Model Railroading > Scale Ruler recommendations

Are their any HO Scale rulers that you folks would recommend ?

Posted from iPhone

Got mine at Micro-Mark. Has HO, N and O.

Paul B
Canton, GA

I have 2 Generals, but one starts at 0 scale feet at the very end, while the other is indented and also goes 12 scale inches to the left of 0. So, you have to be careful when using it!

TJY

icancmp193 Wrote:
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> I have 2 Generals, but one starts at 0 scale feet
> at the very end, while the other is indented and
> also goes 12 scale inches to the left of 0. So,
> you have to be careful when using it!
>
> TJY

I have one of each and I have painted a blue dot on the one that starts 12 inches to the left.

Maybe you should try some vernier calipers with scale feet and inches one side and inches in thousands on the other side? I still have my strainless steel PFM that I purchased at a local hobby shop.


Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/19 19:03 by wabash2800.

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> Maybe you should try some vernier calipers with
> scale feet and inches one side and inches in
> thousands on the other side? I still have my
> strainless steel PFM that I purchased at a local
> hobby shop.
>
>
> Victor A. Baird
> http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

A good metal rule is good for most measuring. You only need the calipers when you need to be precise or you're cutting multiple parts that are the same size.

A good scale ruler is great, I love my Generals (whos former owner is a model railroader)...but I use my dial caliper way more, on such a variety of tasks.   

I’m going to need this ruler in order to install ditch lights on top of an anticlimber. Never used one before

Posted from iPhone

jdebroux Wrote:
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> I’m going to need this ruler in order to install
> ditch lights on top of an anticlimber.

Maybe you could use a piece of Evergreen strip styrene as a spacer if the lights are 4, 6, or 12 inches above the anticlimber.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/19 13:34 by CPR_4000.

That’s a pretty good idea. The trick
Will be figuring out how far from the ends the ditch lights are set. But I’ve got some good ideas from you folks

Posted from iPhone

jdebroux Wrote:
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> That’s a pretty good idea. The trick
> Will be figuring out how far from the ends the
> ditch lights are set. But I’ve got some good
> ideas from you folks
>
> Posted from iPhone

If you know the spacing cut a spacer bar and mark the center of the anticlimber and put the center of your spacer bar at that mark, very easy as I have done that many times.

How about using Fraction or Number sized drill shanks  for space measurements.
-- Just a thought.

James R.(Jim) Baker
Whittier, CA

The vernier calipers have a depth gauge and the calipers measure inside and outside measurements.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

jdebroux Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I’m going to need this ruler in order to install
> ditch lights on top of an anticlimber. Never used
> one before
>
> Posted from iPhone

Based on this, I think you should start a new thread called “How should I install ditch lights on this XY locomotive”, and include a front (and back) photo if doing both ends.  Hopefully that will remove at least some of the ambiguity.