For the same reason some people prefer hand tools to power tools; it's the aesthetic enjoyment of using simple but well crafted tools instead of mass produced imported tools with no soul.

(I use both antique hand tools and mass produced power tools, and a folding ruler and a tape measure… depending on the job at hand and my mood.

 

Tape measures have a loose little metal thingy at the end that guarantee at least 1/16th of an inch of inaccuracy.

 

Actually the loose end is supposed to make it more accurate… it moves according to whether you're pushing it against a surface or hooking it over the edge, compensating for the tab's thickness.

 

The rule at the bottom of the pic is a current 1M Lufkin. I call it the blind man's rule, very easy to read and I prefer it to steel rules. All the other rules pictured are all potential edgebanding for me.

 

Jeff I've got an old Lufkin with a brass sliding insert for inside measurements. It's a total game changer. I don't know how I got along with out it. Give these old tools a try, they are wonderful and quite nostalgic.

 

I hate tapes for fine woodwork, I stick a folding rule in my back pocket every morning, it is my go-to tool for measuring.
http://lumberjocks.com/bearkatwood/blog/69138

 

As an old, retired, tradesman, who has used folding rules, I agree they belong in a museum…I guess I do also.

 

I use my folding rule for case work only. The are great for getting inside measurements. However I will normally measure the folding rule with my trusted tape.
Recently was installing built in shelving into a pantry. NOTHING was square. The opening varied a 1/4 " back to front. My folder saw this and with my trusty tape was able to cut the shelving accurately.

 

Folding rules are faster. Since the rule is six feet, you'll hear dimensions like "six fourteen & three quarters" sounds cumbersome but realize the saw man has pre marked the six foot length on the stock already. All he has to do is measure 14-3/4" from his mark & cut. This is faster than measuring 86-3/4" as with a tape you have to pay it out & walk to measure instead of leaving the rule unfolded.

These rules come with an inside measure that you can't do accurately with a tape.

I have Incra tools and DRO's and still have the folding rule at hand.

M

 

Nostalgia and romanticism Imo…nothing more.

 

I like folding rules also.Tape measures always seem to be hiding when I need one.Plus it reminds me of work when I was under someone's thumb.
Since they are a bit slower to use it helps me slow down.less mistakes maybe.

 

ignorance of folding rulers is alive and well, obviously. More accurate and consistent than tapes, they lay flat on the work (not curled). File a notch in the brass ends and it's a panel guage.

Or, don't use it, doesn't matter to me.

But I will suggest a drop or two of machine oil on each joint improves the action considerably.

 

All I ever hear about on this site is how wood moves, wouldn't they fluctuate.
I'm apparently ignorant because I don't get the advantage over a well tuned tape measure.

I can hook my tape on the end of a board and measure of 86 3/4" faster, and more accurately, than I could find a 6' mark then add 14 3/4" to it. I've never been any where that someone calls out "six fourteen & three quarters" ,

I guess I'm naive and ignorant :>/

Oh well, each there own.

Edit: Thought I would mention, I do have one hanging on my wall with my other antique tools.

 

Boxwood has been used for rules for years because of its stability. I believe it was the primary wood used in drafting rules way back because of that.

 

Masons still use a folding rule…...of course, their's are marking a bit differently.

Folder rules, can be used with just one hand, leaving the other free. Some even have a brass slider on the end, to use for that last inch or three in length, or as a depth gauge.

Stanley make their first million dollars, making such rules. Now Lufkin makes the better ones.

 

I think jbay nailed it.

I believe if you can't stuff a 16 foot ruler into a small 1×3x3 box, and have it at your beck and call when you can find it, no other measuring device is worthy. Also, in woodworking, if you cain't plug it in, it's not a usable tool…......... Jerry (in Tucson)

 

All I ever hear about on this site is how wood moves, wouldn t they fluctuate.
- jbay

Boxwood (and ivory and bone) were all used for rules for several reasons-light color made numerals easy to read, they were all stable materials, etc.

But you should also realize that the vast majority of movement associated with wood occurs across its width, not its length.

 

Imo, I guess it depends on the ruler. I have several but they are all metal and well used/abused. They are fun too look at but I doubt I would use them for woodworking. If I had a decent wood/brass one, I know I would use it as I'm always using my combination squares. A folding rule would most likely be easier to use.

 

Comparing tape measures to folding rulers.

• It depends on what you are measuring. Long flat sawn boards that you want to rough cut to length, use a tape measure. Fine hand cut joint carpentry use a folding ruler.
• Tape measures require that they be put under tension if you want accuracy. Folding rulers do not.
• Folding rulers are simply a more accurate way to measure.

 

Put me in the "I don't get it" category. Are they graduated to account for the slope? The first 6" is fine but after that, I can't lay a folding rule flat. So do the markings account for the rise of the rule as you measure longer distances, so when laid flat, it is accurate? Or is it only accurate at a point in space an inch above my starting point?

 

Folding rulers can measure an inside dimension more accurately than a tape measure. There is a small brass extension on the end. You fold out the rule so that it is extended as far as it can be depending on the opening and then you simply slide the brass extension out to make up the difference. I wear bib overalls in my shop and there is a perfect pocket on the thy that is made to hold one of these. The pocket is also perfect for a pair of linesman pliers for electrical work. You can also place many other tools in the rest of the pockets and bib. So as far as I am concerned the bib overalls are another old fashioned tool that is quite handy. You would also be surprised to see how long it takes to wear out a pair of bib overalls. I've worn them for over 40 years. Every carpenter and electrician use to carry an extension rule and so there was a reason that the overall manufacturers put the pocket there. Anyways, I like extension rules and I also am one who gets a kick out of using hand tools. However, there is always a tape measure in my pocket so they both are quite handy.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com

 

Well, I must be getting older and a lot more stupid than I previously believed because I really don't understand what you wouldn't "get" about a folding rule. It is a measuring device that folds up into a manageable size to stick in your pocket, a toolbox, a drawer etc. just like a tape measure does. It measures distances from 0" to 72" and all points in between, like a 12' tape measures from 0" to 144" and all points in between. Want a longer measurement with a folding rule, say like 92 1/2"? Extend the rule, mark the 72" measurement and then start over and mark 20 1/2" past the 72" mark. Voila! 92 1/2"! It was the preferred measuring tool for craftsmen for centuries before the metal tape measure was invented. I grew up using them on construction sites, and they worked a whole lot better than a tape for laying out batter boards for buildings, sewer lines etc. from an engineer's or architect's drawings. What about a 300' cloth based tape? Confusing? Today I use anything that will get me the desired measurement that is handy. I have several folding rules, rulers of all lengths, numerous tape measures, yardsticks, calipers, story sticks, levels, transits and on and on. Maybe it's just me, but what I just can't "get", is a lot of what confuses people today

 

I can see Matt's point about parallax error with a folding rule whose marks are well above the measuring surface when laid flat. No one has mentioned that for precision measuring with wood rule you will likely stand it upon edge to eliminate the parallax problem. The same can happen with the cup of a tape…unless you "lay it over" the ticks are well above the surface. Precision is a relative concept within the relativity of measuring and there are a LOT of different approaches to address the issue of comparing a distance to a "standard".

I've come to appreciate a story stick approach to wood shop construction where all the design elements including joinery, tolerances, and every detail are "ticked" on an appropriate surface of a square stick. This is especially effective if you are custom fitting a piece.

I suspect this measuring thing is a lot like religion…you're gonna drift to what you grew up with. The short of it is that no matter your measuring device, if you're not paying attention you're gonna cut more than once.
DanK

 

I almost exclusively use vintage hand tools, and find they vary from more fun to more work to better at certain tasks. But add me to the I don't get it camp with folding rules. Besides the inside measurement extension that some of the better rules have, I don't see the advantage either. I'm certainly willing to admit I'm ignorant about their finer uses, but every time I try them they seem less useful than a good tape. In contrast, the first time I used a sharp plane, a sharp brace and bit, and a breast drill, among other vintage tools, I was really impressed by how well they work. Ignorant doesn't have to be a bad thing, we're all ignorant about a lot of things.

 

The new folding ruler in mm was from Lee Valley I think and locks in at 90 degrees

and various other degrees, it also has a depth gauge.

The yellow I made and works well for me as I can stand it on edge and get an accurate mark.

I have the folding ruler with the brass slider as well and enjoy using them all.