How important are rulers in cabinet making?

[Andrew Seemann]

I use a 12" Starrett 414-1 stainless rule for most dimensions 12" and less. I like it because it is easy to read. I hate to say it, but I have trouble discerning 1/32 and 1/64 graduations these days. Same reason I use pencil lines now rather than knife marks; a pencil line I can see is more useful than a knife mark I can't

I have a no-name 24" 4R rule that I occasionally use, but normally I use 16' Stanley tape measures for most work, I have close to a dozen in the shop and various tool boxes. I also have 6" and 12" Starrett combo squares and 6" Stanley try squares I use for that kind of work. I have some 6" 4R Starrett rules I use for small dimensions. I frequently use my 6" fractional dial caliper as well.

I am not one of those who believe you need to use the same rule or tape measure for a project. The entire point of standardization is that you can use any measuring instrument and it will match any other measuring instrument. If you have two tapes or rules that don't match, find out which one is right and throw away the wrong one

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I use SS rulers and a Starrett tape to measure a lot. Recently I purchased a stainless steel center-finding ruler and I wonder why I waited so long. If I was just starting out, a good combination square would be my first purchase, followed by a good framing square, finally followed by a good steel straight edge. Note, good doesn't have to be extremely high priced, just accurate.

[Bob Jones 5443]

I find I turn to my 1991 folding yellow wooden Lufkin Red End extension rule probably more frequently than any other measuring tool in the shop. It can open up to 72" (which I rarely use), but best of all it has a metal depth gauge at the 1" – 6" end. The rule is very versatile for quick work, and for precise depth work to 1/32". Love that little thing. I think the contemporary ones are built more cheaply.

For highly precise work less than about 6" I have a dial caliper good to 0.001", and less if you interpolate. It's good for checking shaving thickness, dowel diameters, tenon thickness vs. mortise width, and dado or kerf widths and the like. I sometimes use it to transfer a measurement to my Veritas micro-adjust marking gauge.

To help me estimate how many shavings to take off when I need to fix wind, I have a set of 14 precision plastic shims in 0.0005", 0.001", 0.0015", 0.002", 0.003, 0.004", 0.005", etc. up to 0.030". The first five thicknesses are all I need for wind correction if a board has come off the jointer. I place a shim under the winding stick and that suggests the number of stop shavings I'll need. It's a little game I play to see if I can guess correctly. Thanks once again to David Charlesworth who showed me yet another way to get wrapped up in minutiae.

I would also describe my brand new router lift as a precision measuring instrument. I measure the cut on a sample piece with the caliper to see how many thou it's off, and then I can make that precise adjustment on the lift dial, usually in one try. What a luxury!

For mid-level precision I use a little thin 6" steel rule, and I use either the millimeter version and the inch rule, depending on how much math I want to do. Sixty-fourths can become head-spinning.

For design I have a Staedtler 12" drafting rule with a no-slip cork back, a three-sided architect's rule for scale drawings, and an ultra-cool, very smooth-running German compass I bought in 1973, which doubles as a spacer and lives in a hard plastic case (the company is Rotring, still in business). It's a relic from the past and a treasured instrument.

For measuring square in a cabinet I made up a set of four different lengths of sliding measuring sticks. I can check diagonals from about 8" to 45" or so with the set I have. I'll make a longer one if I ever need it. It's fun to do this completely without math or numbers of any kind!

I don't have a combination square (yet, but it's due in the mail some time soon!), but I sure do get a ton of use out of a 6" steel engineer's square. I'm constantly using it to check that I'm planing an edge square to a face or resetting the jointer fence or table saw blade after an angle setup. For larger square estimations I use a 12" plastic framing square, which seems accurate enough.

For angles I've been forced to use trigonometry, but I don't really mind. I do not own a protractor (again, yet! It's on the way), and when I needed to make six angle blocks for setting honing and polishing plane-iron angles, I confess to the community that I drew the angles on graph paper based on the tangent measure of the angle, and then cut out the paper to set my Crown sliding bevel gauge. Math is fun (and accurate), but it can be slow and I am looking forward to having a protractor head on a Starrett beam. Check's in the mail, David U.

Of course I always reach for my Home Depot tape measure! I am also known to hold up a part to the tape on my table saw rail. Why? Because it's there.

Does a straight edge count? I broke down last year and got a Starrett 24" (385-24). It is my reference for flat. I'm dreaming of making a trio of longer straight edges, but so far the need has not arisen.

Getting started in cabinet making? When I started it was all plywood and rabbet joinery, and the Lufkin, tape measure, and a middling try-square got the job done just fine, as I recall.

[Rod Sheridan]

It depends how you work.

For kitchen cabinets a tape is fine as long as you make all the important pieces the same length, doesn’t matter if all your cabinets are 1/64” shorter than desired.

The same isn’t true for joinery.

It also depends how you work, I tend to make components to a drawing and then assemble, steel rules and combination squares are needed in my case.

A story stick can also be used......Have fun......Rod

[Chris Fournier]

Purchase your tools as the need presents itself and you won't go wrong. Tape measures are for house building and rough break out in my shop. Once I get into the project I use steel rules. You don't know if this new hobby will stick (I hope that it does!) but I'd go easy to start. I'd spring for a quality combination square like a Starret or Mitutoyo. Look for used as there are great deals for top notch tools out there. I find a 6" hook rue to be invaluable on almost all projects. A good dial caliper will come soon enough and of course a trusty tape measure. Add as needed after this.

[Edwin Santos]

Speaking for myself and the kind of work I do, the rule and marking aids always at my side are:

1. 4" Starrett double square
2. 6" Shinwa steel rule, with markings on the short edge also
3. Woodpecker's Delve square (excellent for marking and all kinds of other little tricks)

I also use project specific story sticks, and it's nice to have a hook rule hanging on the wall for when measuring from outside edges. I reach for calipers sometimes also.

Lee Valley recently put out a product called the Veritas Layout Block. In one little extruded aluminum block, you have instant set-up dimensions for 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" and 1". I keep one on the Biesemeyer fence at my table saw and use it at the router table a lot too. For $7.50, it's a handy little thing, but beware that it is an easy item to lose.

Edwin

[Gabriel Marusic]

I posted on the error I made by using a 24" drafting ruler for 30+ years. When I was putting a 2nd tape on my sawstop, the one I had ordered did not line up well with the existing one. It varied +/- 1/32 . When I checked the tapes with my go-to drafting rule, it did not agree with either of the two tapes. I then did interval measures along its length and it was off by more than 1/32" in a couple of places.

Of note, I would read the rule in widely different ways during actual use. Sometimes I would start well away from the end and even at times reading it backwards. Lesson learned: check all your measuring devices against each other. I learned my lesson 30+ years too late.

I would have never thought to check my measuring devices against each other. Thank you for that.

[Gabriel Marusic]

These conversations are always valuable since we all tend to do things a little bit differently than each other. I returned the iGaging combination squares because the quality just wasn't that much better than something like a Swanson or an Empire from the BORG. PEC's hit the mark for me at about the same price point. The only Starrett's I have were gifted .

I put a small amount of effort into getting a set of rules and a tape that all matched and were consistent along their length. I certainly wouldn't want to fudge through with only a tape measure. As you noted, the tape is for roughing out things and rules and squares are for specifics. That doesn't mean you need to spend a ton. A set of these for $35 (although some folks like them double sided and square ended at both ends) and one of these for $7 (right to left because I am right handed) meet most of my needs during a build even though I have (Three Amigos reference) a plethora of other measuring and marking tools.

Trust me, everyone else's answers are right too. The best measuring tool for you is the one that let's you make accurate parts and saves you from do-overs and force-fits.

The responses here have been incredibly helpful. I'm leaning towards getting a set of rulers like you suggested and then I think I'll have to go to the store and find a tape measure that matches the ruler's measurements. I like that cabinet makers tape measure though, hopefully they have something similar at the BORG.

[Jon Endres]

My go-to devices for most measuring around the shop are a set of Utilitas hook rules from Lee Valley, a 16' Stanley Leverlock tape measure, an old Stanley combination square, an Empire aluminum "speed square", and a Starrett dial caliper. I have other stuff but those are my go-to devices. Also, the heavy acrylic drafting triangles (Alvin, K&E, Staedtler Mars) are generally considered to be very accurate, I keep a couple in my shop to set square and 45° on my saws and fences.

[Jim Becker]

Gabriel, I have a set of the steel rules from Lee Valley...and they all match. I picked up a 40" from Woodcraft (house brand) and got lucky that it also matched. What I really like about them is they are dual scale...inches and metric. I work mostly in the latter, but for some clients have to work in the former. One set of rules to do it all.

[ray grundhoefer]

I have an assortment of tape measures and rules plus an old craftsman combination square with the adjustable protractor.
The one luxury I did allow myself was a good square. After fighting with the cheap framing squares you get at the Borg for years I bought the woodpecker 16x24 framing square Followed by the 12" one a couple years later.
They are not cheap but they are really accurate

[Patrick Walsh]

I’ve made landfills full of custom cabinets with a Stanley tape measure and empire combo square. And one that’s not square to boot. Not even a crap level as a straight edge.

As Derek mentioned and from a fine Woodworking well any Woodworking perspective I consider his advice is very sound. And he is eloquent and patient enough to share in a constructive manner.

Pretty much what matters is cutting all your like parts at the same time. And or using parts to size other plants. Measurements only really start to matter when they affect something else. Or become cumulative say in the case of a 64th compounded even four times nevermind ten.

I tend to cut spacer pieces to get repetitive spacing and such say in the case of a panel. Lots of ways to do it simular to a story stick just different.

[michael dilday]

If you buy quality tools they will all match. If they don't throw them out. You cannot use just one measuring device for everything. You will need a tape measure and a 12" combination square for starters. They are the most basic you will need. For a tape measure I recommend the Stanley Leverlock. The reason I use this is because the tab is protected so if you drop the tape measure it doesn't bend the tab. I use the 16' because it is long enough to measure anything I need but still compact enough for ease of use. A story stick is a nice compliment but not necessary. If you are doing any adjustable shelves then a Kreg shelf pin jig or similar is your friend. Surprisingly enough most of your measuring will be done when you cut your parts on the table saw or miter saw. Make sure your tapes on the table saw and miter saw are calibrated.

[Gabriel Marusic]

Gabriel, this is an important topic. Many use their machines to dimension parts. That can work well, if the machines measure accurately and the same setting is used for all parts. The wrong way to go about dimensioning is to measure each part individually. Error will creep in inevitably. In hand tool woodworking, one learns to transfer measurement with a marking/cutting gauge, always do so from a reference side, and monitor this process. When you get into this type of thinking, you realise that tape measures are only for rough setting out, and steel rulers for fine tuning. The real measurements are generally made using the parts, themselves.

Regards from Perth

Derek

That makes complete sense. I plan on cutting all the same sized pieces in one go without adjusting or making different cuts in between and the same will go for my dados.

[Alan Lightstone]

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.