The Story Stick and Tape Measurer

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With age comes habits, some good and some bad. One thing I have found myself guilty of is the amount of things I fail to measure. Now weather this is a good or a bad habit I really don't know, but I do it to ensure the accuracy of my work. The problem came
when I first started build furniture, no matter how much measuring I did something would always be off especially when I would do things like case work. After a lot of struggles a friend of mine introduced me to a story stick and everything became so much easier almost over night. My measurements became more accurate and as a result my woodworking became more accurate than I needed it to be, to say I was happy is a major understatement. A story stick much like a ruler has markings for distance on it, one inch, one foot, ect. The difference being the only markings on the story stick are the ones you put on it, making for no thought when it comes to the repetition of a joint, a cut length or what ever it is you are doing. Just follow the marks and it will always be the same. Now don't get me wrong a tape measurer or a good ruler still has it's place in my shop, but the majority of it's time is spent creating my story sticks. 

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