Engineers Rules - Engraved Steel

[John Isherwood]

Can anyone sugget a source of engraved, (as opposed to printed or etched), engineers' rules marked in millimeters?

 

I had a 6" / 150 mm. rule which hardly left my hands, but has been misplaced / lost.

 

I can get printed and etched rules easily, but you can't seat the point of your dividers into the engraved lines with those. Trying to set dividers accurately when you have both points moving is a pain in the butt !!

 

I'd love to get hold of a pair of 150 mm. and 300 mm. rules if I can.

 

Thanks in anticipation for any help which anyone can offer.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Miss Prism]

The finest engraved ones I have encountered are Fisher, made in Japan, and available from Shestos (and probably other outlets as well). They are 20 thou thick, and flat. The 150mm ones are about ??2 I think. I must get a 300m one next time I see Shestos.

[Bernard Lamb]

When I was working I used Rabone Chesterman but these now seem to be only available second hand and are getting to be collecters items. Faber Castell also did them at one time but I am not aware of the current situation.

Bernard

[John Isherwood]

The finest engraved ones I have encountered are Fisher, made in Japan, and available from Shestos (and probably other outlets as well). They are 20 thou thick, and flat. The 150mm ones are about ??2 I think. I must get a 300m one next time I see Shestos.

 

Thank you for your suggestions.

 

Are you sure that Fisher rules are engraved?

 

Shestos do not seem to list (online) Fisher rules and Fisher rules listed elsewhere are described as etched as opposed to engraved.

 

Etched rules do not offer a positive location for one leg of the dividers - it just skids across the rule surface.

 

Regards,

John.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

The Rabone Chesterman rules are listed by RS components, which was where I bought my last lot. No idea whether they are engraved or etched, but the scale is crisply recessed and locates a divider point with no problem.

 

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=retrieveTfg&Ne=4294967294&Ntt=steel+rule&Nr=AND%28avl%3auk%2csearchDiscon_uk%3aN%29&Ntk=I18NAll&Ntx=mode%2bmatchallpartial&N=4294954546+4294965942&Ns=stockPolicy_uk%7c1%7c%7cnew_uk%7c1&Nty=1&binCount=48&multiselectParam=4294954546&selectAttribute=Rabone%20Chesterman#breadCrumb

 

Of course the moment you place the order, the mislaid item will turn up. They are usually lying against a vertical surface like inside a drawer front. Unless possibly your significant other has purloined it to use as a bookmark...

[DonB]

If buying second-hand, be careful to ensure that the item you are getting is NOT one intended for pattern-makers which had/has a built-in allowance for the metal shrinkage.

There were/are separate ranges for Iron, Brass,& Aluminium etc. ( I know because I inadvertently bought a "shrinkage" rule in my youth, and had many arguments with colleagues until realisation dawned!)

There should be an identification on the engraved rules at the rounded (hole) end, but I'm embarrassed to say that I can't remember their form!

See http://www.nonesuchtools.com/pmkr/shrink.html for a list of the warious shrinkage allowances and the difference it makes to the perceived measured length.

Googling "contraction rules" will bring up a list of suppliers who also, of course, make/supply "Standard" rules.

[Miss Prism]

John - I assume the Fishers are engraved, but I could not be categorical as to whether they are in fact engraved or etched, but all I can say is that the detents are extremely fine, and far finer than I have seen on many engraved rules. The are fine enough to require a very fine point on any leg of your dividers. Not only are the divisions fine, they are blackened, and thus are very visible against the brushed satin metal.

 

That's the kinda thing you were looking for, yes?

 

P.S. Rabone-Chestermans are good, but I do like the thinness, the complete flatness, and the general high quality of the Fishers.

[John Isherwood]

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread.

 

I'm going to have one last look for my 'old faithful' 6" rule and, if it's still hiding, then I think that I'll order a Fisher.

 

Many thanks again,

 

John Isherwood.

[John Isherwood]

The finest engraved ones I have encountered are Fisher, made in Japan, and available from Shestos (and probably other outlets as well). They are 20 thou thick, and flat. The 150mm ones are about ??2 I think. I must get a 300m one next time I see Shestos.

 

I have been in contact with Shestos.

 

They only stock one 6" / 150 mm. rule, which is made in China by some obscure manufacturer, and is printed with no surface indentation at all.

 

I shall have to seek the Fisher one elsewhere.

 

Is this what you refer to?

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001P05O0/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=471057153&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0001GRWB8&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=0QSPTGZ8A55S397TPH1A

 

It seems remarkably cheap?

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[cutting42]

Hi John

 

This one claims to be engraved and is very cheap.

 

My link

[Miss Prism]

I have been in contact with Shestos. They only stock one 6" / 150 mm. rule, which is made in China by some obscure manufacturer, and is printed with no surface indentation at all.

Sounds like they no longer stock the pukka Fisher things I have (I have two of the 150mm).

 

Is this what you refer to?

http://www.amazon.co...GZ8A55S397TPH1A

It seems remarkably cheap?

Hmmm. My 150mm Fishers don't look like that, either in marking style or in surface finish. Quite honestly, that looks as though it could be a cheap Chinese copy. Indeed, I've done some googling, and every example of the things illustrated as a 'Fisher' do not carry the name Fisher, which mine do (on the metric side). Some of the 150mm things illustrated as Fisher are marked 'Made in England', which makes me even more suspicious. Strangely, the 300mm version illustrations do look more like the style of what I've got.

 

Ah ha, done a bit more googling - here is what I have, etched in satin chrome steel:

http://www.toolfastdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Steel_Rules.html

[Bernard Lamb]

 

 

Ah ha, done a bit more googling - here is what I have, etched in satin chrome steel:

http://www.toolfastdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Steel_Rules.html

 

 

But that is still described as etched and John is asking about engraved.I think that he wants an engraved one that has vertical sides to the markings not an etched one that will have at least some cusping. Dimensionally only a very small difference but in ease of use they are a million miles apart. Those prices seem to be way to cheap for the pukka article. I think a 2m version that I once had as a master for checking extendable tapes cost around ??120 and that was many moons ago.

Bernard

[John Isherwood]

But that is still described as etched and John is asking about engraved.I think that he wants an engraved one that has vertical sides to the markings not an etched one that will have at least some cusping. Dimensionally only a very small difference but in ease of use they are a million miles apart. Those prices seem to be way to cheap for the pukka article. I think a 2m version that I once had as a master for checking extendable tapes cost around ??120 and that was many moons ago.

Bernard

 

I am pleased to say that the search is at any end.

 

I called in at a specialist tool shop - so much better than peering at items on-screen - and found three 6" / 150 mm. engineer's rules on offer.

 

The Fisher (made in Japan) cost less than ??1.00 and did have etched divisions.

 

There were also two Moore and Wright ones available in different thicknesses and widths, both priced between ??6 and ??7.

 

Being a believer in the maxim "you gets what you pay for" I went for the wider (20 mm.) Moore and Wright which has very sharply defined divisions which will take the point of a pair of dividers very positively.

 

Thank you all for your asistance in this seemingly trivial matter.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.