Steel rulers and precision woodworking rules for marking out, setting up machines and checking parts, from a 75mm pocket rule to a 1257mm bench rule. Power Tool Services stocks Woodpeckers, INCRA and Shinwa rules alongside a Festool yardstick and a Hongdui multi-function ruler. These are instruments for cabinetmakers, pattern makers and anyone who needs a line in exactly the right place.
Choosing a steel ruler or woodworking rule
- Length: 150mm and 300mm for bench work and joinery layout; 600mm and 900mm for panel and cabinet work; the Woodpeckers WWR1200 at 1257mm for full-sheet layout.
- Material: INCRA rules are stainless steel, the Shinwa 300mm is stainless with a sliding stopper, and Woodpeckers rules are machined aluminium with engraved scales. The Paolini pocket rule comes in both stainless and aluminium.
- Marking holes vs plain edge: INCRA T-rules, bend rules and marking rules have slots at 0.25mm or 1mm spacing so a 0.5mm pencil drops a point exactly. Edge rules and woodworking rules read from a square shoulder.
- Centre finding: the INCRA 300mm centre rule reads outward from zero in both directions so you find the middle without arithmetic.
- Stops and story sticks: the Woodpeckers rule stop and hook stop add a repeatable fence; Story Stick Pro tabs transfer measurements without reading a number.
Metal ruler accuracy: why a precision rule costs more
A stamped ruler has printed graduations and a scale that often starts short of the end. Precision rules are machined or etched to tight tolerances, with scales that start at the true end so you can butt them against a shoulder, and the metric scales here are genuinely metric rather than converted. For square and angled layout see our squares, the rest of the measuring and marking range, or the full Woodpeckers collection.
In stock in Cape Town with nationwide courier delivery, free on orders over R2000. Call 021 674 2119 if you need help choosing a rule.
