Stanley 84 folding rule

I have a Stanley 84 boxwood rule here on my computer desk. I guess I should take it to the shop and use it.

Do any of you have one and if you do, do you use it? I'm just wondering.

If I buy one,Lowell, I'll have to collect them all. I'm trying to avoid that money pit. : )

I have one that my wife picked up at an estate sale, but I don't use it. I do have a Starrett #471 steel folding rule that I have had for about 40 years. I use it often.

Not sure if it's an 84, but I keep one in my apron and use it all the time for rough dimensions. I go from that to story sticks.

Mine is the less expensive #62 three foot four fold. It is used often.

Like Dan, when a ruler isn't being used it is because the measuring is being done with a story stick.

jtk

I use folding rules of all kinds far more often than tapes. They have so many more uses than tapes. Just a couple of useful things, saddle marker, bevel, stand it on edge and fold one leg to prop it up, although I’ve never tried it a sector. I keep a 4 fold and a 6 foot folding within reach.
Jim

Same here James. I started as a carpenter using a Lufkin folding ruler and never have been able to love a tape measure. I will use one for the extra length available for a "roughish type" measurement, but always fall back to my Lufkin for any measurement that matters.

I am putting it in my nail apron today.

Have a few Lufkins..

.Attachment 396269
They come in handy....

There are a few in my shop, but the zig-zag rulers do not appeal to me. Well at least not like they did in my childhood. Then they were fun to play with.

jtk

I think the usefulness of wood rules is directly related to how you were taught. There are so many things that I find easier to do with a folding rule(zig zag) then a tape I would be fumbling without it. Here are a couple of examples. Using as a support for one end and using the slide to measure mortise depth. You can also make 90* by using 15 1/2 as a mark and 26 to make 45*. You can also repeat bevels just like a dedicated bevel. You can set it with a rafter square to make roof cuts. I have used it to mark dovetails setting it at 1 in 7 or 1 in 8 on a rafter square. You can use the slide to measure in spaces to dark to see the numbers.
Jim

One of the repeated uses for my four fold rule is finding the center of a piece.

There are some folding rules that have a protractor engraved on the center hinge.

For use with a two foot four fold rule Stanley included this chart in some of their catalogs:

Attachment 396281

Starrett used to have a lot of tables in the back of their catalogs. It seems now there is a requirement to allow cookies before one is able to view their catalog online. On my last visit there was a .pdf of their catalog with pages of useful tables at the end.

jtk

Keep your old zig zag with the worn out numbering to use as a racking preventer on your vise. It works very well for that too. The 1/16 blade width makes it easy to mark and knife both sides of a cut to prevent whiskering when using hand saws. When doing vertical spacing, like shelves, use the slide to set the spacing set the bottom of the rule on your line slide along and mark.
Jim