trisonic Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I think I do want one in HO. I'd prefer steel but I want one I can read easy more than anything....... Β Whose do you suggest? Β Thanks, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I don't know what's available Stateside, but if we can get 'em in the UK then they are definitely available!! I never needed one when working in either 2mm or 4mm scale, but got one for HO - 3.5mm is just too hard on the brain using an ordinary metric ruler.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 The one I use was made by General, it is their reference code 1251 and can be found on their web site at [url[http://www.generaltools.com/-IndustrialRulers--Industrial-Precision-Stainless-Steel-Rulers-Flex-Rigid-Metric-English-6-12-Lenghts_p_554.html[/url] Scroll down a bit to find it. Β It has markings for HO, S and O scale on one side, inches to 5" and cm to 10cm on the other along with decimal equivalents for fractional and number drills and tap and clearance drills for the size screws we would normally use. There are probably better rules available but it's served me well for quite a while. The inch and cm rules are a bit useless as they are generally too short, but otherwise it's fairly legible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium BR60103 Posted July 14, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 14, 2011 My HO rule is also by General. Β I recently acquired an OO scale rule with one ege marked in feet and the other in meters. Too bad all the drawings are marked in millimeters. Β Didn't PFM make vernier calipers in HO? Does anyone nowadays? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 The "General" rule looks interesting but I have absolutely no requirement for O and S on the same rule. Has anyone tried the Scale Card which looks interesting, though not steel but it is available in a variety of scales. I'm not sure about making fit into a wallet either (and their website is so freaking naff one wonders whether it was set up in 2000AD and then abandoned)! Β http://www.thescalecard.com/ShoppingCart/jsstore.htm Β Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I have had a a Scalecard for years, and it works very well - I also have a couple of HO scale "Modelmakers Scale Rule" in stainless steel by Expo - I think mine came from Eileens Emporium. If you want to DIY - http://www.miniature...cale_rulers.php or here http://lhonings.home....nl/rulers.html. and at the bottom of this page http://www.rslaserkits.com/ Also worth having an old credit card in the wallet - run a magnet along the magentic strip - put an HO figure on a scanner or a photocopier, cut him out and stick him on the card - very handy for confirming quickly the scale of trucks cars and model buildings at swapmeets, marked OO/HO or even with no scale shown - like the Matchbox that are shown as 1:87 in ads, but are actually 1:64 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 The "General" rule looks interesting but I have absolutely no requirement for O and S on the same rule. Has anyone tried the Scale Card which looks interesting, though not steel but it is available in a variety of scales. I'm not sure about making fit into a wallet either (and their website is so freaking naff one wonders whether it was set up in 2000AD and then abandoned)! Β http://www.thescalec...art/jsstore.htm Β Best, Pete. Β I guess it is a case of "if it works, why change it?" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 That's good, Jack. I wanted to make sure they were still in business. I can get a card and a HO rule there. Β Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I assume they are - I've had mine for seven or eight years at least! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I've got two of the Expo ones, 3.5mm & 4mm, and find them very useful Β If you want a 3.5mm one Pete, I can get you one and post it over if you want. Β steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Just for reference for all, in the States try micro mark 12 inch stainless steel ruler including 3.5mm HO Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Just for reference for all, in the States try micro mark 12 inch stainless steel ruler including 3.5mm HO Stephen. That's the General product either done as a special for MicroMark without the General brand, or with the General brand photoshopped away $5.95 from General... (plus shipping in both cases so your final price may make buying from M/mark make sense). Β I wish the scale card website was a bit more informative, it might be instructive to see what they are selling. Somehow the word "card" in the context of a ruler seems odd. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 Thanks for the offers but I want to try an avoid the make work of sending stuff across the Atlantic to one another!!! Β Similarly I try an avoid Micro-Mark as far as possible. Why? They are a great company and deliverer but they are about three miles up the road from me yet still charge me S&H and TAXES at 6.5% because we are in the same State of the Union (and they will not let me drive up there to pick stuff up). Β Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Graff Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Try "Rulers of the world"! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Ray Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Not much to add in this theard, as I have a Walthers Scale Ruler, gotta be from the late 1980s, it's a little beat but works well. Β I see the new Walthers Scale Rulers (same as this one) look somewhat different (bit hard to tell from that image). Β Since my ruler is right in front of me, I can relate that one side the entire top is HO scale, the bottom half is 1/2 is O scale, half is S scale; other side of the ruler - the top is 3/4 N scale (1:160 - I forget you UKians have a funky N gauge), then a 4inch inch ruler, bottom side is 'TT' scale ("Why, Spongebob, Why?"*), and then a 10cm metric ruler. All the railroad scales have markings indicating the standard 4ft 8.5 ft gauge...No, wait, they don't HO, N, S and even TT are 4'8.5"; O scale is 5' - hmm, interesting. Β I also stumbled across this thing while searching - haven't seen it before, is this like the scale card people mentioned earlier in the thread? Β I have even done the "bring a little man" to check scale at Wal*Mart when they were selling supposed 1:87 Matchbox a few years back - not sure if that looks less silly than using an image on a credit card - but the key is to make sure your little human figure is not a Bachmann or other giant of the land (I think Bachmanns are all over 6ft, even the ladies). I think we decided an average Presier unpainted standing male figure was the best candidate, around 5ft 10in Β Β * I know why, of course - this ruler was probably designed in the mid-1960s, when N scale hadn't fully established itself and so TT was the default 'small scale' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium BR60103 Posted July 16, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 16, 2011 Sir Ray: I bought one of those Walthers plastic cards. I also bought the jeweller's loupe that you need to use it. I found that the loupe needed to be stuck in my eye but I couldn't see without my glasses and it didn't focus when I wore my glasses. I think both have been sold. Β Pete: A scale rule for the scale you don't model is for all those plans that are drawn in a scale you don't model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovenor Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I wish the scale card website was a bit more informative, it might be instructive to see what they are selling. Somehow the word "card" in the context of a ruler seems odd. Well, if you go here, Scale card, rather than direct to the shopping cart it does explain what they are offering perfectly well. Β Agreed the site has not changed in the last 10 years or so, except the prices, but someone must be paying for the shopping cart service so if the shopping cart works when you click on it I would assume they are in business. Or of course, if worried, you can always ask them first. The contact is given as josepj@thescalecard.com Β Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Ray Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I bought one of those Walthers plastic cards. I also bought the jeweller's loupe that you need to use it. I found that the loupe needed to be stuck in my eye but I couldn't see without my glasses and it didn't focus when I wore my glassesThis is the second part of the equation - optivisorI got mine years ago, when I was in my mid-20s (I'm in my mid-40s now), and have used it constantly ever since when modeling (or heck, when sewing buttons on or repairing a broken clue w/ glue etc) - even though you may not want to, you'll see the gaps/scratches/drips etc on the model so you can fix them - I feel that if it looks OK under the optivisor, it'll look good in photos, and wll look great at the average model layout viewing distance. Β A scale rule for the scale you don't model is for all those plans that are drawn in a scale you don't model. More than that, most scale drawings/plans use real-world foot-inch/metre-mm dimensions (not model scale dimensions) - so, to find the HO size of a 7ft high doorway, you can multiply out (~0.97in) or just use the scale rule to mark. In fact, today I just did that - organization some shelves, I came across some 'HO' traffic signs (warning and parking signs) I must have brought years ago - cool, but the signs seemed a little big - took out my scale rule, compared the sign dimensions with those of the current US MUTCD, and the 'HO' signs were about 25-30% too big - more like S scale. Oddly, I don't think I have come across metric scale rules in the US - they must be around, but Walthers didn't seem to have any. IT's still gotta be easier to mark off 1 metre on your HO metric scale ruler than dividing by 87 everytime. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Tried http://www.hungryliz...calerulers.html - print the medium one at 83% Β Or there's a 1:87 one here http://www.miniature...cale_rulers.php - caters for everything we need except T scale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted July 16, 2011 Author Share Posted July 16, 2011 Thanks, I've emailed Scale Card to see if they are in business, still because a combination of their HO Card and Rule could be interesting - I'll let you know when I hear back. Β John, I've gotta love a site (the first one) where 1:87 is labelled an esoteric scale!!!!!! Β Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovenor Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 John, I've gotta love a site (the first one) where 1:87 is labelled an esoteric scale!!!!!! And 1:76 doesn't merit a mention Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigZ Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I have a General that I've been using since I had hair. And that's a long time. I find the drill bit conversion table to be as useful as the scale ruler part! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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