Giant old ruler

[mojjax]

It's 6 feet long . It has brass edges dovetailed into the wood part with an iron piece down the back . I have not found any makers marks yet , maybe I'll find something when I polish the brass . The shiny round thing in the first picture is a nickel . Any ideas what it was for ?

mojjax

 

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[romeo-1]

Drafting ruler?

 

[roswellborn]

It reminds me of the blade on a (hydraulic) paper cutter in a printing place. Ok, it's longer than I've usually seen, but it looks much the same. Just minus the cutting blade itself (be glad).

Anyway, that's my guess, for what it's worth (can't even get a cuppa coffee with it)

HH
Nan

p.s.
where the heck did you find it, anyway!

 

[LadyDigger]

Being a Draftsman by trade....it reminded me of a drafting ruler (as someone else mentioned)...but it looks like it was attached to the drafting table or maybe some kind of straight edge ruler/cutter/guide....hmmmm?

Looking at it again....my guess stands with the drafting ruler....one that was used on a drafting table. It was attached by line on the ends and would slide up and down. You would use triangles to rest on the ruler to make various lines, depending what you were drawing. Was there some kind of Engineering business near where you found it?

 

[Copperhead]

Looks like an old straight edge to me, used by carpenters...new ones are all aluminum ...I got an old one too...I'll post a pic when I get a chance...

 

[ClonedSIM]

I concur, drafting ruler.

 

[savant365]

Looks like part of a transit for doing survey work to me.

 

[Angelo]

Glass cutter's ruler?

Tony

 

[Old Dog]

I agree with Tony,
This could be a craftsmans straightedge. I am in a trade where some of my straightedges are 10 feet. I have T-squares that are 6 feet.

Coat it with boiled linseed oil and watch the patina come out.
It will also stop any rust on the steel or iron parts of the tool.

Super find.

OD

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Carpet layers.

 

[Ralphw]

you dug that up?



very cool
as a carpenter by trade to me it looks like a straightedge or drafting ruler as stated

 

[artemis moon]

it's a Catholic School implement of correction

 

[LadyDigger]

it's a Catholic School implement of correction

Well, blasted....I was hoping no one would find it....I hid it from Sister Maria Teresa...Shhhh...bury it again!!! LOL

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Carpet layers use a very large straightedge ruler like that to cut carpeting. I believe that is what it is...a vintage carpet installers straightedge/rule. I had one similar. I believe diggummup is in the flooring business. What do you think Digg? Lets settle this.


I agree with the boiled linseed oil on wood and metal.

 

[teverly]

Maybe an old part of a metal bender,Like they use to do facia covers

 

[diggummup]

Carpet layers use a very large straightedge ruler like that to cut carpeting. I believe that is what it is...a vintage carpet installers straightedge/rule. I had one similar. I believe diggummup is in the flooring business. What do you think Digg? Lets settle this.


I agree with the boiled linseed oil on wood and metal.

I never saw a carpetlayers straightedge with numbers on it. The older ones i've seen are made of heavy steel and the newer ones are aluminum. Not that it couldn't be used for the same purpose, I just think it was made for a different purpose other than carpet. The numbers on it don't seem to correspond with the inches on the ruler (the inch looks bigger), am I seeing this correctly mojjax?

 

[Gypsy Heart]

I think its a vintage wallpaper hangers ruler.

 

[deepskyal]

Gypsyheart is correct, wallpaper cutter/ruler.....i own one. There is a cutter that rides the track...maybe it's still out there.

You dug that?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Thanks Digg. You would know being in the biz. We used to have one in the warehouse that I thought was used for carpet back in the day. Is it metric?

 

[mojjax]

Gypsyheart is correct, wallpaper cutter/ruler.....i own one. There is a cutter that rides the track...maybe it's still out there.

You dug that?

There is a groove on it under one of the brass parts where maybe a slider piece went . I found it out in one of the sheds at our big old farmhouse .

Diggum - the increments are in inches . I was thinking of carefully re-doing the numbers and lines with a black roll-tipped pen before putting linseed oil on it , some of them are quite faded .

thanks for all your help !