Top Ten Dodgy uses for your machinist ruler.

In this video we take a look at the top ten uses for your machinist ruler that it wasn't designed for. If I missed some that should be included put them in the comments below. Yeah I know I'm going to machinist hell. Thanks for watching!

[@paulwomack5866]

I mean this LOOKS like a Tom Lipton video, but it FEELS like This Old Tony... (no insult intended to either party :-) )

[@Cadwaladr]

I think you complimented both of them.

[@littleworkshopofhorrors2395]

Can't be, no time travel.

[@EnginerdNate]

@@littleworkshopofhorrors2395 I dunno, I bet #1 was done before it was used as a shmoo scraper.

[@littleworkshopofhorrors2395]

@@EnginerdNate I hadn't thought of that, how remiss of me, must have been celebrating new years using my timetravel lathe.😉

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Haha :D Next: 10 Uses for calipers: - 10: adjustable wrench ...

[@Engineerd3d]

9 - fingernail dirt scrapper.

[@SwitchAndLever]

Don't forget the micrometer C-clamps! 😶

[@highpwr]

Stefan, - 8: Jaws opposite... adjustable pin spanner. 😄

[@TomMakeHere]

7 - Splinter remover

[@ColtaineCrows]

6 - Light duty chipping hammer.

[@michaelschnock3998]

Hey tom, nicely done. Especially stirring the coffee AFTER scraping weasel snort 😂, this puts a bit characteristic Maschinist flavour into it, and the big advantage of doing it in this particular order is that all items are clean at the end . Believe me i am sure we all did things like that, in my case i was spreading copper grease bevor i stirred my coffee. Nice xmas to you and yours

[@evilbrat5376]

Michael Schnock: you got to the coffee stirring rod before I did - have used rule for all but forgot one! Finger nail cleaner - terrific.

[@johncarey9149]

Yep, Weasel Snot and coffee was my thought too ... ;-)

[@GaryGrumble]

Lub your insides!

[@petergamache5368]

What was Tom saying a few videos back about planning your order of operations?

[@motormaker]

Back in the nineteen hundreds when I was a wee lad and high schools still had metal shops I was making a tap wrench , you know, the four piece one with knurled handles. I had the taper cut and I proceeded to cut the knurl. A chip got stuck so I grabbed my ,nearly week old, Starrett 6 inch scale. The Armstrong knurler grabbed my scale and quick as a wink it had run it through between the part and the wheels. I fished around in the chip pan and found it in a nearly perfect “C” shape of about two inches across. I then had to explain to my shop teacher how I had keel hulled my scale and I needed a new one. They were only six bucks each in those days. But damn it hurt my pride more than my wallet.

[@bigun447]

scratching that spot between your shoulder blades you cannot get your fingers on.

[@timothybarney7257]

That's what dial calipers are for. They are longer for better reach.

[@billmaguire6216]

Aren't they general use shop sticks that someone years ago had the brilliant idea of putting measuring marks on to add to it's versatility? LOL

[@TheRogueRockhound]

Good call!

[@joepie221]

I think the price of this multi tool should be much higher. I enjoyed this one. I've also done every one with the exception of the feeler gage. One use I can add, is to use it to offset a 'T' shaped parting tool so it fits the holed better. Happy Holidays Tom.

[@driftlessjoinery5059]

We use them for double checking tool height offsets on our CNC mills. Bring the tool down to 0.750" and the rule should just fit. We call it a Bozo check in your honor.

[@torstenb5248]

11 Finger nail cleaner 12 Apprentice punishing device

[@littleworkshopofhorrors2395]

13 back stratcher

[@pyro1324]

14 musical instrument

[@TheArsonsmith4242]

heh, first I thought you meant to but 9 finger nail cleaner, as what good machinist has 11 fingers ( unless they were born with 12?) 13. Birth control

[@TomMakeHere]

@@littleworkshopofhorrors2395 I'm actually guilty of this

[@nbtmx1]

Apprentice knuckle wrapper

[@TheChipmunk2008]

So what flavour is that coffee... Weasel snot and French vanilla

[@Presscrete]

don't know which taste worst

[@WeighedWilson]

Vactra 2

[@SwitchAndLever]

Hahaha! I was preparing the "You forgot the coffee stirrer use!" when you got me just there at the end. Bravo! I am definitely guilty of all of them, except the lathe tool centering, definitely picking that one up. I try to carry two rulers, one beater and one nicer.

[@misterf.2662]

Extra points for the coffee stirrer. I've also used it for a butter knife to make PB & J's in a pinch more than a few times.

[@justus1995]

How the f have I never thought of the lathe centering trick. Exactly the reason why I subscribe to people who have more working experiences than years I’m alive

[@mightymalikie]

Works the same with a center drill or spotting drill on the drill press or mill on round parts For holes that aren’t critical tolerance Gets you really close

[@paulwomack5866]

I've seen this done much more often (on other youtube videos) for centreing a mill when cross-drilling round stock

[@jonjohnson102]

I wont lie, they taught me that in school :p

[@SteveSummers]

The people who gave this video a thumbs down must have not seen the video description. " Top 10 Dodgy ways" It didn't say top 10 proper ways😁. Thanks Tom👍🎄

[@littleworkshopofhorrors2395]

Perhaps they just don't appreciate his sense of humour, silly boys!

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

Of course, it was all in jest. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

[@milantrcka121]

They give thumbs down no matter what. Ignore those illiterate keyboard weasels with no sense of humo(u)r

[@TheArsonsmith4242]

I'm finding it very difficult not to give you an ironic thumbs down.

[@ericgregorash6590]

My lead man when I was an apprentice " you smack flies with one end and stir your coffee with the other,,,,,, don't mix them up" thank you Ray Haney.

[@stoparret]

I was taught one great use by a die maker that I would never have thought of: If the rule is well made and uniformly thick, it is an expedient parallel for setting up die components on a surface plate while clamping them to an angle plate for grinding right angles. I tried it, and was consistently within a .0002".

[@outsidescrewball]

#11,,,,in my shop the machinist ruler loves the game of hide and seek😳😉...merry christmas

[@Gillslayer92]

Or leave on bench become 2nd shifts here!

[@BoffinGrusky]

Sometimes, we run out of toilet paper at the shop.

[@glennstasse5698]

Most of these tips are usable with EITHER Imperial or metric rules, so there’s that...Happy Holidays everyone!

[@bcbloc02]

Yes! Coffee is an excellent tool cleaner!

[@TheAyrCaveShop]

Doubles as cutting fluid...LOL

[@craigd6319]

De-burring tool

[@craigd6319]

@noxxi knox A Starrett works really well for de-burring plastic (sharp edge, negative rake).

[@ronringel9132]

Merry Christmas Tom. Best regards.

[@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT]

Longer ones are great for scratching your back - I have a 12" one just for that :-)

[@cavemansmancave9025]

If it doesn’t dissolve in coffee, the coffee isn’t strong enough. Thanks, John

[@HEADDYNAMICS]

I was waiting for the slurp. Love it Tom, Merry Christmas

[@jsteifel]

sacrilege... real men drink their coffee black. :-0.. Merry Christmas Tom..

[@nameofdane]

This is so great! Purists about tool functions always seem to me to be missing the point. I'd rather tell the tool what to do than be told what to do by the tool. This applies to my interactions with people too.

[@RRINTHESHOP]

What was that a wine cooler? Real machinist stir with the weasel snot on the ruler. Just to let you know. Merry Christmas Tom. Enjoy.

[@chrisboyce5009]

I think it was Fever Tree tonic water. Makes a great gin and tonic.

[@JohnBare747]

One Rule to Rule them all! Merry Christmas Tom!

[@TrevorDennis100]

I shall now forever more call my pocket rule My Precious. 😉

[@joed3786]

Uh...? Gee...? Some folks think we actually use the 6" Rules to measure. sssh.... ! Don't tell em we are using the new and improved Cubit, Finch, 1/2 Finch , Quarter Finch and so forth meesure system. I'm guilty of them all including the Cake Cutter, and Belzona Spreader.

[@matthewjames9167]

I’m not a machinist nor do I play one on KZbin but I cringed through the whole video. I loved it. Thanks Tom

[@RGSABloke]

Tom, as my metalwork teacher would say ‘McIntyre, it’s a RULE, I’m a Ruler’ - followed by a look that would cut a block of Titanium 😳🤨🤔😎👍Kindest regards. Joe. PS Thanks for sharing

[@ianbertenshaw4350]

You forgot a fewTom ! A back scratcher . Super thin parallels ( if you have two of the same type ) . A hand held chip breaker , just push it right in there where the chip is forming and helps to force the chip to curl or break . As a backing for some emery clth to make a sanding stick . Paint stirrers . To whack an apprentice who isn’t paying attention across the knuckles - 12 inch jobby works best ! To butter your toast - goes well with that cup of coffee you made . How do i know these things ? I aint saying - don’t want to incriminate myself ! Merry Christmas Tom!

[@maxcnc777]

On my phone alert for this vid, all I saw was "Top ten dodgy use for y.." I swear, the first thing I thought was, Tom should make a video of all the crap you can do with 6 inch rule!!! When I actually opened the link I started laughing my ass off!! Thanks Tom, and Merry Christmas!

[@knickly]

In aviation maintenance class, I was taught to use the end to deburr aluminum tube...

[@Kenionatus]

I used that trick for some quite delicate parts. Was surprised he didn't show it in the video. If it got a sharp edge, it makes beautiful little chamfers.

[@kevinreardon2558]

Thanks Tom, for a lot of things. One of my first KZbin machining videos was you leveling a lathe. My Lathe is a small bench hobbyist one and there just wasn't enough lathe to level . However, you pointed out the three-point leveling technique. I also have a hobby mill but had to make a base for it. It was in combination with the mill, but there was never going to be a way to get it to tram. My Engineering skills are pretty good to figure out what I'm doing wrong. So after a year, of watching KZbin videos on machining, I used that three-point method on the design, using all of the existing hardware (plus some of my own design). Last week with the design I had, I spent three days misstramming that mill. I gave up with my four-point design (which never did look right) and moved to a three point design. From my tear-down to tramming, using the three-point design, it only took me four hours. From tearing it down, manufacturing the proper parts, to an accurate tramming, four hours. Thanks Tom. I'm kinda getting good at this thing.

[@railgap]

Speaking of abusing tools, I was told a story of someone found snorting something - meth, coke, I forget - off a surface plate. This involved scraping said plate with a razor blade. And when caught he'd been doing it for ages. Plate checked out fine tho.

[@Birender100]

Nice techniques Mr.Tom, Thanks. Merry Christmas to you and family. Birender Singh Rawat, New Delhi, India

[@railfan439]

#13 - with a 12 inch scale, ... scratching that itch in the center of your back, where you just can't quite reach. Have a Merry Christmas, and I'll see you at the Bar-Z. Jon

[@godfreypoon5148]

I can't believe he put his coffee down on the cutting mat. What a disgrace. Only a sloppy hack machinist would misuse equipment like that. Down voted, unsubscribed, slammed the laptop shut, stomped out of the room and gone to sulk in the corner.

[@mike-carrigan]

Hahaha, that's great. The first company I worked for provided tools and we had aluminum jobs on the CNC machine and the young kids would spin the chuck and use the ruler to deburr a sharp edge

[@ericcommarato7727]

This reminds me of my Dad who was a magnificent machinist and industrial designer in the can industry. He was super duper hard on tools and would not have thought a second about using a $25 Starrett 604S to pry something open it wasn't intended for.

[@ecliptix1]

Hopefully you clean it sometime between #9 and #1

[@carlgumeson]

Weasel Snot is a dietary supplement for Mechanicmachinistwelder type folk.

[@nowayjerk8064]

10 is the cleaning ! lol

[@SwitchAndLever]

Just spray it off with some WD40 before you dunk it into the coffee, that's all she needs!

[@noeoep]

Ecliptix He does. With the other ruler of course.

[@nowayjerk8064]

@@SwitchAndLever thats not what he added to start with ?

[@arnodyck]

I love when you do videos like this. I've got another suggestion. Scraping welding spatter off the workpiece after welding :D

[@iDahl]

I'm a maintenance machinist at a legacy prop shop for C130s. And I 100% am going to keep a rule on me now. Too many things in my pockets though, gotta make some space haha.

[@seanflanagan5674]

Mr. Harold Herndon taught me #2 in MTO at DeKalb Tech in 1985. Best mentor a person could ever hope for!

[@joefalmo5528]

Geez it wouldn’t take much to make this 101 uses for your scale good video Tom I’m one of those guys it can’t be without my scale

[@johnbodmer5645]

I must really be being machinist. I have only use the rule for centering the tool bit in the lathe. I never thought it had so many uses. Thanks for enlightening me Tom. Have a Merry Christmas.

[@JlerchTampa]

Was going to complain about the missing 'Scrape gunk from underneath Fingernails" but realized this would be obviously included with item #9 'Handy weasel snot scrapper' :)

[@nelsonashbrook765]

French Vanilla???? I took you for a Pumpkin Spice kinda guy.....

[@forrestaddy9644]

Fingernail digger outer then eat a piece of pie with it. Guy in the toolmakers used to charge $5 to silver braze carbide on the end to make of your 6" scale to a better scraper. Handy to start untying a hard knot. A corner MAY work in a Phillips head screw but don't bet on it. Putty knife and epoxy mixer. And apparently memory lanexstarter and imagination stimulator. I got a similar list somewhere on my computer. I'll see if I can find it. Anyway, it's all part of the culture like using valve packing for an emergency shoelace, making lunchtime coffee down in the #2 auxilliary machinery room in an aluminum hard hat (heating it with a gas torch,) and sticking safety posters up with Copaltite.

[@oxtoolco]

Hey Forrest. Might have to do the carbide end trick. Thanks for the comment. Cheers. Tom

[@holton345]

@ 1:52 - Not just a box opener, but a box opener for goodies from Mcmaster-Carr… I love it. HAHAHA!!!

[@danbreyfogle8486]

Woodworkers use this rule as well and can add to the list, glue spreader when the real on is misplaced, dried glue scraper when the real one is misplaced, and shim stock when making an "adjusted" miter cut. Just wonder was that you licking the coffee and creamer off the rule at the end? Sour milk in ones apron close to your face might not be a good thing.

[@jameslamb4573]

Merry Christmas Tom .... add some gin to that Fever Tree Tonic Water!

[@nathanwrobel5534]

I once needed to inspect an internal groove and didn’t have a mirror handy so I polished one end of a rule to a mirror finish. Merry Christmas Tom!

[@TheFeller1554]

Nice to see you stop trying to make everyone happy. Feels good right?

[@DubsnSubsSessions]

Once when I was trying to copy a bob ross panting I used a 6" as a palette knife... Mountains turned out ok though.

[@gordonlong1673]

What the hell did you put in that coffee? Hope it wasn’t “CoffeeMate” fake cream. My stepdad worked for Carnation and warned us to never touch that stuff. It’s not fit for human consumption.

[@lixxxxit]

This old tony sent me to watch a video, now i'm subscribed.

[@Orxenhorf]

French vanilla flavored coffee? Heathen. Next you'll be bringing out the pumpkin spice.

[@Bespoke-metal-fabrications]

Ruler?!! Argghh! One of the uses I remember from my apprentice days was being slapped accross the knuckles with one for calling it a ruler! It's a rule.

[@svventure844]

My drafting professor held one up on day one, declared "Rulers rule countries! THIS is a rule or scale" That was 35 years ago. Funny how you remember certain little things.

[@PeterWMeek]

@@svventure844 Nah, a ruler is someone who puts the marks on a rule.

[@joeyg8172]

Good for setting certain tool heights on the KE-55 in your video. Great machine BTW, run one almost on a daily basis.

[@ThAtGuY-u9d]

What kind of plastic was that from McMaster? I’ve been buying different types to try to find one with that solid off white color. Most have been somewhat translucent. Looked like what you had might’ve been the stuff.

[@oxtoolco]

That was natural ABS rod from McMaster. Nice for lots of prototyping uses. It cements quite well unlike many other engineering plastics. Cheers. Tom

[@matttradie1341]

Also good for cutting your breakfast blueberry muffin in half.

[@OldIronMachineWorks]

And then applying the butter on it.

[@msquared6324]

Who only eats half a muffin?

[@matttradie1341]

Marcus Merrick when you need to be realistic that the second whole muffin at afternoon smoko is one of the reasons your work shirts are getting tighter not shrinking in the wash as you first insisted....

[@wzhaicthtaarkyer]

You forgot butter knife, 1inch of mayo.

[@geoffflato9918]

I'd like to add fingernail cleaner, catching rings being parted off on the lathe, and fishing the tea bag out of your mug. I've grown to rather like the 6" Starrett hook rule as one to keep in the pocket of my bib overalls

[@routercnc9517]

I was using one today to scrape a small raised area of plaster flat on our bathroom window sill prior to fitting the oak window sill itself. 🤭. Don’t feel so bad now !

[@wendellg1]

I saw you as a powdered creamer guy...

[@PeckerBrown]

#11 use: getting folks to watch another OxToolCo vid!

[@2dividedby3equals666]

Thanks for the laugh Tom!! And thank you for all the great content you put out, I've learned a ton of things from watching you and I realy apprecciate the time you take filming and sharing it with us. I hope to one day be able to pay you back, but for now my gratitude will have to do... Thanks again and best wishes!!

[@paulcarre4719]

OK here is another - you can break the corner off of Acetal (delryn) rotating in the lathe leading to a chamfer or round as you desire. Bit slower when work is not rotating but works fine by hand. in fact I have put a 1/8 rad on Acetal edges no problem by hand. Usual safety terms and conditions apply.

[@jessebrown2723]

LMAO!! Yes, I have done every single one of those things with my scale. I guess it's just proof positive that some things are universal.

[@tstthomason]

Occasionally I’ve used them for measuring the distance between two points! Not often, but they do work decently well for that purpose

[@gerardlochmans589]

Oxtool RULES!!!! ;-)

[@wheelitzr2]

That was kinda hard to watch... 🤮

[@ROBRENZ]

Great sound effects! ATB, Robin

[@AlainHubert]

I'm and industrial mechanic (formerly known as Millwright) and I often use my small ruler as a weasel snort scrapper and flat head screwdriver 😂, when I'm in a bind. Lucky for me, I don't drink coffee... ;-)

[@DIY3DTECHcom]

Worth note is #5 also seems to work for Amazon boxes too!

[@DreadedOne509]

Should probably have stirred the coffee BEFORE doing the snot removal....

[@TheAyrCaveShop]

I vote to move the bottle opener to #1....Oh look it just turned 5:00 pm... Merry Christmas to all...

[@ThrowingItAway]

I just picked up a 6" Starrett Rule made in england at the local flea market for $3. it's been the most useful little piece of steel to have on me in the shop. After seeing you use yours for so many things I had to get one for myself eventually.

[@mackk123]

Get two or three lmao

[@einars899]

I frequently use it to shovel swarf out from the ends of my mill table. There's always that remain that the brush refuse to lift out, and just stuff up in the corner. And the ruler is just the right width for getting it out.

[@awhs-uc3ng]

Slice Bermuda onion. Wipe on pants. Flip toasted cheese sandwich. Wipe on pants. Loading up with Copenhagen(fingers too dirty). Chamfering, debuburring plastics.

[@edwardhugus2772]

All of the uses were valid uses of a 6"rule, but I must admit I cried a little when you used it as a scraper and pry bar. No problem doing it to a Wal-Mart one, but I cant bring myself to do it to my Starrett or Browne & Sharpe ones.......it just goes against the grain.

[@farmalltomf]

My friend, not only valid uses, but hilarious to boot! Merry Christmas, and Festivus for the Rest of Us! BTW, where can I buy my Oxtools mug?!?!?!?

[@TheArsonsmith4242]

Wow!! 10 different Xmas presents!!! And I didn't get you anything.

[@jaygee9249]

Here in Australia us toolmakers, machinists and mechanical fitters would never ever call the scale a ruler, it is known as a RULE. In fact it would be quite embarrassing for a tradesman to call it a ruler. But then again your not in Australia. So you are forgiven

[@iteerrex8166]

The 2nd use and the last application in succession, makes for a superb detox regimen. HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE.

[@matthewhelton1725]

I may have been accused of using the machinists rule in the manner described in: #9, #7, #6, #5, #2... for certain, never have I ever contemplated or performed #1, ever.

[@johnjohn-ed9qt]

It would probably be a good thing not to admit how many of these things I have done, but I will: 9. I drink my coffee black and unsweetened. As a weasel snot-remover, especially useful de-snotting in narrow gaps. Additional uses: extra-slim parallel, when you need the reference 'face' is the bottom of a 0.5mm wide slot; A spline for laying out tangent curves; Leveling shim (one of my machines has a couple cheapie industrial supplier give-aways used for this);

[@johnwinden8511]

Weasel snot!! 🤣. Overall, very entertaining. I’ll give it a 9.2 even though the Russian judge offered up a 8.7. Merry Christmas

[@mikekellam365]

Right ON!! BIG Fan of No. 8 and No. 1, #7 kinda feelin it, #9, just be sure to use the 6" end of it all. Really DIGGIN' the #6 Option, seems plausible!!

[@tedmattingly7564]

A lot of interchanges as the pocket screwdriver we mechanics get from the tool trucks. Also called the universal pocket prybar. Merry Christmas

[@JunkMikesWorld]

OMG! Never going to put my machinist scale in my hot beverage! YUCK!!!

[@davidt8438]

Stirring coffee made me smile, scrapping gunk off of table tops made me cringe and all I hope is that you filmed the coffee stirring before the scraping.

[@7891ph]

Whoo!!! I'm only guilty of 7 of the 10 (scraping weasel snot is the worst one I've never done; you get to figure out the other two). I had to give up coffee several years ago, so mine doesn't see that application anymore either. For the rest, he pretty much nailed it on the head. Seasons greetings folks :-):-):-)

[@mpetersen6]

You my stir your coffee with your machinist rule. But I won't. I KNOW where mine has been used. And it didn't always get wiped down with alcohol. You left out a couple. Sausage cutter, butter spreader, back scratcher, emergency steak knife, glue spreader, pointer, parts sorter. I even used mine for measuring stuff once and a while 👍 One area of the plant I worked in, a lot of it actually, had either flumes or chip conveyors under the machinery. After losing the third Sterrett 6 inch ruler down the drain I picked up some tape measure replacement scales. Cut into 6 inch pieces they were perfect for use out on the production floor. But then I also started using a pocket protector and a coin purse. Any time I was going to be in an awkward position. Say over a flume with coolant being sprayed under pressure and I had to indicate the chuck in on a crank lathe or I was working on the fixture as part of a transfer line. The PP and the purse went on the top of my box

[@dragontigerworks3460]

I'm sure someone's said this already ... but HAMMER! ... after all, everything can be used as a hammer in the correct circumstances

[@CraigsWorkshop]

:-) Merry Christmas Tom!

[@NH3rrm4nn]

Brilliant as per usual. Really glad to see some more of your content. Keep on making em, we'll keep watching em. Happy Christmahanukkwanzimas!

[@Gottenhimfella]

I like using mine to reenact the wonderful sound effect from Cheech and Chong's sketch "Sister Mary Elephant" - when she's addressing a class of young thugs. You know, the one immediately after she says "Young man, give me that knife"