# The Lufkin Rule Co. #95??



## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

I now have a "yard stick" of sorts. A Steel one at that. Not only does it have measurements down the a 1/16th of an inch on on face, on the same face in will tell you the circumference too!

Made in Saginaw, USA!

Now, on the other face: "Flaring Liquid Mearure", "Flaring Dry Measure" "Cans Pitched Top", "Cans Flat Top", "Straight Dry Measure", "BUSH." At one end is a "warning" "These figures do not allow for seams"

Hardware Store ruler? Uses? I'd post a photo, but it would just show as a black stripe in the camera.


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## JustJoe (Oct 26, 2012)

It's called a Tinner's Rule. Those measurements would allow the tinsmith to measure out the sheet tin he needed to cut to form different sized can-shaped containers. If he knew the diameter of the tube he wanted to make, he would use the measurement on the ruler and that way he didn't have to figure out the circumference himself.


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## Handtooler (Jul 24, 2012)

JustJoe, You got it. My father told me about those and explained the same things, but I've never seen one. I think blacksmiths also had uses for them or a :Story Stick" similar for their speciality???


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## JustJoe (Oct 26, 2012)

Are you thinking of the shrinkage rules for patternmakers or metal casting? Different metals shrink at different rates when they cool, so the shrinkage rule would be used when making the mold. If I wanted to pour a piece to end up 5" long maybe I'd have to make the mold 5.xx" long instead. I've never tried casting so I don't know the math involved but I've seen the rules and I've seen counterfeit planes that had been cast from originals and they were always a bit smaller or thinner. I find it amazing that those old-time "blue-collar" jobs required so much more knowledge than nowadays where a factory worker just pushes a button and the machine pops out 5,000 soda cans or a foundry just plugs the numbers into a computer and a cnc machine carves out the mold.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

My late FIL ran a Hardware store, and he got it from his dad. They had a brother that did plumbing work, as well. It seems that when they needed a tool for work, it came from the store. Maybe that was why I found 21 pairs of slip joint pliers in his tool drawer? Seemed to be a lot of tinsmith tools in there, too.


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## Handtooler (Jul 24, 2012)

bandit571, Probably an old blowtourch and solder pot still filled with lead? Use it to make fishing sinkers or diver's weight belt units.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Those were long gone. I do had a vavle seat reamer, though. There was about six rolls of acid core solder in one box. A 24"+ Stiltson pattern pipe wrench, and a couple Ridgid 14" ones. All kinds of copper pipe fittings, too. There WAS a box of Oakum, but it got used during a a drain line rework.


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