Measurement and Layout

[Dave Novak]

When I bought my Incra TS/Router system, it cam with a CD advertising other Incra products, and many of their layout/measurement tools really caught my eye. If you go to woodpeck and select measurement and layout you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm thinking of getting my Dad a couple of these, specifically the SERX straight edge, Pro T-Rule, maybe a rule set, protractor, etc.

Anyone have or use these on a regular basis? Are they as functional as they are cool? How about the quality? I bought a straight edge to get my TS set up flat, but wasn't blown away by the finish at all. Thanks!

[Doug Shepard]

Hartville Tool has a 3" Incra T-rule that I couldn't be without. I also have 6" & 12" Incra T-rules that get some use but not as much as the little 3". The protactor is also handy at times but I've got mixed feelings about it. It seems like I tend to need it more with it unscrewed from it's aluminum T-bar because I'm often after an angle from an existing layout line rather than from the edge of something. That means sighting down through the 0.5mm slots to try and line the baseline up with the layout line, and sort of takes some of the tool's precision out of the game. I tend to only end up using it when I'm after an angle line from an edge and using other methods for angles from another layout line.

[Dave Novak]

Hartville Tool has a 3" Incra T-rule that I couldn't be without. I also have 6" & 12" Incra T-rules that get some use but not as much as the little 3". The protactor is also handy at times but I've got mixed feelings about it. It seems like I tend to need it more with it unscrewed from it's aluminum T-bar because I'm often after an angle from an existing layout line rather than from the edge of something. That means sighting down through the 0.5mm slots to try and line the baseline up with the layout line, and sort of takes some of the tool's precision out of the game. I tend to only end up using it when I'm after an angle line from an edge and using other methods for angles from another layout line.

Thanks! I've been staring at this for replys as I need to get something ordered now to get it before fathers day.

[Frank Martin]

I have the 6" and 12" rule sets (includes T-rule, flat rule, and bent rule) but 95% of the time I use the 3" rule.

The main square I use is their 7" model.

With the 3" T-rule, the square, I am pretty much no longer using my combination squares.

[Jim Becker]

I do have the Incra protractor and it works fine, although it's sometimes hard to "see through" during setup. Outside of that, I rely on an 18" straight edge ruler, a 24" "centering" ruler and story sticks for project measurement. I only use a tape when absolutely necessary and always the same tape.

[Greg Cole]

I have one of the 3 piece kits (I think it's the 12" with T square, a "corner rule" and a rule with maybe 6 different fractional increments and one metric) and a couple of the "guaranteed" squares...
I thought I'd use the measuring rules more but I honestly don't for WW'ing. The incra TS & RT set up I bought in January has made for alot less measuring. I find the scale-rules are handier at the day job dealing with machinery and machine tools.
The squares are great.... I live with a 3" in my pocket along with the swiss army knife.