Quickly dividing stock

crossthread · Dec 24, 2019

The other evening I was marking a piece of flat stock to drill and was using the old trick of holding your 6" rule across the bar at a tangent. My son had never seen anyone do this before and he thought it was handy to know. I've been dividing boards up to rip for years using this technique, but it also comes in very handy to layout stock in halves, thirds or whatever. I just thought I would pass it on to some of the youngins who may not have used this trick. If your tolerance is only as close as the marks on a rule, then nothing is faster or less of a pain.

MichaelP · Dec 24, 2019

Seemingly obvious method, but I've never thought of it. I'm glad it makes me a "youngin" though.

Thank you. It's very handy, indeed.

Cole2534 · Dec 24, 2019

This is why I love triangles.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

EPAIII · Dec 24, 2019

That is a tried and true technique. And yes, it is only as accurate as the rule AND the pencil marks you can put on the stock with it.

If needed, there are ways to improve that accuracy. One would be to use a small diameter scribe to make the marks instead of a pencil or pen. Another that you can use in addition to that scribe would be to make a second set of marks with the rule at the opposite angle (at an X to the first). Then you take the average position of the two marks for each division. This only takes a bit more time and it would improve the accuracy quite a bit when the angle of the rule is not near 90°

Limy Sami · Dec 24, 2019

In a similar vein;-

This grumpy old half crippled etc etc etc wreck is now apparently ''shit hot cool'' (their words not mine :rolleyes5:

) because he can bisect an angle with a pair of dividers, ...........and establish a true 90 deg angle off a base line with just the same instrument.

Erich · Dec 24, 2019

Used those two tricks to layout the lines for a tile kitchen floor. all done on the diagonal.
Blew my neighbor away. Did it all with chalk line and a pencil. I held the center and let him swing the arcs.
I'm directing him " Swing 6 inches of arc here, 6 inches over there. Now swing another...
He just had a baffled look on his face, Until we snapped the line that bisected the 90, then the light went on.

crossthread · Dec 25, 2019

There are a couple of tricks that should be passed on. This one and the old 3,4,5 triangle for establishing 90 degrees. Even the ancient metabolites knew of these things. One reason to keep this type of thing going is that you can actually remember it because it's so simple. I have tried to learn about fifty knots in my years and have reduced that down to about three that work fine and I can remember them.

michiganbuck · Dec 25, 2019

crossthread said:
There are a couple of tricks that should be passed on. This one and the old 3,4,5 triangle for establishing 90 degrees. Even the ancient metabolites knew of these things. One reason to keep this type of thing going is that you can actually remember it because it's so simple. I have tried to learn about fifty knots in my years and have reduced that down to about three that work fine and I can remember them.

I Don't want to rob the thread but everybody int the trades should knot the bowline , two half hitches, and a draw tight... and never buy clothes line for any rope need. Good quality ropes can last for years and be untied if a proper knot is used
draw tight knot - Yahoo Image Search Results

(A draw-tight is a proper loop at one end so the line can go around a load and be pulled tight, Then a couple half hitches added.)

My own son said they (at his shop) just buy cheap ropes because they just cut them of to be quick..
I have my 50 knot badge(BSA).
*Enough about knots.

Lewie · Dec 25, 2019

The 3,4,5 triangle is sometimes inconvenient so the 5,12,13 is another easy to remember one.
...lewie...

Bill D · Dec 25, 2019

Lewie said:
The 3,4,5 triangle is sometimes inconvenient so the 5,12,13 is another easy to remember one.
...lewie...

Never heard of that what is the advantage over the 6 8 10?
Bil lD

Bill D · Dec 25, 2019

To divide stock I often make a mark near center then check from both sides with an adjustable square. make two marks and 1/2 way between them is the center. repeat as needed. I do not use the numbers
Bil lD.

trevj · Dec 25, 2019

Bill D said:
Never heard of that what is the advantage over the 6 8 10?
Bil lD

It fits in a smaller job!

Merry Christmas!

Limy Sami · Dec 25, 2019

On the topic of ''old ways and methods'' IMO you're in real WT4X? country when on getting out a chalk line you're asked ''what's that?'' …...…...usually followed by ''how does that make a straight line?'' :rolleyes5:

Or with one guy who wanted to straighten up an edge of a very long waney (bark) edged board of oak (with a skilsaw) who asked '' so how straight is that?'' ...got told ''straight enough for you.''

JST · Dec 26, 2019

That way of dividing the stock also works for any reasonable number of divisions... just use that many inches/cm/whatever unit on the diagonal.

Have used a similar technique to lay out divisions for a field expedient "dividing head" using the old "strip of paper around the part" method.

Lewie · Dec 26, 2019

Bill D said:
Never heard of that what is the advantage over the 6 8 10?
Bil lD

Well to begin with it's a different SHAPE and will fit in sometimes where the 3,4,5 and any simple minded multiple of it will not.
...lewie...

crossthread · Dec 26, 2019

I don't think 5,12,13 or whatever it was is very easy to remember myself. I think 3,4,5 is about as simple as it gets. Anything else and I am flirting with Murphy's law. I like to stay away from that sort of thing if I can. I'm more comfortable with Coles law. It's made with cabbage and mayonnaise etc...... Sorry.

DDoug · Dec 26, 2019

Needs moved to the "woodworking Section"......

trevj · Dec 26, 2019

JST said:
That way of dividing the stock also works for any reasonable number of divisions... just use that many inches/cm/whatever unit on the diagonal.

Have used a similar technique to lay out divisions for a field expedient "dividing head" using the old "strip of paper around the part" method.

Yep. Was taught that when we were taught basics of Drafting, as part of shop classes in about Grade eight or nine.

crossthread · Dec 26, 2019

Works on metal too Digger.

thermite · Dec 27, 2019

Cole2534 said:
This is why I love triangles.

Good stuff.

Trying - and failing - to remember whether that was taught in third or fourth grade- as basic geometry on cheap paper and long before we were old enough for drafting or shop ? Most kids may have already forgotten they were ever taught, unused skill as it was for many.

Ennyway, in the same class with use of a compass to bisect a line, construct a right-angle.. generate multiple parallel lines that you didn't NEED to know the spacing of - only that it was consistent.

Lay the parallel lines at the angle that fit the width at the desired count of subdivisions and - voila - divide by any number wanted.

Years before I yet owned a Starret rule, decent ruled paper did the do.

Quickly dividing stock

Titanium

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Titanium

Diamond

Cast Iron

Diamond

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

Cast Iron

Titanium

Diamond

Titanium

Titanium

Diamond

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