Story pole/stick dimensions and construction details
 

This question is for people that USE story sticks. There are many
posts on the rec that talk about what they are.

Many posts talk about story sticks. I use them on any fairly complex,
detailed project. None of the posts seem to discuss details of
construction. I know some people just pick up a stick that is
convenient (That is what I have done so far), but I am sure some people
have been more meticulous. Those are the ones I want to answer a few
questions.

My question for these people:

Has there ever been an article talking about details of making a story
stick?

What dimensions (width, thickness) have you found to be best (I find
that I could use more room to make markings sometimes)? Do you use a
square cross section or do you make the stick rectangular to make it
easier to identify what dimensions are front, back, etc.

Do you use more than one in a project (say, one for height and depth
and one for length?). I use one for depth and height and one for
length (the length dimension is large and makes it combersome to work
with for depth and height).

Any special way you mark/label the dimensions to identify them?

What material do you recommend? I find that a smooth, light, hard
surface would be best. Maybe maple?

Any other ideas?

wrote in message

What dimensions (width, thickness) have you found to be best (I find
that I could use more room to make markings sometimes)? Do you use a
square cross section or do you make the stick rectangular to make it
easier to identify what dimensions are front, back, etc.

Yes.

Do you use more than one in a project (say, one for height and depth
and one for length?). I use one for depth and height and one for
length (the length dimension is large and makes it combersome to work
with for depth and height).

Any special way you mark/label the dimensions to identify them?

Sharpie marker. I just write the dimensions and/or what it is for.



What material do you recommend? I find that a smooth, light, hard
surface would be best. Maybe maple?

Any other ideas?

I use 1/8" masonite, 1/4" luan, 3/4" pine, 1/2" MDF or what is handy and
works at the time. I usually pot a coat of shellac on them to keep them a
little cleaner. Any project I think I may make again gets a stick or a
template.

wrote in message
ups.com...
This question is for people that USE story sticks. There are many
posts on the rec that talk about what they are.

I typically use a straight piece of 1x2 pine for story sticks/boards/poles,
but it depends on the situation. The number used depends on the complexity
of the project. I'm in the middle or residing my house (fiber cement) and
I'm cheating the courses using two different 1X2 story poles. The house is
actually a house with an addition and the addition construction is so
different from the main house that a single story pole wasn't viable.

As concerns markings, I use a pencil. In some cases the marks are little
more than elevations (siding) but a profile may be sketched also. Note that
the story board may need to be wider than a 1X2 if the profile is wider. In
the case of the siding I also put a level reference on the house and story
poles to cope with the transitions between sections of the house and to deal
with physical out of level conditions, e.g., to get the first course on in
the right place and cope with level variance across windows and doors (it's
all a compromise).

John

wrote in message

Any other ideas?

These handy, and time tested, devices seem to have fallen out of use in
recent years with the advent of easily available tape measures. Years ago,
in my grandfather's shop, I saw stacks of "story" sticks that, from any one,
you could build an entire, and identical, piece of furniture.

Done properly, accuracy is better than with a tape measure. When building
and installing cabinets, new or additions, I generally make one specifically
for the _exact_ locations and width of the various pipes and receptacles,
with both horizontal and vertical marks..

Nothing special as far as material, just whatever is handy. I keep mine on
the thin side so that it is easier to transfer marks ... a 1 x 4 is almost
always laying around somewhere. If one is too short, I will often use two
with a reference mark on both for alignment.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/04

I have found that a tape measure does not come close to what a story
stick can do. Once in a while, I find myself reaching for a tape
measure and thinking how many times I am going to double check myself
to make sure I am not making a wrong cut by not concentrating on what I
am doing. A story stick gives me the confidence that I am making the
right cut, because the mark was made when I put the plan on it and I
KNOW it is right if I was planning it right at the time. After using
the mark once, a repeated measurement in another area of the project
(the back, for example) is precise because it is taken from the exact
same mark and does not have to be found again on a tape measure.

On 22 Jan 2005 06:46:28 -0800, wrote:


Has there ever been an article talking about details of making a story
stick?

It's a piece of whatever wood is handy, strips of MDF and plywood come
to mind. I usually have 6-8' strips of 3/4" MDF and plywood in my
garbage bin. I leave it unfinished so it's easier to write on.

It's not something where details matter, and you probably can't do it
wrong.

Barry

"Glenna Rose" wrote in message

instead, used a story stick. Only I didn't know it was a story stick, just
that I knew it gave me accurate results. In my ignorance I did the right
thing, relying on logic. Gawd, that gives me a mite of satisfaction. :-)

snip

Thanks, folks, for the reinforcement that my ignorance and good sense led
to me doing a tried and true method of measuring. :-)

Maybe it should be renamed a "logic stick"? :)

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/04

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 13:55:33 GMT, Ba r r y
wrote:

On 22 Jan 2005 06:46:28 -0800, wrote:


Has there ever been an article talking about details of making a story
stick?

It's a piece of whatever wood is handy, strips of MDF and plywood come
to mind. I usually have 6-8' strips of 3/4" MDF and plywood in my
garbage bin. I leave it unfinished so it's easier to write on.

It's not something where details matter, and you probably can't do it
wrong.

Barry

Maybe you can't, but I can ! First I used a scrap that was way too
thick and wide, and I had trouble handling it and getting the marks to
line up accurately. Next, I tried a thinner piece that was too dark,
and I couldn't read my marks properly. So for my next set of matching
drawers, I used the inner side of a planed bamboo lath to copy the
dovetails. That worked, but it was too thin this time, and hard to
hold accurately on the workpiece.

So I now use scraps of pine or fir, about 2" wide by 1/4" thick. I'm
going to try again with bamboo for small pieces (stable, cheap and
easy to mark), but I'll use a thicker-walled species.


only one p in my real address / un seul p dans ma véritable adresse

Sat, Jan 22, 2005, 11:35pm (EST-3) (Glenna=A0Rose)
says:
snip Thanks, folks, for the reinforcement that my ignorance snip

No problem. We'll be very happy to reinforce your ignorance at any
time.



JOAT
Charity ain't giving people what you wants to give, it's giving people
what they need to get.
- Albert

Tue, Jan 25, 2005, 9:40pm (EST-3) (Glenna=A0Rose) says:
Of course you realize, don't you, some/much of my ignorance is also
being removed by education?

That's a very primitave way of doing it.



JOAT
Some is good, more is better, too much is just enough.
- Unknown

Greetings,

I have learned the hard way, cut the end of the
stick square to the length.

Also useful sometimes, attach a block or washer to
the end of the stick so you can hook the stick onto
what ever you want to mark dimensions.

Do not get too clever with abbreviations. You might
not remember them months later. Write real words
and descriptions.

Sincerely,
Bill Thomas

Thank you, Bill, for the washer hint, such an obvious thing but
overlooked. :-)

There used to be a building inspector in our town named Bill Thomas. Good
person as I remember.

Glenna

writes:
Greetings,

I have learned the hard way, cut the end of the
stick square to the length.

Also useful sometimes, attach a block or washer to
the end of the stick so you can hook the stick onto
what ever you want to mark dimensions.

Do not get too clever with abbreviations. You might
not remember them months later. Write real words
and descriptions.

Sincerely,
Bill Thomas