Another POV on ww'ing measuring "precision" ...

Swingman · 2006-09-25T21:09:13+00:00

I don't necessarily subscribe to the .001" accuracy in woodworking espousedin some of the threads floating around here lately (particularly when a 4"wide board cut this morning at 65 degree/70% rh may well be a differentwidth tomorrow afternoon when it's 95/95), but with wood getting moreexpensive by the day, it does pay to develop a method/philosophy ofmeasuring, marking, layout and cutting that can get you "consistency" in thedimensioning of your parts ... which is what you should be shooting for whenthings have to go together as a whole.On the methodology side, no amount of precision measuring will get you thisneeded consistency like the "batch" cutting/routing of parts, and themeticulous and consistent "referencing" of faces and edges to fences andcutting surfaces when machining/cutting ... particularly for a "productionrun" of multiple pieces in a small shop environment.On the measuring side, I find myself going back repeatedly to the followingtools for obtaining this necessary consistency, to the point that I evenkeep these, and like items, on a large plastic TV tray, lined with anon-skid rubber mat, so I can move them en masse around the shop as I needthem:Incra rule set (with the Bend rule the most used) Saddle square (one of the most used items in the shop) mechanical pencil (steal this from my shop and you're dead!)Sliding bevel square Square combination squareWith the above (and paying particular attention to maintaining referenceedges), careful layout, marking and subsequent machine setup can be donewith enough consistency to carry you from part 1 to part 101 withconfidence, regardless of how many zero's of precision you put behind theperiod.FWIW/YMMV, etc. ...

Sep 25, 2006 24 Replies

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Pat Barber 19 years ago

We need to be careful, very careful. Even on the wurld wiide weeb, things get out.

Joe Gorman wrote:

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Roger Shoaf 19 years ago

And the German/Swiss slang term for this unit of measure is?

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George Shouse 19 years ago

Isn't that why rch is the only one used for measurement?

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Lew Hodgett 19 years ago

George Shouse wrote: >

Depends on whether you reference the straight or curly version.

Lew

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Pat Barber 19 years ago

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