Have you ever had trouble measuring in hard to reach places, not anymore! It is not an ordinary ruler...

Situated between a folding ruler and a tape measure, this handy measuring tool combines the best of both worlds. Extendable, yet rigid due to the sliding action. And above all: in handy pocket size!

Use it to measure the for instance interior distance under a cabinet or bed, in an enclosed space, in a corner or just as a normal ruler for in between measurement.

The operation / construction is very unconventional because you measure between 2 surfaces in sections. Because the measument is done in sections the scale is also in sections and the numbering seems not logical, which may confuse many, but it simply works! Just give it a try!

Reading the measurement is done directly, no calculation needed. Just read the measurement at the bottom of the last (partly) extended section. It is visualized and explained further in the 2nd added photo above, where the measuring ruler is upright.

Printing:
I printed everything with 0.4 nozzle and 0.2 layer thickness. I used 100% infill (the print time doesn't increase significantly), to ensure durability. Printing in a smaller layer thickness or with a small nozzle will probably make the print even more accurate, but for me this was more than enough. I achieved a total deviation between 1 and 2mm over the full 50cm.

Print the top section separately from the other sections because the engravings (color changes) are on a different layer. Engraving on the topssection is at 4.2-4.4mm. On the other sections there are 2 color changes. The engraving starts at 1.8mm and the model continues at 2.2mm.

Use contrasting colors for a clear reading.

note:

* If you suffer from corner bulge / swell or an elephant’s foot after printing, carefully sand / deburr them. When not done, by sliding the various sections together, they are set up, so that the last segment in particular comes under pressure. Make sure to leave the cams intact, they will naturally wear into the guideways when used.!

Assembly:

After printing, the different sections (starting with the last one) can be pushed together *. Slide each section top (without the cams) first into the previous section and press firmly until the cams engage the guideways. Once clamped in the guideways, you can move 50mm up and down. Slide multiple times up en down to let them run into each other. Disassembly can be done in reverse order.

If you don't need the full length, you can simply omit some larger parts. You can always create a longer range by adding parts afterwards. (extend top-down). Each added section extends the measuring range by 5cm.

For me it is a length of 30 (31) cm that I like to use. The assembly remains handy and really pocket-sized. This is enough for most measurements.

Use:

Do not try to tip the ruler parts out of the guideways. This causes unnecessary wear on the cams. Slide the different section down over the underlying section with light downward pressure. To measure correctly, the prior part must always be fully extended! Reading is done at the bottom of the last (partly) extended section. (Make sure that all unused parts are properly retracted)

The maximum length is 51cm. Above that length you may be better off using a laser distance meter or another conventional measuringtool.

The following works too!

An additional benefit is that you can also use this ruler to mark out very conveniently, or measure depth, because the not used sections then serve as a mechanical stop. Only in this case there is a simple calculation. The stated -6 on the top, subtract this from the reading only for such use. (See added photo!)

It is because of the initial length of 6cm (you don't use it in that case). If you use it as a markout tool, hold the various extensions in place by applying light downward pressure on the top section.