majority of the distance and then uses a tape measure to measure from the wall to the stick. It lets him measure up near the ceiling by himself and easily read the tape. He then writes the measurement on the wall where it will be covered by the crown.

I've also used two pieces of scrap with both spring clamps and quick acting clamps. It works but the clamps may get in the way when your try to set a stop. So I ended up measuring the story sticks. I might as well just use an idea like Ron's.

[lowell holmes]

I use two paint sticks and binder clips. If I really want to get close, I bevel the ends of the paint sticks.

[ian maybury]

:) It's probably just as accurate too Lowell.

That's the way i was thinking Jim. It's possible to imagine a distance measurement system which would have a single electronic head that would travel over only a short distance like maybe 6in. With a series of accurately to length stock spacers in easily remembered and accurate nominal lengths that could clipped on. So that you would add both numbers.

The one i'm a bit surprised at too is that nobody is offering multi purpose measuring heads, just lots of differing types that have to be screwed on and off. It's definitely possible for a single head if correctly designed to measure inside and outside with just being flipped over, and possibly inside and outside corners too...