Vintage Carpenter Ruler Trick


I have been buying these things at estate sales for several years now, never really knowing what I was going to do with them all, but sure it was something.

The trouble has always been that when extended it doesn’t lay flat. As I was building my Drafting Desk the solution hit me. Drill out the hinge!

Installed on Drafting Desk

This is pretty easy if you have a drill press. Use a 3/16″ drill bit to bore out the rivet in each hinge joint and wallah you now have like 10 small ruler segments you can use on your projects. I just used plain wood glue on the desk and a clear coat of polyurethane to give them a nice shine.

Stay tuned…. these are going to make it into my Tripod lamps that will be going on sale soon. Each one will be a totally unique mosaic wood creation for the 3 legs and Custom 21″ x 8″ drum shades.

Sneak peak at some of the legs


Join my email list for more tips, tricks and early notification of new products for sale.