Rulers

[BTL-A4]

The triangular scales are not steel, but plastic. Over time they get worn. The metal sleeve on a mechanical pencil will cause wear, as does the lead when the edge is used as a straight edge.

 

[danski0224]

Sounds almost as bad as using a screwdriver as a chisel...

Or a pipe wrench as a hammer...

 

[ecotec]

Sounds almost as bad as using a screwdriver as a chisel...

Or a pipe wrench as a hammer...

Everything is a hammer.

 

[rlitman]

Everything is a hammer.

Except micrometers. They're C clamps.

 

[KnurledNut]

Except micrometers. They're C clamps.

 

[RTM]

Except micrometers. They're C clamps.

The old vernier calipers can be used as a thin wrench, not successfully though.

 

[BTL-A4]

My former metal shop teacher colleague was constantly having to tell new students that calipers were NOT to be used as wrenches or clamps.

 

[seber]

Hmmm...even my professors were doing it 'wrong' then as well. Oh well....I'm neither an architect or an engineer these days, so cannuck got his wish!
Everything turned to Solidworks and CAD these days anyways (had those classes too).

So how does a soft pencil do damage to a stainless steel scale? Not wanting to argue, but if my teachers & professors didn't know (or just didn't care), then I'd like to learn why...

The reference is not to steel scales. It was about triangular scales. They were always wood or plastic. The tic marks go right down to a sharp edge.

 

[KnurledNut]

You guys ever hear of Woodrow Engineering Co scales/rulers?
https://www.woodrowrulers.com

I pulled the trigger on one from Amazon. Four scale and joist.
It didn’t check all my boxes, but I feel it will be useful and I might supplement it with another basic ruler with inch and metric scales. Their brass and walnut ruler caught my eye too. We will see how it performs. If it’s decent, I’ll post a picture back here.

I received the ruler.
Initial impressions are decent. Its a little more fragile than id like, but time will tell how it holds up.
The combination of wood and plastic makes for a quality feel.
The lacquer and markings are finished well.
I was happy to see a leading edge reveal similar to cork back which you can see in the pic below.
Im still looking at other options some mentioned for a basic ruler.
Thanks for all the suggestions and banter.

 

[cannuck]

I received the ruler.
Initial impressions are decent. Its a little more fragile than id like, but time will tell how it holds up.
The combination of wood and plastic makes for a quality feel.
The lacquer and markings are finished well.
I was happy to see a leading edge reveal similar to cork back which you can see in the pic below.
Im still looking at other options some mentioned for a basic ruler.
Thanks for all the suggestions and banter.


View attachment 1647087

View attachment 1647088

For those too young to realize what you are talking about: the "cork back" and "reveal" are what raised the edge of a rule off of the paper - because we did our original design stuff with mechanical pencils on paper but your permanent drawings were done on vellum with pen and ink (i.e. NO possibility of correcting a mistake). If you put ink down on the rule it would wick under the surface due to capilliary effect and make your perfectly clean/sharp line into a straight side away from the rule but a ragged edge underneath. Solution is to raise the edge of the rule above surface with a layer of cork or machine the edge underneath (relieve it) to keep it away from the contact surface of the pen. THAT is why you never try to measure with a rule (parallax error) unless you turn it 90 degrees for the lines to touch down on the paper. THAT is also why you don't draw with a scale - as the sharp end of the mechanical pencil will wear the edge and an ink pen would make a horrible mess of the scale and the drawing. Also, the steel part of the pencil will bear against the raised edge of the rule but on a scale it may or may not - giving inconsistent offset of line from straightedge.

Just to show you where the art of engineering once was: I have a friend I consider THE most capable engineer I have ever met (has designed and built 12 airplanes with his own hands in a log cabin in remote bush - not to mention his actual work accomplishments). I first met him 48 years ago when I was at a mine and shown an ink drawing obviously using a lettering template of something they wanted built. I made some kind of comment how wasteful it must be to have a draftsman turn and engineer's sketch into a formal pen-and-ink drawing for what was just a brainstorming session. I was told that it WAS a freehand sketch done by one of their engineers who had recently emigrated from Sweden. To this day I believe the design process works SO much better on the board instead of from a CAD programme because the person doing the drawing must solve so many of the design issues in 3 dimensions in his mind to MAKE the drawing in the fist place. My Swedish engineer buddy is one of the best examples I can imagine.

 

[JRPAviator]

PEC Tools - Rigid Rules

Find what you want. See if they have it at HJE. if not, spend $30 and have a US Made stainless ruler that will still be here when your great-great-great grandkids are around.

PEC is an engineering and drafting staple. My buddy who has a Masters in Architecture uses them everyday at work. He knows what he is doing.

 

[kreisler]

i already own a 50cm cutting ruler by WEDO (geman trading company, manufactured in china), made out of steel and aluminum parts, a bestseller on amzn.

now i wanted a faster-to-grab, sturdier 30cm steel ruler for cutting smaller things, so today i ordered a steel L-shape 30cm ruler -the bestselling make coming from china!- with 2mn thickness. the identical make is all over amzn and alix (e.g. AX item 4001263995269), and prices range from 6 to 12 USD shipped. amzn buyers aren't happy with the accuracy of the mm-scale or the 90°-angle but the similar Japanese product would cost like 36 or 48 USD. hence i ordered 10 units harharh, will compare, and cherry-pick the best production unit and return 9.
kinda rad but it's season so why not go overboard a lil?

I'll post my own impressions and photos of the product soon.
I doht need top accuracy because my utility knife cutting skills ruin whatever accurate intentions i originally had with the ruler and measurements haha. I just need a 30cm cutting ruler, and the ones made out of aluminum or brass (google < stria folding ruler > ) aren't optimal choices imho. It has to be steel.

 

[Dave455]

O.P. - you wanted actual experience, and I started my working life as draughtsman, so might be able to assist (though I know you have one solution).

The material that a drafting rule is made from is critical. Cheap cellulose acetate doesn’t work, they’re too fragile and chip. Neither do the cheap “flexible” rules, they are too soft.

What you really need is a substantial, but non chipping, rule, made from Acrylic / Perspex / Plexiglas. There once was a time that such things were common, but they are thinner on the ground now.

One maker is Blundell Harling, a British manufacturer of drawing and navigational equipment. They offer rules down to 12 inch, and the quality is good. I use a longer rule of theirs as standard. I don’t know what their availability in the U.S. is like.

They also offer a short (6 inch) parallel rule, which I also use regularly. The two edges are optimised for pencil, and drawing pens.

 

[will335i]

For those too young to realize what you are talking about: the "cork back" and "reveal" are what raised the edge of a rule off of the paper - because we did our original design stuff with mechanical pencils on paper but your permanent drawings were done on vellum with pen and ink (i.e. NO possibility of correcting a mistake). If you put ink down on the rule it would wick under the surface due to capilliary effect and make your perfectly clean/sharp line into a straight side away from the rule but a ragged edge underneath. Solution is to raise the edge of the rule above surface with a layer of cork or machine the edge underneath (relieve it) to keep it away from the contact surface of the pen. THAT is why you never try to measure with a rule (parallax error) unless you turn it 90 degrees for the lines to touch down on the paper. THAT is also why you don't draw with a scale - as the sharp end of the mechanical pencil will wear the edge and an ink pen would make a horrible mess of the scale and the drawing. Also, the steel part of the pencil will bear against the raised edge of the rule but on a scale it may or may not - giving inconsistent offset of line from straightedge.

Just to show you where the art of engineering once was: I have a friend I consider THE most capable engineer I have ever met (has designed and built 12 airplanes with his own hands in a log cabin in remote bush - not to mention his actual work accomplishments). I first met him 48 years ago when I was at a mine and shown an ink drawing obviously using a lettering template of something they wanted built. I made some kind of comment how wasteful it must be to have a draftsman turn and engineer's sketch into a formal pen-and-ink drawing for what was just a brainstorming session. I was told that it WAS a freehand sketch done by one of their engineers who had recently emigrated from Sweden. To this day I believe the design process works SO much better on the board instead of from a CAD programme because the person doing the drawing must solve so many of the design issues in 3 dimensions in his mind to MAKE the drawing in the fist place. My Swedish engineer buddy is one of the best examples I can imagine.

I am an engineer, admittedly not at the same level as your friend, but I am convinced our brains just plan work differently. When I was in school it was all CAD so didn't get much on the hand drawing side but being able to look at a 2D drawing and be able to visualize it in a 3D space is a skill that goes a long way in the engineering world. Piping Isometrics can really twist your brain in knots when you are trying to compare what is on paper to what is being built.

I know OP already picked out a ruler but I wanted to throw these out there as well. The General 641. I think I saw them posted in the new tool thread and decided to pick up a couple. They are only 6" but I like the holes for marking and they seem to be very accurate. Fairly flexible too.

General No. 641 6" Stainless Steel Flexible Marking Rule & Pencil. Made in USA 38728321121 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for General No. 641 6" Stainless Steel Flexible Marking Rule & Pencil. Made in USA at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[minke]

For those too young to realize what you are talking about: the "cork back" and "reveal" are what raised the edge of a rule off of the paper - because we did our original design stuff with mechanical pencils on paper but your permanent drawings were done on vellum with pen and ink (i.e. NO possibility of correcting a mistake). If you put ink down on the rule it would wick under the surface due to capilliary effect and make your perfectly clean/sharp line into a straight side away from the rule but a ragged edge underneath. Solution is to raise the edge of the rule above surface with a layer of cork or machine the edge underneath (relieve it) to keep it away from the contact surface of the pen. THAT is why you never try to measure with a rule (parallax error) unless you turn it 90 degrees for the lines to touch down on the paper. THAT is also why you don't draw with a scale - as the sharp end of the mechanical pencil will wear the edge and an ink pen would make a horrible mess of the scale and the drawing. Also, the steel part of the pencil will bear against the raised edge of the rule but on a scale it may or may not - giving inconsistent offset of line from straightedge.

Just to show you where the art of engineering once was: I have a friend I consider THE most capable engineer I have ever met (has designed and built 12 airplanes with his own hands in a log cabin in remote bush - not to mention his actual work accomplishments). I first met him 48 years ago when I was at a mine and shown an ink drawing obviously using a lettering template of something they wanted built. I made some kind of comment how wasteful it must be to have a draftsman turn and engineer's sketch into a formal pen-and-ink drawing for what was just a brainstorming session. I was told that it WAS a freehand sketch done by one of their engineers who had recently emigrated from Sweden. To this day I believe the design process works SO much better on the board instead of from a CAD programme because the person doing the drawing must solve so many of the design issues in 3 dimensions in his mind to MAKE the drawing in the fist place. My Swedish engineer buddy is one of the best examples I can imagine.

My high school drafting teacher had one arm. He could put a triangle above a triangle above the tee-square and draw a straight line with nothing moving but the pencil.

 

[rlitman]

...I know OP already picked out a ruler but I wanted to throw these out there as well. The General 641. I think I saw them posted in the new tool thread and decided to pick up a couple. They are only 6" but I like the holes for marking and they seem to be very accurate. Fairly flexible too.

General No. 641 6" Stainless Steel Flexible Marking Rule & Pencil. Made in USA 38728321121 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for General No. 641 6" Stainless Steel Flexible Marking Rule & Pencil. Made in USA at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Incra makes rules with holes and slots for 0.5mm pencils in all sorts of sizes and configurations. I find their 12" Tee rule to be indispensable when drilling cabinet hardware for example:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004TRBX/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[KnurledNut]

@kreisler @Dave455 @will335i @rlitman
Thanks for the info guys.

 

[kreisler]

my research on the internets tells me that STARRETT, the inventor of the combination square, is the world's no.1 in the field of precision steel rules, with 6inch (or 150mm) being the most popular size among machinists.

The C635-150 would be my preferred choice, 31.5$ list price, i'll try to shoot it at 15$ shipped on Black Friday. Still expensive imho but should be worth it.

I also looked at Shinwa rulers but the Japanese designers had messed up the orientation of the 4 scales, hilarious .