How important are rulers in cabinet making?

[Derek Cohen]

Gabriel, I wasn't kidding when I wrote that marking gauges are the number one measuring devices. I have a few



I do have a few Starrett 12"/300mm combination squares. I purchased them all on eBay quite cheaply about 20-odd years ago. Very nice, but they are not used for laying out parts. I do use the blades as straight edges and as rulers.

I am more likely to use this Veritas Sliding Square, since it works more like a marking gauge (in fact, that is often how I use a Starrett 6" double square - that is a very useful square)



More commonly used are these square: 4" and 6" double square. Starrett, Vesper, and Moore&Wright ..



These are for joinery ...

6" and 9" Vespers ...



Note that none of the square have graduations. They are for marking, not measuring.

Another marking tool is a set of dividers ...



If you need a tape, get a small one - 3m is enough. Festool and BMI ...



Below are drawer panels for stopped dados ...



They are set out with templates/story sticks ...









(Incidentally, I later ripped out the dividers as the grain rain thee wrong direction - how I missed this at the start, I do not know).



The point I want to make is that good rulers are important, but a method that offers repeatability without measuring is even better. This is equally valid for power- and hand tools.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Gabriel Marusic]

I have more Woodpeckers rules than any human being should own. And I use them a lot. An economical approach, no, but it works for me. I'm moving more and more to metric, as it just plain is easier. So I have 300mm, 600mm, and 1200mm long rulers.

I also use my Fastcap flatback tape measure for rough measuring. Very convenient as you will learn from yours.

And owning a good, accurate square is also very helpful.

But really, it's all about learning technique, and there is tons of great advice available here.

I'd love if we used metric out here. My head hurts when I start to look at 32nds and I still can't read them right. My dad and I have a system where we'll look at the closest quarter inch and basically call out the 32nds as whole numbers. Something like an inch and a quarter plus 2 as an example.

A 6" Groz square was one of the first things I ordered so I'm glad I have that coming. I'd love to get some of those woodpeckers rulers but can't justify it just yet, I'm sure I'll rationalize it down the road sould this project goes well. At the moment I'm thinking maybe some PEC seconds in 12" and 36".

The information and support here are amazing, I've got 3 pages of perspective on measuring instruments and I haven't even asked for opinions on the construction techniques yet.

[Jim Becker]

There's nothing keeping you from using metric, Gabriel, other than the decision to do it. I switched two years ago and am uber-happy with that decision. I still need to use Imperial for some clent work, so having the rules I mentioned from Lee Valley that have dual scale covers all the bases.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop...etmakers-rules

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/w...etmakers-rules

[Gabriel Marusic]

There's nothing keeping you from using metric, Gabriel, other than the decision to do it. I switched two years ago and am uber-happy with that decision. I still need to use Imperial for some clent work, so having the rules I mentioned from Lee Valley that have dual scale covers all the bases.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop...etmakers-rules

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/w...etmakers-rules

It certainly would be easier and it’s not like I have any investment of note in measuring tools. Did you have to change the tape on your table saw or switch other tools? Rulers and tape would be easy but I’m wondering what the other implications would be.

[Jim Becker]

My machinery already has dual metric/Imperial scales on it...SCM/Minimax slider and J/P. My Festool stuff already had metric scales. Changing a tape on a North American type table saw isn't that difficult and dual scale tapes are available out there to ease the change and to support "those times" when you need to use the alternative scale like I do with some clients. What you don't want to do is mix both systems on the same project if you can avoid that. "Some" of my client work, particularly the CNC stuff, I'm doing in metric even when they specify decimal inches...because I'm just like that. LOL The CNC doesn't care what system I use.

[Gabriel Marusic]

I hadnÂ’t even heard of a marking gauge before posting this thread as well as some of the other measuring devices. That said after reading through all the replies here I feel pretty good about what I have, outside of needing a good combination square. I like the idea of the story sticks in conjunction with templates and cutting all the same sized pieces in one go.

That is a beautiful piece in the pictures and is akin to art. Here I am racking my brain just trying to make a plywood box.

[ChrisA Edwards]

If metric is your preference, before you start buying measuring tools, go that route and save yourself some money.

I made the switch, from Imperial to Metric, at the start of this year, my 2020 New Years resolution, and have not had any real difficulties, but it cost me about $400-$500 to buy the measuring tools I use in Metric.

I printed out and laminated a sheet of conversions, showing Inch fractions, Inch Decimals and Millimeters and stuck in on my wall. I occasionally have to go cross reference a metric size back to imperial, but rarely.

I have a FastCap and Starret tape measure, I use the FastCap one most of the time, three Shinwa Steel rulers (Amazon) 300mm, 600mm and 1000mm, which I love. All seem to be marked accurately to each other.

I have a couple of Woodpeckers Delv Squares, which are my go to for marking square lines, but unfortunately they are marked Imperial. These were a Woodpeckers One Time tool offer. When they offer it again, in Metric, I'll buy the larger one again.

I'd never used a digital caliper for woodworking, but now have several for different situations. I use the Igaging brand, they are cheap, seem to have good battery life and appear to be more than accurate enough for my wood working.

I can still visualize Inches easier than cm or mm, but that is slowly changing as I do more projects.

[lowell holmes]

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchT...log=4294607847

[Ryan Yeaglin]

I would say a good compliment of measuring tools would be 12' or 16' tape, 25' tape, 6" and/or 12" combo square (if money allows buy a quality square set with a center head and protractor), 2' framing square, bevel square and a pair of dividers for layout work.

[David Utterback]

I am feeling very tiny after seeing Derek's tools.

[Jim Becker]

I am feeling very tiny after seeing Derek's tools.

[Patrick Walsh]

I don’t even need to see Dereks tools to feel tiny...

[Jim Becker]

I don’t even need to see Dereks tools to feel tiny...

...says the man who owns and covets "big iron"....

[Patrick Walsh]

Well don’t us men compensate for our inadequacies with big and or flashy fancy stuff

...says the man who owns and covets "big iron"....

[Brian W Evans]

Derek, I love that Veritas sliding square. I've never heard anyone else mention it, but it must be popular since they recently came out with a 10" blade for it.