Rulers

[KnurledNut]

Im looking for recommendations from those with actual experience, not the guys who do a google search and list the results they have never used. (I can do that myself. Thank-you.)

In a nutshell, I occasionally do some impromptu hand drafting.
At those times, im typically using 1/4 scale graph paper.

I have always used generic rulers, but after my most recent one bit the dust, im looking for something a little better.
I already own some professional quality long rulers. Not interested in those.

What I need is something portable for field use.
Yeah, i could go get whatever the office supply place has, but this is Garage Journal, and we tend to overthink options.

My needs:
Good quality.
Accurate measurements.
Portable.
Semi-flexible if possible.
Rugged. Necessary.
12” length only.
Clear/translucent if possible, but not necessary.
Waterproof if possible.

It doesnt have to be exotic, fancy, expensive, or gold plated.
And i dont want some EDC gizmo.
Just after a professional grade drafting rule.
Suggestions?

 

[seber]

Clear and flexible, tough are mutually exclusive. Old drafting scales are everywhere. They are clear and accurate but not tough or flexible. Thin metal scales are common among machinists. They are accurate flexible and tough but not clear. If you want it rustproof, you can spray it with clear lacquer.

 

[ecotec]

I like those three sided ones.
I find them at estate sales. Keuffel and Esser (Germany) and Deitzgen (USA) one’s are nice. I have about 8 of these, and I probably paid half of what one would cost.

 

[KnurledNut]

@seber
Not really after machinist rulers. I already have some of those.
Somewhat unbreakable in nature is more important than flexible.
Thanks.

@ecotec
Some of my long rulers are K&E. Good stuff.
Thanks for the photo.
I need flat more than three sided, but will consider that.

 

[RTM]

What about drafting machine scales as seber said? Kinda low on the flexible rating, but you used to be able to get whatever gradation you wanted, as well as a few lengths. Just remove the metal plate for the machine, and fairly thin? I find them fairly tough compared to cheap stuff.

a really cool option could be a vintage folding wooden rule with drafting scales on it. Some fold as small as 3”, but not sure about drafting scales on that size.

i do have a metal civil scale, with a rolling converter, but I don’t like it.

Do you work with pencil or pen? If pen, make sure you get the raised lip, else the ink may run under.

 

[ecotec]

@seber
Not really after machinist rulers. I already have some of those.
Somewhat unbreakable in nature is more important than flexible.
Thanks.

@ecotec
Some of my long rulers are K&E. Good stuff.
Thanks for the photo.
I need flat more than three sided, but will consider that.

You are just trying to force me back out to the garage...

I had a period in which I bought a stupid amount of high end estate sale rulers scales of all sizes... 6”-48” metal, plastic, advertising... the vast majority of them are LSS Co Athol, Starrett, and Lufkin, but I have a lot of rulers and scales.

My favorite 12” ruler for pencil and paper is a metal Lufkin scale that I will look for tomorrow.

Here is a 48” LSS Co that I paid $.50 for. Can you imagine what this stupid thing would cost new? Well over a hundred bucks.

 

[dscheidt]

C-Thru used to be what everyone used for this, but they're now made in China. the first (and only) lot I got were 300 and 600 mm long (exactly) divided into "inches" . It's possible Westcott has figured out the importance of providing rulers that are accurate since then.

 

[KnurledNut]

@dscheidt
Thanks for the info. I have an aluminum Westcott I primarily use as a straight edge for misc cuts. It was cheap and serves that purpose well. I could go that route as they have several options, but just wanted something a little better.

 

[minke]

I like those three sided ones.
I find them at estate sales. Keuffel and Esser (Germany) and Deitzgen (USA) one’s are nice. I have about 8 of these, and I probably paid half of what one would cost.

K & E was a New York City firm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keuffel_and_Esser

My K & E log log decitrig from the early '60s still is a very nice slide rule made of bamboo under plastic. My old man's log log trig from just before WWII was much better than very nice. The feel of the slider (is that the right name?) is wonderfully consistent throughout it's range

 

[ecotec]

K & E was a New York City firm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keuffel_and_Esser

My K & E log log decitrig from the early '60s still is a very nice slide rule made of bamboo under plastic. My old man's log log trig from just before WWII was much better than very nice. The feel of the slider (is that the right name?) is wonderfully consistent throughout it's range

Thank you for the link.

All my K&E’s are made in Germany. I had no idea where the company was headquartered.

 

[Walkers]

By far, the worlds best rulers would include Hammurabi, King Solomon, Ramses II, and Alexander the great. You can measure justice, knowledge, and quality of life by the standards those men set down.

 

[KnurledNut]

By far, the worlds best rulers would include Hammurabi, King Solomon, Ramses II, and Alexander the great. You can measure justice, knowledge, and quality of life by the standards those men set down.

All they proved is that man cant rule himself and death is a certainty. Just like my cheap ruler that bit the dust and prompted this thread.

 

[ecotec]

By far, the worlds best rulers would include Hammurabi, King Solomon, Ramses II, and Alexander the great. You can measure justice, knowledge, and quality of life by the standards those men set down.

Maybe. A good king is a dead king. As long as they are in a history book... cool. A real living king... screw that.

Even the idea of a king or titles is disgusting. We had to kill so many English people and their mercenaries to prove this point

 

[danski0224]

I have a 6" Staedtler that is likely pushing 20 years old. Certainly not sold in big box office supply stores any more

 

[cannuck]

The triangular things are drafting scales, not rules and using them as a straightedge would be a bit of an insult to them. They are also stiff, 3 dimensional and break easily (unless you get an aluminum set). I have seen hundreds of versions of 12" flat, flexible, clear rules and for most casual use, their scale is about as accurate as you need. Cheap and disposable. If you want different ranges, though, you need to carry a set of drafting scales to determine the actual length of your line and let the straightedge just be a straightedge when you need that level of accuracy.

 

[rlitman]

...My K & E log log decitrig from the early '60s still is a very nice slide rule made of bamboo under plastic. My old man's log log trig from just before WWII was much better than very nice. The feel of the slider (is that the right name?) is wonderfully consistent throughout it's range

My 10" K+E Log Log Duplex Decitrig 4081-3 from 1947 is mahogany inside. I didn't think K+E did these in bamboo, but I have some Post rules that were. My 8+' long demonstrator version of the 4081-3 (an N105 model) is made form redwood.

 

[californiaHank]

I've got 'disposable quality' Westcott flat acrylic rulers at work.
They meet your 'transparent & (somewhat) flexible & waterproof' requirements.

My home stuff is Staedtler - rulers are similar in design to the Westcott, but much better quality.
They make plexiglass (acrylic) ones, and also flat aluminum ones.

For precision stuff I use stainless steel machinist's rules from Starrett.
I don't like using them in the field because they're expensive and tend to 'grow legs'.
The distinction between a 'rule' and a 'ruler' is usually that a rule is graduated all the way to each end, and a ruler has a bit of a gap at each end before the graduations start.
That's one reason that machinist 'rules' are usually much more expensive than office 'rulers'.
Where the graduations start often matters when you're measuring the size of something physical, but not so much when you're drawing. Rules are usually more accurate, too.

 

[bugnut]

Might the "Helix" work for you. I use Helix and a 12" flex Starrett. Helix is available at **** Blick

 

[bwringer]

I had to Google to remember what to call these things, but perhaps a "marking rule" would be handy? These have holes you poke a sharp pencil through to make a mark. If you "pin" one end of the rule, you can also make arcs and circles.

INCRA Precision Marking Rules

The first stainless steel rule with micro-fine guide holes for marking a fine dot with a sharp pencil or metal scribe.

www.rockler.com

 

[KnurledNut]

@danski0224 @bugnut
Will consider. Thanks.

@cannuck
I appreciate the input. I do have various scales and rulers. My interest is in mid-high end general purpose. But there seems to be limited selection.

@californiaHank
Both brands are on my consideration list. I have a semi-flexible L.S.S. that is superb in every way, but not the right tool for this use. I share your sentiments. Your thoughts have value.

@bwringer
Those appear really useful! A little too busy for my use, but not a bad tool to have around in general. Kudos.

 

[ATC]

The triangular things are drafting scales, not rules and using them as a straightedge would be a bit of an insult to them.

What 'choo talkin' 'bout Willis? When I was in drafting class in HS and college, those are exactly what we used for a straightedge!

 

[seber]

Engineers and architects scales are designed to be very precise. Using one as a drafting straight edge would be abuse of the tool. I've worn out a few, but never did I perform such an obscenity.

 

[cannuck]

What 'choo talkin' 'bout Willis? When I was in drafting class in HS and college, those are exactly what we used for a straightedge!

Saw plenty of people do that in first year engineering graphics class. IMHO those are the very people I would not want to BE an engineer. If you will forgive the pun: It's all about following the rule(s).

 

[aka Larry]

Engineers and architects scales are designed to be very precise. Using one as a drafting straight edge would be abuse of the tool. I've worn out a few, but never did I perform such an obscenity.

Glad somebody said it. If my drafting teacher saw you using a scale as a straight edge for drafting there was hell to pay.

Kind of related, I was working with my FIL on a deck recently. He kept asking me for a 'ruler'. Since I don't think I've had/used a 'ruler' since the 3rd grade, I had no idea WTF he was talking about. He actually wanted a 'tape measure'.

 

[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.

 

[Trapps]

I had the same drafting teacher as some others here. Being a rebel and thug, I DO use one of my scales as a straight edge. Blasphemy, I know.

Westcott ticks most of the OP's boxes:

My needs:
Good quality. - Very Good, not Excellent
Accurate measurements. - Yes
Portable. - Yes
Semi-flexible if possible. Yes
Rugged. Necessary. Stainless Steel
12” length only. - you choose the size
Clear/translucent if possible, but not necessary. NO
Waterproof if possible. See stainless steel comment above



Rulertech is also a consideration, again ticking most boxes.

 

[Catfishdan]

Engineers and architects scales are designed to be very precise. Using one as a drafting straight edge would be abuse of the tool. I've worn out a few, but never did I perform such an obscenity.

My high school Drafting teacher made us wear an actual dunce cap if he caught us doing that. This was in the 90’s too, not the 50’s.

 

[RTM]

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.
.

did you get a 6” or 18”? I thought 12” was desired.

I have seen people with the 6” double or quad bevel rules for field work, and didn’t include that, as I’d never seen anything above 6”. They also aren’t very flexible.

let us know how they work out

 

[RoninB4]

Not that it really matters since the OP has already found his solution but I do have an opinion concerning "rulers" from machine shop use. I bought many different brands of tooling/instruments, was never brand loyal, selecting each by what worked best for me. I've always preferred the Starrett scales over all other brands mostly due to the depth of the engraved "notches" for the graduations. Starrett graduations always lasted longer than the more shallow versions from others and I feel it's due to the physical depth of the graduation notch. This made it easier to see, reference, and align/feel the point of a hand held scribe in the notch. The satin finish reduces the glare present with more shiny versions.

This will likely outrage some but I've used my rigid and flexible scales as a straightedge, alignment, lay-out, and even as a light scraper on many occasions. Many toolmakers consider them a semi-disposable tool, particularly the 6" models, to be replaced now and then as required. They are always cared for but it's just another tool to get the job done. Yes I know.......scandalous.

 

[minke]

My 10" K+E Log Log Duplex Decitrig 4081-3 from 1947 is mahogany inside. I didn't think K+E did these in bamboo, but I have some Post rules that were. My 8+' long demonstrator version of the 4081-3 (an N105 model) is made form redwood.

I'll have to go look. End grain bamboo should be different enough from end grain hardwood so that even I should be able to tell.

 

[KnurledNut]

did you get a 6” or 18”? I thought 12” was desired.

I have seen people with the 6” double or quad bevel rules for field work, and didn’t include that, as I’d never seen anything above 6”. They also aren’t very flexible.

let us know how they work out

I got the 12”.

 

[danski0224]

What about the "CH Ruler"?

 

[rlitman]

I'll have to go look. End grain bamboo should be different enough from end grain hardwood so that even I should be able to tell.

Bamboo really was the ideal material for slide rules.

Back to the OP, I have an aluminum clipboard/case that I keep around for impromptu technical drawings. In it, I have an assortment of pencils, a 6" Starrett flat spring steel pocket rule graduated in 64ths and 100ths, a 12" cork backed stainless ruler (C-Thru I think), and an acrylic L shaped ruler that resembles a framing square. By far, I use that acrylic square the most.

The problem is that I 'm not sure where you can get one of them. Mine was originally a 12" x 12" L square designed for some navigational system, so it has engine cut lines. I found the 12x12 arrangement ungainly, so I cut one leg down to make it 8x12, and now it's perfect for me. A quick search for similar products on the market will show you that most clear rulers are made for quilters, so they have painted lines that are too thick for any real accuracy. C-Thru makes a 30-60-90 triangle that has pretty fine lines that's the next closest thing.

Westcott C-THRU 12" Grid Triangle - 30/60 degree - Triangles

Find the C-THRU 12 Grid Triangle - 30/60 degree at the Westcott online store

www.westcottbrand.ca

For pens, I only use cork backed rulers, so this is all assuming you're using pencils. Oh, and if you're a fan of 0.5mm mechanical pencils, don't forget about Incra.

 

[RTM]

I got the 12”.

Dang, I must be blind, don’t see a 12” as you described w joist table etc.

glad you found what you wanted.

 

[BTL-A4]

Are you drawing architectural, machining drawings, or both?

I've been a drafter since the 80's. I use the triangular scales for architectural and mechanical drawings. Remember, the width of the pencil takes up a few inches at scale for architectural drawings, and a few thousands of an inch at actual scale. The only way to make anything accurately is to read/calculate the dimensions, not scale them.

I've had my scales forever and never use them to draw lines, since it wears them out.

I generally use hand drawings to get a better idea of scale and proportion, and for quick, easy projects. I go to CAD if I need precision.

Those cheap, clear, 12" rulers work fine, especially if you use an easy to calculate in your head scale like 1/8"=1". I don't care to use metal ones to draw, since I can't see what's under the ruler.

 

[KnurledNut]

@Trapps @RoninB4
Thanks for the contributions.

@danski0224
I knew this thread wouldnt be complete until that was mentioned.

@rlitman
Im currently keeping my drawings/takeoffs/notes in a vintage Wilson-Jones geologist-style aluminum clipboard with a spring/piano hinge.
I need it as minimalist as possible so i dont use a case. The disadvantage here is the ruler rides loosely. The triangle you linked would certainly be handy and takes up little room. Thanks for mentioning. I use mainly pens in the field and sometimes pencils (Staedtler 925-05) when at a table. Im not a professional drafter. More of a rough drafter.

@BTL-A4
Architectural and mechanical mainly. Nothing profound, although I occasionally impress myself. Appreciate the advice.

 

[minke]

I'll have to go look. End grain bamboo should be different enough from end grain hardwood so that even I should be able to tell.

The ends of both slide rules were darkened and I don't wish to clean them up. I still think I see bamboo end grain but I can't say that I believe in my own competence.

 

[66HertzClone]

I bought several from H J Epstein when they had a sale going on. I purchased several different lengths, all stainless steel.

 

[ecotec]

Here are a few of mine from 48”-6”.

 

[ATC]

Saw plenty of people do that in first year engineering graphics class. IMHO those are the very people I would not want to BE an engineer. If you will forgive the pun: It's all about following the rule(s).

Glad somebody said it. If my drafting teacher saw you using a scale as a straight edge for drafting there was hell to pay.

Kind of related, I was working with my FIL on a deck recently. He kept asking me for a 'ruler'. Since I don't think I've had/used a 'ruler' since the 3rd grade, I had no idea WTF he was talking about. He actually wanted a 'tape measure'.

My high school Drafting teacher made us wear an actual dunce cap if he caught us doing that. This was in the 90’s too, not the 50’s.

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...