Tick Stick

Raymond

Raymond
Staff member
Corporate Member
I remember my uncle(s) using those when they were building things.

Thanks, Gary. I had forgotten all about them.
 

Oka

Casey
Corporate Member
Ha ! My Grandfather referred to this as a offset layout stick ........ Cool
 

Dave Richards

Dave
Senior User
Old boat builders trick. Great for working out shapes like the curve to cut on a bulkhead or a cabin sole that isn't rectangular.
 

Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
I recently used that technique to template a large curved wall for cabinetry. It’s an extremely accurate way to template any shape.
1580814375818.jpeg

here is the resulting template and I’m laying off for cabinets.
 

JohnnyR

John
Corporate Member
It's new to me and quite useful, but at the end of the video did you notice that the template didn't fill the void?
 

Willemjm

Willem
Corporate Member
Works great, but I am confused?
Why not put the cardboard template behind the shape and trace it directly with a pencil?
In other words why do an offset trace rather than a direct trace?
 

Dave Richards

Dave
Senior User
The tick stick of joggle stick is used when you can't simply trace the shape. Think about getting the interior shape of a boat hull to cut a bulkhead panel. You can't simply trace that shape. Set up a piece of plywood where the bulkhead will be and use the tick stick get marks you can use later to develop the curve on the bulkhead pattern or on the bulkhead itself.
 

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Gotcha6

Dennis
Staff member
Corporate Member
It's new to me and quite useful, but at the end of the video did you notice that the template didn't fill the void?
1/4" caulk.......
I imagine the accuracy can be improved upon with practice and a sharper scribe marker. Can't get too accurate with a medium point Sharpie, but she was just trying to get the fundamentals of the way it is used across. I like it.
 

jerrye

New User
Jerry
I wonder if more precise results would come from placing a thin brad or some other metal shaft a little inward from the tip? Using it as indicated in the video would require careful placement as close as possible to the corner, whereas a small brad or thin shaft added which protruded below the stick could be placed into the corner, ensuring more accurate measurements.

Perhaps a thin piece of sheet metal slotted into the stick, in such a way as to have the thin edge placed into the corner, mounted so that it can be removed when not needed?
 

Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
I wonder if more precise results would come from placing a thin brad or some other metal shaft a little inward from the tip? Using it as indicated in the video would require careful placement as close as possible to the corner, whereas a small brad or thin shaft added which protruded below the stick could be placed into the corner, ensuring more accurate measurements.

Perhaps a thin piece of sheet metal slotted into the stick, in such a way as to have the thin edge placed into the corner, mounted so that it can be removed when not needed?
Or you could just sharpen the end of the stick and go with that.
 

sawman101

Bruce Swanson
Corporate Member
So simple yet so good! Thanks for posting the video Gary, I think quite a few of us learned something of great value!
 

Pop Golden

New User
Pop
I've been in the trenches for many a year, and never heard of this gadget. I like both the tool and her video, but how do you use on a curve? New knowledge is always good knowledge. Thanks Gary!

Pop
 

Dave Richards

Dave
Senior User
...but how do you use on a curve? New knowledge is always good knowledge. Thanks Gary!

Pop

You can get an idea of how it is used on a curve in the upper left corner of the image I shared.

The gray rectangle represents the pattern board. Trace enough of the tick stick to be able to replace the stick in the same spot for points along the curve. Then reverse the process to mark out points on the curve on your template or on the work.
 

jerrye

New User
Jerry
Or you could just sharpen the end of the stick and go with that.
That would not work like what I suggested, as the stick would still be higher than the opening you're trying to measure. IMO the imprecision comes from the end of the stick and the corner being measured having different heights. Not significantly different, perhaps, but different nonetheless.

My suggestion would take all guesswork out of getting the stick to the terminal point of measurement, as one would push it all of the way into the corner, until the brad/sheet metal edge contacts the innermost intersection of the sides, without having to eye whether or not it is actually even with this intersection.

My suggestion arose from thinking about the comment above regarding her pattern being smaller than the opening, which, with the stick used as illustrated, would always be somewhat imprecise, again IMO. My suggestion removes most, if not all, imprecision in using the stick as illustrated in the video.

Does that make sense?
 
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Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
That would not work like what I suggested, as the stick would still be higher than the opening you're trying to measure. IMO the imprecision comes from the end of the stick and the corner being measured having different heights. Not significantly different, perhaps, but different nonetheless.

My suggestion would take all guesswork out of getting the stick to the terminal point of measurement, as one would push it all of the way into the corner, until the brad/sheet metal edge contacts the innermost intersection of the sides, without having to eye whether or not it is actually even with this intersection.

My suggestion arose from thinking about the comment above regarding her pattern being smaller than the opening, which, with the stick used as illustrated, would always be somewhat imprecise, again IMO. My suggestion removes most, if not all, imprecision in using the stick as illustrated in the video.

Does that make sense?
I don’t know a lot of things, but i do know that the system works as is with a high level of accuracy. The template I made and posted earlier in this thread using this system was a dead match to the wall I templated. What I remembered of this particular video demonstration she did not use a lot of marking points and it was a rushed demo. I have over the years made templates this way for countertops and cabinetry with very high levels of accuracy using the simplest of ticking stick. I’m not saying what you suggest won’t work, I’m saying that it’s not needed.
 

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