Max, the following is a copy of a post that I sent to this list a couple years
ago. Hope it helps.
The recent interest in measuring devices on this list prompts me to describe a
couple of types of measuring gages or jigs that I built about 25 years ago, and
that I still use to day. The first was made with a 4 foot length of 3/16
stainless steel rod and 2 pieces of ¾ square steel bar stock about 1 and ¼
long. The idea is to permanently affix one of the pieces of bar stock
perpendicular to one end of the rod, either by gas welding or by threading the
end of the rod and drilling and tapping the bar stock. The other piece of bar
stock is drilled perpendicular to it's long axes, so it can slide smoothly
along the rod. A second hole is drilled in this piece of bar stock parallel to
it's long axes, which intersects the first whole. This second whole is tapped
to accommodate a threaded bolt that acts as a set screw to lock the sliding
square stock at any point along the rod. I used a bolt with a large knurled
head that could be easily tightened or loosened by hand for the locking bolt.
To use this device, I align the end of the rod with the fixed block at one end
of the measurement to be taken, and slide and tighten the movable block at the
other end of the piece or gap to be measured. I then can transfer this
measurement to a board for cutting or use it to set stop blocks on a chop saw
or set a fence on a table saw. I have found this device to be quick to use and
accurate enough for cabinet work. Over the years I have built several shorter
versions of this device for use in tight areas.
My second home made device has turned out to be especially handy for installing
base boards, door trim, interior studs or wall paneling. It is primarily made
out of wood and it telescopes from 4 to 8 feet in length, and can be locked at
any point between. It is made from a 4 Foot, clear ¾ pine board about 2 Inches
wide. I cut a 3/8 Inch deep by ¾ Inch wide groove down the center of one of
the 2 Inch faces of the board and ripped a 4 Foot strip of pine to slide
smoothly in the groove. I next cut a 4 Foot long by 2 Inch piece of ¼ plywood
and glued and nailed it over the groove in the pine board, to make a 4 Foot box
or sleeve for the pine strip to slide in. I then cut a 2 by 2 Inch ¾ Inch
thick pine block and drilled a ¼ whole in its center. Next I temporarily
aligned this block on the plywood side covering the groove at one end of the
device and with the sliding strip removed, I extended the ¼ Inched Whole
through the plywood, into the groove, but not into the pine board at the bottom
of the groove. Next I tightly mortised a ¼ square nut into the face of the 2
by 2 Inch block so it lines up with a threaded bolt inserted through the whole
in the block and is flush with one face of the block. With a ¼ bolt threaded
through the block and nut, and protruding about ½ inch below the nut I inserted
the end of the locking bolt through the plywood side and into the groove below.
I then glued and nailed the block and locking bolt assembly to the plywood
side covering the groove. With the sliding pine strip inserted into the groove
the threaded bolt on the block can be tightened to lock the strip in any
position between 4 and 8 Feet. To use the device I align one of its ends with
a wall or the floor and slide out the strip to make the needed measurement.
With the locking bolt tightened this measurement can then be transferred to a
board or panel for accurate cutting. I don't use this jig often, but it's nice
to know that it is hanging on the shop wall when the need arises.
I think that it has taken me longer to describe this stuff than it took to
build it. Sorry for being so long winded.
Paul Franklin
----- Original Message -----
From: Agent086b
To: Handyman
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 4:15 PM
Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Measuring again
Hi all,
some months ago there was a lot of discussion on a measuring stick. I
seam to remember that you slide a stick in to a tube and lock it
somehow. Unfortunately I have lost the email describing how to build one
of these things.
I have a talking tape measure, but I would like some sort of telescopic
thing I can take a measurement between two pieces and transfer that
measurement to a piece of timber before cutting it off to the same length.
I don't need to know how many millimetres it is just to keep that length.
Hope you all understand what I am trying to do.
Max.
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