Official Luthiers Forum!

I seem to remember there being some discussion about Hightland Harware having a sale on their straightedges in 24 and 36 inch lengths. I tried doing a couple of searches here on the forum but couldn't come up with anything. I also went to the Highlind Hardware sight and I was unable to find them there.

Does anyone know where to get a good straightedge in 24 and or 36 inch lengths that are accurate within a few thousands? If someone remembers where the thread is it would be helpful also.

Thanks,
Chuck

It was Hartville Tool and unfortunately they are no longer on sale: http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/464/marking-and-measuring

I find that a good quality steel ruler is straight enough for me. I don't see the need to spend extra on a precision straight edge.
I have granite work surfaces that I check my rulers against and they are pretty straight.
YMMV

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

What about for the measuring function part of the ruler?

I mean I see what look like straight rulers hanging on the rack, but how do you go about making sure the scale is right? Or is there a brand that you can just trust? Is there a bargain brand?

Thanks,

John

Same one also available from Grizzly: http://www.grizzly.com/products/24-Beve ... ale/T21579

Also, if can find a few more items that you need to push your order to $50, you can use a coupon code at checkout to get $10 off your order - pretty much ends up covering shipping. The code that worked for me was 11YELP$10, but that was a month ago or so. It's probably still good, can't hurt trying.

for shorter distances, use the top edge of a martin headstock, but be careful as it may involve you in a breach of trademark.

I got a 36" from Hartville and tested my nice 24" Ruler against it and it was dead on

For the money, these are pretty good
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... at=1,43513
The "Woodriver" brand sold by Woodcraft are junk!! Personally, I think all the Woodriver stuff sold by Woodcaft is junk...
I (unwittingly) bought the 36" Woodriver model and it turned out to be flimsy and not even close to straight!! Unfortunately I got it at a "going out of business sale" and couldn't return it.
I subsequently bought the 24" from Lee Valley and it's much heavier duty, very straight, and more nicely etched. And they are inexpensive...
my 2¢ worth...
pvg

That's what I'm talking about. It can measure too!

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Trouble with regular rulers is, how do you know it's straight unless you have a straight edge to check it against? My 24" ruler is a bit concave. I do still use it for layout work though, since it's lighter weight and less cumbersome than the 36" straight edge. But getting fingerboard and neck surfaces to mate with a concave ruler is rather difficult

jfmckenna: Or is one concave and one convex.....? To really check a straight edge this way you need three edges to check against each other to prove they are straight. I had used the wrong addressee on this post at first. Sorry about that Steve.
Tom

_________________
A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Thanks for all the information. While the one is no longer available for a good price there are some other options that will not deplete the bank account a great deal.
Chuck

Or you could just do it the old fashioned way and draw a line with the straightedge, turn the tool 180 and offer up the same edge to the line you just drew. Any error is magnified x 2 so you will quickly see if there is a problem. That said I keep a 1mtr long, precision ground, hardened straightedge as a datum. It hangs high at the ready looming down to seek out and destroy any would be tellers of untruths that may be lurking among the assortment of aluminum serfs knocked up from scrap moldings so they can be cast aside without care or compassion should they dare to betray and fall from favour in the eyes of Kim..

Well said, Todd. My straightedges are various lengths of Starrett keystock ground flat and square with no markings at all. They must be 30 years old by now. I check them on my granite surface plate maybe once a month. For measuring, I have a large selection of Starrett scales that are older than the keystock.

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Thank you Chris Pile. Measuring accuracy is a bit more complicated then a lot of folks realize. You do need accuracy if you are not to chase your tail when messing around with fingerboards and frets.
Tom

_________________
A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Man you guys are smart! I din't even think of that. It would be quite a coincidence me thinks but I'll give the pencil line idea a go and see for sure. Funny thing is my 24in rule is probably 20 years old now and I paid real good money for it, far more then I did for the Hartville straight edge. It's been a wonderful tool.

Yes Todd, I agree a "straightedge" is not a "rule"; it seemed to me that the discussion digressed to the accuracy of measurement rather than the accuracy of straightness, so I perhaps misunderstood what the OP was inquiring about.
I was referring to the Woodriver stainless steel rule; however a rule should still be "reasonably" straight; which the Woodriver is NOT!
Dedicated straightedges- machined to accurate tolerances- are another kettle of fish...
Sorry if I misled anyone
pvg