Awesome Measurement

One of the biggest pains with measuring is reading those tiny, unlabeled hash marks. Victor’s rulers solve the problem by placing text markings every 1/16-inch along one edge and every 5 mm on the other, with staggered 1 mm lines for easy counting. They come in 12″ or 18″ lengths in plastic or stainless steel with a cork backing.

3D illustrator Jared Owen loves to take things apart to show how they work. In this video, he looks at the mechanisms inside of two old-school mechanical scales to see how they use springs, gears, and plates to measure how much something weighs. It’s all about something called Hooke’s Law.

This precise stainless steel ruler makes it easy to mark perfectly straight lines at exact distances. It glides smoothly along the edge of a piece of wood and has holes at 1/16″, 1/32″, and 1/64″ increments for marking. It comes in 3″, 6″, and 12″ lengths and works best with a 0.5 mm or thinner mechanical pencil.

Need to measure floorplans? Skip the ruler and grab the Meazor. This 6-in-1 gadget can capture detailed digital floorplans by rolling it over a printed document. It can also convert scale distances from maps, and measure irregularly-shaped objects. It also has a laser measure and bubble level. Save 35% in The Awesomer Shop.