Free 186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook:  
Get tool plans

User Tag List

Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Trick ruler - photo

  1. #1
    Supporting Member Altair's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    12,020
    Thanks
    1,365
    Thanked 30,342 Times in 9,999 Posts

    186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook
    New plans added on 12/16/2024: Click here for 2,633 plans for homemade tools.

  2. #2
    Supporting Member Frank S's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Peacock TX
    Posts
    11,690
    Thanks
    2,217
    Thanked 9,187 Times in 4,391 Posts

    Frank S's Tools
    Reminds me of the Mars orbiter misalignment
    CNN - Metric mishap caused loss of NASA orbiter - September 30, 1999

    2,000+ Tool Plans
    Never try to tell me it can't be done
    When I have to paint I use KBS products

  3. #3
    Supporting Member Moby Duck's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Posts
    400
    Thanks
    1,271
    Thanked 206 Times in 131 Posts

    Moby Duck's Tools
    I had a Chinese made steel ruler like that once. Well they tricked me into buying it. Great for getting around the fishing size regulations.

  4. #4
    katy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Red Deer Alberta
    Posts
    189
    Thanks
    89
    Thanked 105 Times in 57 Posts

    katy's Tools
    Reminds me of the surveyors measure which is in 1/10's of a foot.

  5. #5
    Supporting Member BuffaloJohn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Oregon, USA
    Posts
    887
    Thanks
    323
    Thanked 464 Times in 276 Posts

    BuffaloJohn's Tools
    I just had something like this I dealt with. I had an L square with silk screened scales. It turned out that the ruler was printed with 25mm to the inch instead of 25.4mm to the inch.

    I was trying to measure something and had used a different scale to estimate and was using the L square to try to get it more accurate. For the life of me, it was always off, so I thought, well maybe the square is not square, so I held it up against a framing square and it was square, but the numbers and lines didn't line up. There is was, each inch was off a little and it increased by length. So I checked the mm side and it was off as well.

    I immediately pulled out the acetone and obliterated all of the markings. As a square it was fine, but ALL the markings were wrong.
    Last edited by BuffaloJohn; Nov 18, 2023 at 10:25 AM.

  6. #6
    Supporting Member BuffaloJohn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Oregon, USA
    Posts
    887
    Thanks
    323
    Thanked 464 Times in 276 Posts

    BuffaloJohn's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by katy View Post
    Reminds me of the surveyors measure which is in 1/10's of a foot.
    That is supposed to be that way...

  7. #7
    Supporting Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Posts
    463
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 78 Times in 65 Posts
    Hmmm - this reminds me of an old joke, however - I learned years ago when building projects to select one measuring tool (hopefully 1 foot equaled 1 foot) and be sure to only use that one throughout the build.

  8. #8
    Supporting Member Frank S's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Peacock TX
    Posts
    11,690
    Thanks
    2,217
    Thanked 9,187 Times in 4,391 Posts

    Frank S's Tools
    Years ago, A yard stick maker stated they wouldn't be making them any longer.



    2,000+ Tool Plans
    Never try to tell me it can't be done
    When I have to paint I use KBS products

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •