# home made ruler stop



## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

A short while ago I went looking for a ruler stop. I bought a Veritas but it wouldn't fit my 4' rule. This is the one I needed most. Well, I put my thinking cap on and went looking throughout the 'net and came up with a few ideas but nothing that quite met my requirements.

It took a bunch of ideas, added a little bit of ingenuity and came up with the following. The dimensions are purely an accident. I dug my bandsaw out of the piles of sawdust, brushed it off and cranked it up. I borrowed the mitre gauge from my table saw, grabbed some of my newly acquired hardwood from my selection of recycled skids and started making sawdust.

It's amaizing how useful all those little scraps are.

Chop, Chop, buzz buzz whiz whiz, Bob's yer uncle and here it is. BTW, I drew it up _after_ I made it.

Ok, a few points here. The important part is to keep the cut perfectly perpendicular to the bandsaw table. If you're going to use a jigsaw, better figure out some way to ensure that the end of the cut stays perpendicular. This is the point that keeps the stop at a perfect right angle to the edge of the rule. The thickness of the cut depends on how thick your rule is. Try to keep it so it slides easily but has no play.

The cut doesn't have to be perfect but try to keep curves to a minimum. Talking about curves, you'll notice that the start of the cut is curved. This is to give yourself a bit of clearance to allow the ruler to be pinched. I'm using a 1/4" x 20 bolt with a wingnut. 

When you go to use it, slide the stop to the exact point of measurement. Press the bottom of the cut against the edge of the rule. I wrap my fingers around the rule and keep the bottom of the stop tight to the edge of the rule with my thumb. Set the edge of the stop on your measurement. Get used to using the dead centre of the marking on the rule. Use a magnifying glass if you need it (like me.) I use the end of the mark. There's usually a round end to rule marks. This gives me a good guide for accuracy. Tighten down the stop. 

From the inside edge of the stop to the end of the rule is exactly the distance you want to measure. Check your rule's accuracy. Using a very sharp utility knife and compensating for any bevel on the blade, use the end of the rule to cut in the mark. If you're using skis and a magnifying glass, your router bit should cut to the bottom of the cut mark but not beyond.

It takes 1/2 turn of the wingnut to pinch the ruler to the point the stop won't move. The Veritas one put pressure on the edge of the rule, albeit with a brass screw but I don't like that. Too much risk of eventually denting my rule. This way, the stop won't damage the rule at all. The clamping pressure is far less than the veritas method. Don't leave it on the rule. Take it off each time you're finished with it. Wood likes humidity and it can serve as a water magnet that may damage your rule.

Everybody likes pictures so, here's a few. Oops, I guess, now that I'm supposed to be getting better at this, I'd better pretty it up a bit. Where's the sandpaper when you want it!

Allthunbs


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## Bogydave (Nov 14, 2008)

Cool, neat idea.
Picture of it on the ruler?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI allthunbs

You did a nice job 
Like you I could not find the type I want so I made my own,,
Here's a snapshot or two of them 

http://www.routerforums.com/43540-post9.html
http://www.routerforums.com/43492-post4.html

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allthunbs said:


> A short while ago I went looking for a ruler stop. I bought a Veritas but it wouldn't fit my 4' rule. This is the one I needed most. Well, I put my thinking cap on and went looking throughout the 'net and came up with a few ideas but nothing that quite met my requirements.
> 
> It took a bunch of ideas, added a little bit of ingenuity and came up with the following. The dimensions are purely an accident. I dug my bandsaw out of the piles of sawdust, brushed it off and cranked it up. I borrowed the mitre gauge from my table saw, grabbed some of my newly acquired hardwood from my selection of recycled skids and started making sawdust.
> 
> ...


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Bogydave said:


> Cool, neat idea.
> Picture of it on the ruler?


Ok, I prettied it up a bit, but I used my spiffy disk sander to bevel the corners and one of the edges blew out on me. It's purely cosmetic but that's usually the reason I don't try to "pretty things up." I usually end up making them worse.

The second picture is sitting on the ruler. I checked the accuracy with my engineer's square and it's bang on. -/+ 0.0004. 

I borrowed a hand to demonstrate the reference point. In order to keep the stop square to the rule and accurate when marking, there has to be one point of reference. In this instance, that point of reference is the end of the cut. It must be perfectly square to the face side of the stop. Further, there can be no burrs or bumps that may distort the positionning of the stop.

To ensure that the reference point is correctly positionned on the ruler, I press with my thumb to ensure it is seated and remains so while I tighten the wingnut. A way of checking that you're square to the edge of the rule is to compare the edge of the stop with the longer marks on the rule. They should be parallel.

If you're wondering why the ruler looks so raunchy, it got a bath in acid about 50 years ago. It's still the most accurate rule I own. I test it regularly against any standard I can find and it's still bang on. Mind, I treat it tenderly.

Allthunbs


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

bobj3 said:


> HI allthunbs
> 
> You did a nice job
> Like you I could not find the type I want so I made my own,,
> ...


Reader, if you're visiting this post with the intention of viewing all designs possible, you must visit the links above. They give a different perspective to the same problem. In my travels I have found three principal designs, Bob's, Lee Valley tools and variations that led to mine.

Bob: Yes, thanks for mentionning yours. Your's is far more generic than mine and will fit just about everything you might have. A wise concept.

It must be mentionned that mine could be easily construed to be ruler specific. I have two accurate rules and this fits only one of them. It won't work worth a hoot on the other. I'll have to use the Lee Valley one (it's a Lee Valley ruler and stop) or make a stop specifically for that rule.

Allthunbs


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## jjciesla (Oct 20, 2007)

Nice work guys! It's the simple things that make the hard things better.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

It's interesting to see different peoples approach to solve the same problem. Both ideas turned out well but, +/- 0.0004" really! Perhaps you were actually joking and I'm too serious to have realised.


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## Gary696 (Jan 28, 2006)

allthunbs said:


> The second picture is sitting on the ruler. I checked the accuracy with my engineer's square and it's bang on. -/+ 0.0004.
> 
> Allthunbs


4/10000"? Curious how you measured so precisely.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

harrysin said:


> It's interesting to see different peoples approach to solve the same problem. Both ideas turned out well but, +/- 0.0004" really! Perhaps you were actually joking and I'm too serious to have realised.


Oops sorry, that was "<0.001" deviation per inch over the entire length of the 4" blade." [conceivably 1/10,000ths per inch x 4" = 0.0004 which would give a potential deviation of 0.0008" overall which is <0.001"](British Standard 939 Grade B - the description of the engineer's square that I used to calibrate the saw and test the result) Whatever the case, it's wayyyyyy to small for me to see. I've been accused of not seeing the barn I bumped into. Finding the square was difficult enough. 0.001" might as well be +/- 0.0004" for all I could tell. I figured it would be such a ridiculessly small number everyone would figure it was BS. How does one measure 1/10,000ths of an inch anyway?

Measuring while making printed circuit boards is easy, you do it with photography but metals and wood? All you have to do is breathe and the metal would expand 1/10,000.

Sorry to have mislead the members. I will try to ensure greater accuracy in the future.

Allthunbs


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## TAJones (Dec 31, 2008)

allthunbs said:


> Oops sorry, that was "<0.001" deviation per inch over the entire length of the 4" blade." [conceivably 1/10,000ths per inch x 4" = 0.0004 which would give a potential deviation of 0.0008" overall which is <0.001"](British Standard 939 Grade B - the description of the engineer's square that I used to calibrate the saw and test the result) Whatever the case, it's wayyyyyy to small for me to see. I've been accused of not seeing the barn I bumped into. Finding the square was difficult enough. 0.001" might as well be +/- 0.0004" for all I could tell. I figured it would be such a ridiculessly small number everyone would figure it was BS. How does one measure 1/10,000ths of an inch anyway?I think you use a very thin hair to to get into the 1/10,000 range, maybe a hair split down the middle would work..I grew up trying to split hairs, saw down the middle of lines and work in 64ths
> 
> Measuring while making printed circuit boards is easy, you do it with photography but metals and wood? All you have to do is breathe and the metal would expand 1/10,000.
> 
> ...


How many thumbs do you have, as I only have one that works and might want to borrow any extra thumbs you have laying around?


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

TAJones said:


> How many thumbs do you have, as I only have one that works and might want to borrow any extra thumbs you have laying around?


That all depends on your description of a thunb. Now, if it were thumbs, I've got 2 or 10 depending on who you're talking to. If you're referring to "green thumbs" I have none. I've so far managed to kill several lawns and every flower I've ever come in contact with.

However, I will say that after some pretty hair-raising jobs, I've still got 10 somethings - thunbs, thumbs or fingers. 

I will endeavour to hang on to the one's I've got so, sorry, all are spoken for ;-)

Allthunbs


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

it sure would be nice to have bobj in my shop for a week or 2, letting him build jigs non stop and leave them of course, lol. 

nice solutions by both of you gents.


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Yeah I would pay for him to fly in and make me about twenty jigs I have in my head, but either do not have the time to make or can not figure out how to make.


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

I had been thinking about making a ruler stop and finally gave up and ordered a couple along with a bunch of rulers from garrettwade.com. I mainly wanted the 6' Lufkin Rule.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI George

It's to bad you don't have a 1/4" wide dovetail bit and a router table and some 3/8" thick scrap hardwood around the shop so you could have made your own in about 30 mins. or so ...   




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curiousgeorge said:


> I had been thinking about making a ruler stop and finally gave up and ordered a couple along with a bunch of rulers from garrettwade.com. I mainly wanted the 6' Lufkin Rule.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

bobj3 said:


> HI George
> 
> It's to bad you don't have a 1/4" wide dovetail bit and a router table and some 3/8" thick scrap hardwood around the shop so you could have made your own in about 30 mins. or so ...


Hi Bob: How do you get the threads in the hardwood? Do you use a "T" nut somehow? 

Allthunbs


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

bobj3 said:


> HI George
> 
> It's to bad you don't have a 1/4" wide dovetail bit and a router table and some 3/8" thick scrap hardwood around the shop so you could have made your own in about 30 mins. or so ...
> 
> ...


Yeah, I know Bj. But like I said, I really just wanted the Lufkin 6' Rule. The rest was just gravy and there was no way in Hell I was going to try to make one of those. 

Allthunbs,
I won't pretend to be able to answer for Bj, but I would simply use a standard tap and die set to make the threads in the hardwood. Just drill the appropriate size hole and tap it out with the appropriate size tap.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi allthunbs

George, is right on,,the hardwood will hold the threads and the nylon screws are self locking in away, it will stay put...

George you can make one easy and safe if you had a ski jig , just plow out a slot, chuck up a 1/4" wide dovetail bit down one side and than down the other inside of the slot, drill some holes in the 6" long board tap it out and cut them to size...  slip them on the ruler and you have it done..

It's easy and fun project  you could also do it on the router table by using wider stock then just rip it size then drill and tap them out...

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allthunbs said:


> Hi Bob: How do you get the threads in the hardwood? Do you use a "T" nut somehow?
> 
> Allthunbs


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

I know all that Bj. I was talking about not making a 6' folding rule.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI George


hahahahahaha lot's of luck on that one hahahahaha I would not even try that one hahahahaha 

I had one along time ago I let someone use it and didn't get it back  they are very handy to have ,,,I wish I could recall who has mine 

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quote=curiousgeorge;93213]I know all that Bj. I was talking about not making a 6' folding rule. [/quote]


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