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: Lenny McHugh To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 11:08 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Using Rotomatic ruler Dale, I liked your description of using the ruler to set up your miter saw. I thought that I was the only one who used his chin or cheek to hold down the saw to align the stock. I don't know how many times my wife made a comment when she saw me doing that. Now I can tell her that it is the proper way to set up the saw. Great description of the tool and use. Lenny ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dale Leavens" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 7:41 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] quesion on Rotomatic ruler You have done pretty well at describing the rule. The threaded rod is six and a half inches long. The large rectangular nut is the one you most commonly use for measuring. The other nut is used when/if you want to lock the rectangular nut into place to hold a measure or even to use it as a sort of monster feeler gauge. You should notice a small notch cut into one of the longer sides of the rectangular nut, this is to help orient it. You are correct, the half inch marks are where a thread is continued all around the face of the milled side of the threaded rod. Each revolution of the nut represents one sixteenth of an inch so, half a turn is a 32nd of an inch and a quarter turn is a 64th. two complete turns is an eighth of an inch and so on. If you require more than 6 inches then you thread the 6 inch rod bringing your measure up as far as 12 and a half inches, add the 12 inch rod or the 18 inch rod or any combination there of and you have the lengths you require. What I really like about the measure is that I can set a size off of a plan or I can take a measure from a project, lock the nut into place then go to my miter saw and pressing the end of the rod against the blade, adjust the wood to be cut until it is flush with the nut and cut an exact size. I frequently end up with a bit of a bruise on my chin from holding the saw down against the board, I do have a bungee cord hanging on the cabinet I can use to hold the saw down to the wood while I set the distance precisely but this takes time and I often don't bother. I can as easily use it to very accurately set the distance from rip fence to blade on my table saw and so on. This is of course not adequate beyond 42 and a half inches although I suppose you could get more rod if you need or want it. I do try to keep a stick or two around here precisely 4 feet long but rarely do I need it. Even when I raised this addition it was mostly fine to use the dimensional lumber and/or relative measures with a locking tape measure. I used a block to space studs, locking tape measure to determine the actual length of span for building the roof trusses, I didn't actually even have the roto ruler back then but a folding meter stick ruler. A tactile ruler though just isn't accurate enough for cabinet work and hardly for structural framing. Things like carpenter squares known to be 24 on the two inch leg and 16 on the inch and a half leg can also be helpful in frame construction. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott Howell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 6:00 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] quesion on Rotomatic ruler > Ok folks, I ordered my Rotomatic and received it today. Ain't quite > what I imagined and upon further thought, I haven't any clue how the > hell you use this thing. So, here goes my question . > First let me describe what I have to be sure we're all on the same page. > > I have a piece about six inches long, it is sort of oval shaped, in > other words, its flat on both sides and is rounded on the edges so > the nuts will turn. The top surface has marking at every half inch I > believe this is the correct measurement,b ut in any case, we'll move > along. There are two nuts, one that is completely square and the > other is a six or eight-sided deal. Included are three rods that are > different lengths, one six inch, one approx 12 inches, and one that > appears to be about 18 inches. Sorry, I haven't even had a chance to > measure the pieces, but for our purposes, this will explain things. > Now each rod which is round can be screwed together and the six-inch > piece I said had the nuts is also able to be attached to the rods. > Now I assume that the square nut might be the locking nut, but don't > hold me to this. > Now, with that description, how do you actually use this thing. > The folks at the NFB store where I found the item were not much help, > but I guess they sell the stuff, not use it. So, perhaps someone can > explain this thing to me before I decide to pack it up and send it on > back up the road. Might be a great tool, but based on what I thought, > I surely have no clue how you'd use it. > Thanks for any assistance. > > Scott > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html > or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. > http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml > > Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various > List Members At The Following address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ > > Visit the new archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.410 / Virus Database: 268.16.7/618 - Release Date: 6/01/2007 > > To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! 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