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Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: griz on April 16, 2010, 09:25:04 AM

Title: what is it?
Post by: griz on April 16, 2010, 09:25:04 AM
We went to a cabin a while back that had antiques as decor.  One of the items was this gauge, stick, tool, whatever.  It's about 40 inches long, at least as thin as a cheap yardstick and very flexible.  The handle end is laminated into a split in the wood of the body.  The brass end is fairly heavy and looks like it is used to catch the points on whatever is being measured.  It has several scales on it.  The close up of the brass end shows the markings.

I guess it could have come from anywhere, but the area where the cabin is located is farming and railroad country.  Any ideas what this thing was used for?

(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.geocaching.com%2Fcache%2F23928124-23d5-47cd-9f4c-6bf84bf24d4c.jpg&hash=0811250b262af3baacf3328e7780e0fa5cb905c5)

(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.geocaching.com%2Fcache%2Fe023f8af-1900-469b-a718-84831f2978c4.jpg&hash=dc238eaff4c333017a51eae36b36de69e75e423b)
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: AZRedhawk44 on April 16, 2010, 09:48:59 AM
Maybe measuring water depth?  The end with the metal cap is heavy enough to eliminate the wood's buoyancy, and helps it stand vertically?
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: Jocassee on April 16, 2010, 09:56:31 AM
Oil tank dipstick maybe?
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: Tuco on April 16, 2010, 10:00:13 AM
Logger's cruising stick
Measures tree height and diameter.

http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/View_Catalog_Page.asp?mi=1441#

Crude triangulation measures height and diameter based on distance from eye and object.
Used in conjunction with a loggers tape.

Paging Charby.
Charby to the yellow phone.

Ooops, be vewy vewy quiet -  He's hunting turkeys.
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: griz on April 16, 2010, 10:30:07 AM
Thanks for the info, I now know about ten times more about lumber rules than I did yesterday!
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: Tuco on April 16, 2010, 10:47:22 AM
http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/t01_pages/pdfs/M1441.pdf

How to use one!!!
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: Tallpine on April 16, 2010, 11:16:09 AM
Quote
Logger's cruising stick

Or sawmill log scaling stick.

Watch out for the "long thumb" ;)
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: Brad Johnson on April 16, 2010, 11:30:34 AM
I'm more interested in the lines carved into the stone.

Brad
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: geronimotwo on April 16, 2010, 11:33:42 AM
I'm more interested in the lines carved into the stone.

Brad

that's what caught my eye at first.   glacier activity?
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: Viking on April 16, 2010, 11:37:28 AM
that's what caught my eye at first.   glacier activity?
Angry werewolf. Definetly angry werewolf.
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: Brad Johnson on April 16, 2010, 11:39:19 AM
that's what caught my eye at first.   glacier activity?

Maybe, but glacial scoring is usually straight, parallel lines.  The stone appears to have some kind of trapezoidal shape etched into it, and with at least two of the corners showing overlapping of the lines.
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: Nick1911 on April 16, 2010, 12:29:09 PM
It took me a minute to realize that the thread isn't about the stone.  I thought it had a yardstick on it for scale.  :lol:
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: Tallpine on April 16, 2010, 02:14:13 PM
http://www.timberbuyer.net/topics/logrules.htm

Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: sanglant on April 16, 2010, 04:03:34 PM
looks like it's been cut [popcorn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voGRLGNXNuc
http://www.miconproducts.com/wedges.html
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: just Warren on April 16, 2010, 04:36:35 PM
I thought that stone was kind of groovy.
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: 230RN on April 16, 2010, 04:41:09 PM
The grooves are cunieform instructions on how to use the stick.  Page two is on the other side.

And I thought this was a log scale stick:

(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tcf.ua.edu%2FClasses%2FJbutler%2FT389%2FSlideRule.jpg&hash=8bbb36616cfc0c87a1f1885fa2165f21c92cce9e)

Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: Brad Johnson on April 16, 2010, 04:50:31 PM
I thought that stone was kind of groovy.

Sigh, it's going to be one of those days... =D

Brad
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: sanglant on April 16, 2010, 05:23:17 PM
days??? days?????? it's been one of those months. [popcorn]
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: Tallpine on April 16, 2010, 06:14:04 PM
Here, you can buy a new one:

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=15DC

I used to use one, but now I can't quite remember how it works.

The top row of numbers are apparently inches of diameter, and the lower two rows of numbers are number of board feet x 10 for two different lengths of logs.  By combining those two, I think you can get the scale for various lengths.  it doesn't allow for taper however, so a long log gets significantly under-scaled (which the sawmill/buyer loves and the logger/seller hates).
Title: Re: what is it?
Post by: griz on April 17, 2010, 08:21:34 PM
The rock was beside the driveway, maybe moved there with heavy equipment when they were doing the foundation?  I just sat the rule on the rock because it was handy.  I have a higher res picture if it would help, but I don't know enough about rocks to tell if it would or not.