Six inch machinist rules

[GailInNM]

I use the semi-rigid standard 6 inch machinist rules a LOT. So I have a bunch of them. There are probably a dozen around the shop. Seems that I buy one or two when ever they are on sale.

One use is as a feeler gage to set up tool clearances, but as the rules I have are from assorted manufacturers they vary some what in thickness from 20 to 26 thousands thick. As I never know what rule is going to be where, I measure and engrave all of them with the thickness. I use one of the standard vibrating engravers as made by Dremel and others. Then I don't have to measure them each time.

To keep them near by each machine tool, I stick a small super magnet to the machine tool so the rule is in easy reach. Then, as I throw it, I just have to point the rule in the general direction of the magnet and it is stored. I positioned the magnets so the rule would hang down over and edge a little bit so it was easy to get hold of. I found the magnets would slide a little bit when I pulled a rule from it, so after each magnet had been in place for a few weeks and I was sure of where I wanted, I put a drop of super glue under it to keep it in place.

I now have rules on my two lathes, two mills, band/cutoff saw, sheet metal shear, and tool grinder. I have several places that I store raw materials, common names "junk boxes", and there is a rule near each of them also. And then there are a couple more on the workbench bench just for utility.

Gail in NM,USA

 

[Maryak]

Great idea Gail,

I have 2 sets of rules of 6" and 12" One set I use with the machines and the other set I keep for marking out. The idea behind this is that those used with the machines take a bit of a beating and wear on the ends, (well perhaps that's my abusing them), and so for marking out their accuracy is compromised.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[Tin Falcon]

I was taught in tech school to use a 6" rule to set tool height on a lathe. You gently pinch the rule between the tool and the round work . if the rule is vertical the height is correct. If the tool is high the top of the rule will be pushed in if the tool is low it will push the bottom.
tin

 

[Cedge]

I picked up a half dozen of the 6 inch rules, on sale, recently. They are on every machine and within easy reach around the shop. They get used fro all sorts of things besides those funny little marks they came covered in....(grin)

Steve

 

[GailInNM]

I just walked back from the lathe after using one of the rules to back a strip of 2000 grit abrasive paper that I used to polish and take off an unmeasurable (by me anyway) amount of material on a piston that was just a little wiggle too tight. Probably removed less than 10/1000000 of an inch of material.
Gail in NM,USA

 

[rake60]

My 6 inch scales are probably the most abused tools I own.
These examples have many years of experience.

The lower is a rigid scale. That turned up corner on the 1/8's side is a
battle scar. I can't remember just how I managed to do that.
Maybe that's a good thing....

Rick

 

[Cliff]

Hey Ric
I have heard that if you take a rule like that and stick it in next to the cutter on a old horizontal mill that is older that old and try to measure the length of your cut or clean some chip's the cutter will put a mark in it like that and through it back at you "so I have heard".

Cliff

P.S. BTW It will scare the heck out of you "so I have heard"

 

[compound driver 2]

RDG tools in the Uk send a free one out with orders over £50. I have about 11 of them now. Most I give away but some i keep in the tool boxes. Six inch rules are perfect for machine work.

 

[Julian]

I get several of these at every eng fair. Probably have twenty plus. I have nails on the walls near every machine and in between wherever I have found a need to place one. When I need one I only have to turn round and pick it up and there it.......................ISN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After several days they are all sitting on the same bench at the square of the longest distance I can reach multiplied by the day of the week. Magnets are great as they pass on a little magnetism after a while so they are all still out of my reach but very nicely stuck together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Julian.

 

[tmuir]

RDG tools in the Uk send a free one out with orders over £50. I have about 11 of them now. Most I give away but some i keep in the tool boxes. Six inch rules are perfect for machine work.

I've got one of those by my PC and one on my workbench and the third one I gave to my mother in law. :big:

 

[Mike N]

Did you know if you take a 6" scale & brake it off at even 1" lines the pieces are within .002" of an inch.

6" scales make good box openers, butter knives, paint scrapers, epoxy stir sticks, label peelers, Orange & apple peelers, putty knives, sandpaper backers, dental floss, etc.

I wonder what all of those little lines & numbers are for? ???
Why can't I ever find one when I need one? ???

 

[John S]

There is no perfect 6" rule because everyone's needs are different.
Some only work in inches, some in millimetres and some need both,.

Some are single sided and some double.
The combined ones often have mm on the top row and inches on the bottom, sometimes you need the mm to be on the bottom to get into a corner, sometimes on the top.

So if you have one with inches on one side and mm on the other this should satisfy every one ?

NO.

Because then you have inches say on the top in fractions and inches on the bottom in decimal [ who measures in decimal inches with a rule ? and who uses 1/20" ? ] On the mm side you have the first 50 odd mm in 1/2 mm just to add clutter, lest face it if you can't divide a mm by eyesight then you ought to take up dressmaking.

So is it possible to get a perfect rule ?

:big:

Not unless you make your own.

JS

 

[Stan]

Those silly rules (and tape measures) with metric on one edge and inch on the other edge drive you nuts. If you measure from the left you read in metric, turn it around to measure from the right and you read inches, unless you walk around behind the lathe to read the metric right side up. ;D

 

[Davyboy]

Did you know if you take a 6" scale & brake it off at even 1" lines the pieces are within .002" of an inch.

Yes, I have several 1, 2, 3 4 & 5" scales in my tool box, as well as full size ones. The shorter ones come in handy in confined spaces. I use the holder that came with a radius gage set to hold the small scales where my fat fingers don't fit. Sorry no pics, it's all locked up at work til next week.

DB

 

[Kermit]

You'd end up with some strange dimensions using 26.4 mm because everything I've every transposed into metric from inch used 25.4 mm to the inch!

You don't suppose that all my books are wrong, are they? After all, it is written in steel.


Kermit

 

[John S]

Must be true, it's written in steel and now been on the internet

Had a few pic's of rules but this is the only one I can find, had another that was also printed wrong it went 7", 8", 9", 11", 10", 12"

Also American, made by PEC the same as this one. You would have thought that after all these years of fighting off metric and staying imperial they would have go it it right ? :big:

JS.

 

[Phelonius]

I am always needing six inch rules. Mine tend to evaporate just before I need them.

Phelonius

 

[Shadow]

I cut a spare one just beyond 3" (round the end to look official and helps prevent snagging) and put it in my billfold. Comes in handy at the hardware store when you find something about the right size but want to make sure.

 

[TinkerJohn]

I cut a spare one just beyond 3" (round the end to look official and helps prevent snagging) and put it in my billfold. Comes in handy at the hardware store when you find something about the right size but want to make sure.

Now, that's a great idea....That's my project for tomorrow night!

---TinkerJohn---

 

[GailInNM]

I am always needing six inch rules. Mine tend to evaporate just before I need them.

I find that if you buy enough of them they start to condense out of the air in the most unusual places.
Gail in NM,USA