Adjustable or fixed story stick

I have a need to make two vertical MDF panels absolutely parallel - top and bottom widths - at the front edges and back edges. My first thought is to just glue two thin sticks together, and trim to the desired length. Somewhere I have seen an advert for some knob thingies to clamp those two sticks together. Is that the way to go or do you use something cheap and more simple?

Hoyt W.

Reply to
Hoyt Weathers
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I use thin sticks and two binder clips.

Reply to
Lowell Holmes

You don't say what the application is so I have to guess a shelf or enclosure of some sort.

Assuming a shelf like configuration I'd cut four pieces of stock, using a stop block, to identical lengths and use them to set the four edges/corners to the exact spacing.

Reply to
Mike G

Lee Valley sells some bar gage heads that sounds like what you're looking for:

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Personally, I bought some thinking they would be handy and I have never used them, but I imagine they could come in handy for others. (I just make up my own story sticks and since I don't do large casework, I don't usually need the extra length they provide.)

Chuck Vance

Reply to
Conan the Librarian

Story sticks aren't what you mean. A story stick is just a piece of stock on which you mark (and label) lines for key dimensions of a piece - one side with vertical dimension lines another face for horizontal dimensions and a third face for depth dimensions.

As suggested by Mike G. cutting four "spacers" to identical lengths, either using a stop block or cutting them all at the same time would be better. 3/4 x 1 - 1 1/2 will give you ends that'll square themselves up. With two thin sticks held together with clothes pins or small clamps, the can flex a little and blow spacing and there's not enough on the ends to see that they're square to your shelve unit's sides.

The thin dual measuring sticks are great for checking diagonals in things like drawers or for drawer opening widths for cutting drawer faces - but not so good for the purpose you've described.

charlie b

Reply to
charlie b

I have solved my minor problem by using a piece of 1" x 2" white pine cut into a long piece and a short piece and two brass flat-top # 12 x 1.5" screws. It is adjustable in that I can remove the screws and slide the short piece of white pine back and forth to any reasonable new dimension and put the screws back in.

TKX to everyone who replied.

Hoyt W.

Reply to
Hoyt Weathers

I have the "knob thingies" from Lee Valley. They work well, don't cost much, and will probably outlast you.

There are ways to do without them, but considering the cost, I think they're well worth it.

Barry

Reply to
B a r r y

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