Your Favorite Layout/Measuring Tools . . .

[Charles Wilson]

In your search for making the perfect cut, I am curious as to what you have in your arsenal of layout tools.

What do you find indispensable?

What do you find yourself reaching for the most?

Chuck

[Cary Falk]

I reach for this the most.

http://www.woodpeck.com/media/main_1281.jpg

[Brandon Shew]

If it has to be a specific measure, I reach for this:
http://www.incra.com/images/trules.jpg

[Rod Sheridan]

Starret machinist square, marking knife, steel hook rules.

regards, Rod.

[Dave Lehnert]

I use this from Lee Valley all the time.

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/markmeasure/05n3601s4.jpg

[Jack Camillo]

Practically all the layout tools are indispensible depending on what you are working on. I think a small square and 6 in ruler (both starrett, though that's not the point) probably get the most hand contact during any given project that I do, followed by the 12 in combination square then the hock marking knife.
Speaking of which, I was out over the deck building a pergola, and dropped the hock from 7 feet onto the ipe deck, and the tip broke off more than a 1/4 inch. Bad day - I love that thing, and don't have a grinder to fix it. Anyone think I have a chance of claiming the hardening must have been defective? which I really think must be the case.

[glenn bradley]

6" combo square, sliding bevel, saddle square, 6, 12, 18 and 24" steel rules and an xacto knife for marking. Oh, and for rough stuff, Veritas R to L 12' tapes so my marking hand is free.

[Jason Beam]

My itty bitty pattern maker's square - has the ability to be tilted to 10 degrees for marking dovetails and is very small - PERFECT for wrapping marks around edges, transfering lines ... all kinds of handy stuff.

2nd is my marking knife ... use it all the time :)

[Danny Thompson]

A Woodsmith 6 1/2" square and a Titemark Marking Guage.

[Peter Quadarella]

There's a 4" sliding square from Lee Valley that is small enough to sit in my top pocket of my apron; it's always there and I use it constantly.

[Mike Cutler]

When I'm doing layouts the following tools are always on the table.

6' Starrett Machine rule, yep it's a 6 footer.

Incra marking gauges.

An off brand center finding rule.

Groz squares.

...and of course, Lots of pencils.

[Steve Rayboy]

I use a few of the tools listed above, but I'd have to say story sticks are very important to me...and practically free.

steve

[David Tiell]

For me it's the Bridge City Tools AS-3 Adjustable Square. It's a perfect size for my hand, fits perfectly in an apron or jeans back pocket, and is marked both horizontally and vertically, so it is also great for setting the height on table saw blades and router bits. I absolutely love it.

[Don Bullock]

I've found something like these to be very handy for many projects:

http://www.garrettwade.com/images/us//product/large/18P0403_large.jpg

I'm not sure where I bought the two that I have. They have the center finding scale both at the top and bottom of the steel rule. Center finding rules simplify a process that I have often had difficulty with.

Like Jack said, all the different measuring and layout tools can be very handy. The wider the variety of tools one has for measuring and layout purposes the more accurate they can be. The tools I use and need change from project to project and I use a variety of tools for each project.

While on this subject I'd like to add that organizing all the measuring and layout tools so that they are easy to find is very important. It's impossible to use these tools if you can't find them. I'm trying to put them all in one central place in the shop where each tool has a specific spot. While I haven't been fully successful at this in my present shop, I'm looking for ideas for my new shop.

[John Schreiber]

http://www.dixonusa.com/Images/tic/tic-735x31.png
Never without one.

[Jim Becker]

Steel rules from Lee Valley, Starrett squares of various sizes, a small try-square from LV, my marking knife and pencils. And, of course, I use the story-stick method with many projects to create a "working drawing" to directly measure from for transfer to project components.

[pat warner]

For jig making (http://patwarner.com/images/met.jpg) and some layout.

[Dewey Torres]

If it has to be a specific measure, I reach for this:
http://www.incra.com/images/trules.jpg

A agree ... this one is real hard to beat!