Where to buy a good metal straight edge.

[James Mills]

Where can you buy a good straight edge for building and how can you tell if it's really straight or not?

Thanks,

James

[Geoff Goodworth]

James

How long do you want?

While we have metal rules in sizes 6", 12", 24" and 1 metre (I am in Oz!) in my shop, when I must have absolutely straight, I use the 1200 mm aluminium frame spirit level that I bought when I built my house some years ago which has not been knocked around.

Cheers, Geoff

[Bootlegger]

  I picked up a couple (36" & 48") at the local Home Depot store. I had to remove the cross at the end of both as they were set up to cut sheet rock and the tee was used as a guide.
  Hope that this helps.     

[Jim Oliver]

Got mine at Home Depot, 48" and 60", without the "T".  Actually made in the USA, Lowe's had china made stuff.....

To determine straightness or lack thereof, I take two of the straight edges and lay them flat, edge-to-edge, and then turn them over and check the other two edges, again edge-to-edge.  If the edges are not straight there will be a gap between them, also use the MK I Eyeball test---more precise than you might think.

Cheers,
Jim

[Randy Powell]

I bought mine from Tacoma Screw, a metal and mechanical supply house. 12", 24", 36" and a 50" one. Seem prett straigh and have a thin cork backing.

[Neville Legg]

Can't remember how I came by the one I have, but it came from the Shorts aircraft factory in Rochester! It is 36"x3" in a wooden sheathe. with Shorts W/shop No. on it! Probably used in the building of Sunderland flying boats or Stirling bombers! (I like to think so anyway!)   

[Allan Perret]

how can you tell if it's really straight or not?
James

Use a piece of thread/string pulled taut as a reference..

[Bootlegger]

  Another way to check for straightness, is that a word?, is draw a line down one side, turn it over draw another line down the same side, if one isn't on top of the other then it isn't straight...

[Allan Perret]

  Another way to check for straightness, is that a word?, is draw a line down one side, turn it over draw another line down the same side, if one isn't on top of the other then it isn't straight...

The Bootlegger is right.  And the best way to do it is put a couple of pins or nails in work top to register the straight edge against, that eliminates the parallax error if you eyeball it.

[Rob Killick]

Hi ,

Staedtler Mars (sp) used to make a good 36" , bevelled edge straight edge .
I'm not sure what they're worth these days (or if they still make them) , but I'm sure they're worth a "pretty penny" , yet the straight edge is of good quality .

Rob Killick