Best Measurement Ruler Material?

[westlawn5554X]

Hello,

I know I am a student thus having this simple choice still to think about, by the professional STD, the market offer rulers in various sizes and material. I was wondering which is the best to keep for the designer life time?

1. wood or bamboo
2. Plastic
3. Aluminium
4. Metal

Please advise as it is still an invest and I would have it right.

Thnaks

Student

[Wynand N]

They are all OK, it's what you are comfortable with...
By the way, my rulers are all wood, laminated with plastic on the outside.

[SeaSpark]

Transparent rulers are handy, you can see the drawing you are working on through it in some cases this is a great benefit. I did see a glass ruler once but for practical reasons i'd go for plastic.

[westlawn5554X]

I was scare that the wood might shrink or rot due to constant expose to wetness, the aluminium might buckle and the metal rust. Glass might break. They should have a special alloy that is dependant and laser eching.

I have seen tungsten Rapido some where in the net.

Student

[jehardiman]

1) A ruler is for children and non exact measurement such a carpentery. A scale is for measuring while drawing. Never touch a pencil or pen to a scale, thats what a straightedge is for.

2) Plastic and metal scales will change length with temperature; more so than wood/laminate (if you handle it daily a wood scale picks up your oils and develops a nice patina and doesn't dry out, but I would choose a laminate scale because the marks are crisper); but much, much less than velum or maylar (of course this is about true ships drawings that are 20 feet long, if you're trying to do a yacht on C or D size, then it won't matter much).

As for what you should have at hand for drawing, that is a whole other subject that can be endlessy debated...especially if you want to ink...and you should...

[MikeJohns]

All the scale rules I have are wood overlaid with white plastic, my most usefull is a long mylar rule metric on one edge and Inches on the other, my straight edges are stainless steel.

These days we precision scan and port the drawing to a CAD package and do all the detailed measuring there.

[westlawn5554X]

Hello,

I am bidding in ebay like a mule trying to get the orange carrot but color blind.

In short. I would like a K&E slide scale for my home work, dont know which model would be a good use within the boat design and builting industry.

There are website that help to distinguise the different series and usage but not in time for my bidding. If there is any kind soul that would enlighten my ordeal in this area of question would be a blessing.

Is a PARAGON type of K&E better? It seem there are a few manufacturer of K&E? Anybody from the old school still in the forum?

[jehardiman]

I think you mean "slide rule" instead of "slide scale"

I can't think of a reason to have one except "just because", but just make sure it has L, T, and H scales.

Paragon was just a marque used by K&E.

Edit: Oh yeah, get it as big as possible...at least 12"

[westlawn5554X]

Now I am fried with the wrong bidding on 3 lot of wrong slider. That for my short-sightness and not doin research before. Thanks I will try to see for L T H.

I wanted something handy for conversion of inch-cm on a slider.

[jehardiman]

Originally Posted by westlawn5554X

I wanted something handy for conversion of inch-cm on a slider.

My boy......

Go to your local library and get (or just buy) a copy of the Machinery's Handbook. Go to "Weights and Measures" in the back. Copy the "Inches to Millimeters" and Millimeters to Inches" tables along with the "Inches to Decimals of a Foot". Blow them up real big. Post them on the wall over your drafting table right beside the Density and Kenimatic Viscosity tables out of PNA and your personal "weights of materials" table (or steal someone elses like the one in Skene's).

[westlawn5554X]

OK Lets hope I find something to blow up with a photocopy machine and stick near to my table I would still want a K&E conversion just dont know the model?

[MikeJohns]

You have to have at least one of these:

http://www.katmarsoftware.com/uconeer.htm

http://joshmadison.net/software/convert/

Both are freeware

Cheers

[westlawn5554X]

It is very kind of you to help. I will paste a coversion column on the tracker... maybe all over my workshop. Inch is very obselete in my area. Thanks a bundle

[Ike]

There are many websites that do conversions for you. But why do conversions at all? Use a metric scale for your drawings and measurements and do all your calcs in metric.

http://www.onlineconversion.com/

I have many scales. Some are wood, some are plastic, some are aluminum. I collect slides rules. I must have two dozen. Some are bamboo, some are plastic, some are metal. The biggest, best and probably most accurate is bamboo with a cellulose facing. It dates from the 50's . It has every scale you can imagine and came with a book to explain it's use. Not just instructions, a book. Anyway all of these work fine and I have no problem with inaccuracies. SO get what you like, just buy a good one, not a cheapo (I have some of those too). In fact I have a tie clip that is a working slide rule.

If you want to know more about slide rules go to Slide Rule Universe http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/sruniverse.html

Of course the nicest thing about slide rules is they need no batteries.

[westlawn5554X]

Originally Posted by Ike

Of course the nicest thing about slide rules is they need no batteries.

Well surprise!