Folding steel rules

[jpaz]

FOLDING STEEL RULES




Folding steel rules were also favored by some workers in my trade especially for use at job sites. Following are some examples of ones I owned and used.

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James Chesterman Co. Ltd. - Sheffield, England

The plain and folding steel rules manufactured by James Chesterman Co. Ltd. (est. 1829) were renowned for their excellent design, clear markings and fine finish.



Markings on 1920s/1930s steel rules:
LONDON ..... CHESTERMAN ..... SHEFFIELD ..... ENGLAND


No. 891 12" three-fold steel rule

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Lufkin Rule Co. - Saginaw, Mich. USA

The Lufkin Rule Co. (est. 1869) produced high quality steel folding rules which have always been popular. I particularly like their No. 117x series - especially the 72" (No. 1176).


Lufkin 72" No. 1176 series folding steel rule marked:
No.1176 ..... THE LUFKIN RULE Co. ..... SAGINAW MICH. ..... MADE IN U.S.A.

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The L.S. Starrett Co. - Athol, Mass. USA

The L.S. Starrett Company (est. 1880) - famous for their high quality precision measuring tools - produced a series of folding steel rules from circa. 1890 until 1953. I particularly liked their No. 451 series folding steel rules which were available in 2ft - 6ft lengths.


Starrett 6ft folding steel rule (No. 451) marked:
No. 451 ..... THE L. S. STARRETT CO. ..... ATHOL MASS U.S.A. ..... TEMPERED


Starrett 3 ft four-fold steel rule (No. 451)
No. 451 ..... THE L. S. STARRETT CO. ..... ATHOL MASS U.S.A. ..... TEMPERED

James

[Lostmind]

Nice contribution , thanks for sharing. Excellent photos

[Bill Houghton]

Thanks for your posts on these various tool topics.

I own a couple of folding steel rules.  One, marked just "Made in Germany," unfolds to six feet.  I use it pretty much only when I need a bench rule (rather than a tape measure) that opens to that length.

The other, a No. 86 by Lufkin, unfolds once, from 12 to 24 inches.  This is a sheet metal worker's (aka tinbender's) rule.  One face has inches, with fractions.  The other face is marked in inches along one edge and circumference in inches along the other.  This would be quite handy: if you were asked to make a cylinder (ductwork, round container, etc.) that was an odd dimension, like 18-1/2", you didn't need to calculate the circumference to lay out the work; just read straight off the rule, add the overlap for the seam, and proceed.

Digressing...I also own three foot and four foot non-folding steel rules for tinbenders (also, I believe, by Lufkin).  These have handy tables on the back telling you, for instance, how large to make a container for a particular volume of liquid.  It's been 40 years, almost, since I briefly bent tin for a living, but I can appreciate what timesavers those rules must have been in the trade.

[jpaz]

Nice contribution , thanks for sharing. Excellent photos

Thank you.

James

[jpaz]

Thanks for your posts on these various tool topics ..........

Thank you Bill.

.......... I own a couple of folding steel rules.  One, marked just "Made in Germany," unfolds to six feet.  I use it pretty much only when I need a bench rule (rather than a tape measure) that opens to that length.

The other, a No. 86 by Lufkin, unfolds once, from 12 to 24 inches.  This is a sheet metal worker's (aka tinbender's) rule.  One face has inches, with fractions.  The other face is marked in inches along one edge and circumference in inches along the other.  This would be quite handy: if you were asked to make a cylinder (ductwork, round container, etc.) that was an odd dimension, like 18-1/2", you didn't need to calculate the circumference to lay out the work; just read straight off the rule, add the overlap for the seam, and proceed.

Digressing...I also own three foot and four foot non-folding steel rules for tinbenders (also, I believe, by Lufkin).  These have handy tables on the back telling you, for instance, how large to make a container for a particular volume of liquid.  It's been 40 years, almost, since I briefly bent tin for a living, but I can appreciate what timesavers those rules must have been in the trade.

Yes, Lufkin produced some very innovative and well designed rules. Thanks for sharing, Bill.

James

[Branson]

Thanks again!   On the subject of steel rules, I'm interested in a two foot, one fold rule to replace one I seem to have lost.  I have one in steel, and much the same thing in brass, but the one I can't find had calculations for measurements for the amount of stock for making circles.  I gather it was a tinsmith's rule.

[Bill Houghton]

Thanks again!   On the subject of steel rules, I'm interested in a two foot, one fold rule to replace one I seem to have lost.  I have one in steel, and much the same thing in brass, but the one I can't find had calculations for measurements for the amount of stock for making circles.  I gather it was a tinsmith's rule.

That sounds exactly like my Lufkin No. 86 rule.  Too bad I just have one.

I looked on eBay - there are several listed, under both "Lufkin 86 rule" and "Lufkin Blacksmith's rule."  Bad news is they're all "buy it now," and all north of $50.  My goodness.

[Batz]

Nice contribution , thanks for sharing. Excellent photos

Agree, very interesting.

Thanks
Batz

[oldtools]

Nice contribution , thanks for sharing. Excellent photos

Ditto!! Very educational...