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How To Read Blueprints With an Architect Scale Ruler

This week (the 3rd week of September) is National Construction Appreciation Week. Construction covers a wide array of activities. Building bridges, razing barns, pouring concrete, painting buildings, covering roofs, making highways, installing drywall, and pounding nails, are all part of the picture of building our environment.

An important tool that is common to all these activities is the architect scale ruler. It is used by

architects
builders
estimators
designers
contractors

It helps to measure the size of things on a blueprint. The 2 common configurations are 1/4″ and 1/8″. On the 1/4″ scale, each mark is 1/4″ apart, and numbered from zero, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. If the blueprint is drawn to that scale, then the “5” mark on the scale means 5 feet, or 5 miles, or whatever the blueprint says.

Observe National Skilled Trades Day with Architect Scale Rulers

Tomorrow, the first Wednesday in May, is National Skilled Trades Day in the US. This is the day we set aside to recognize the importance of those who:

Build your homes.
Fix the furnace and air conditioning in your office and homes.
A Skilled Tradesman Taking Notes in the Field
Paint ceilings, walls, bridges, and machinery.
Wire your house and the businesses.
Fix your cars.
Create your hairdo.
Build the roads.
Repair aircraft.

A college education isn’t necessary for any of these jobs, so these careers have generally been hard to fill with qualified people. Tomorrow, you can recognize these important contributors to society by:

Thanking them.
Calling them for assistance instead of doing it yourself.
Give them a gift, like this useful architect scale ruler. It is a vital tool for reading blueprints of road construction and building construction and remodeling.

Architect Scale Ruler for Reading Blueprints

Did the Egyptians Use an Architect Scale Ruler to Build the Great Pyramid?

Some perplexing questions about pyramids:

Did the Egyptians build pyramids?
If so, why did the Egyptians build pyramids?
Why did they stop building pyramids?
How did they build them?
Did they use an architect scale ruler to read their blueprints?
Architect Scale Ruler

We consider the architect scale ruler to be a modern tool for engineers and planners. But since the Egyptians were so far advanced, why not assume that they used this modern tool, also?

The Biggest Problem With An Architect Scale Ruler

How Do You Use an Architect Scale Ruler?

The biggest problem, is many people don’t know how handy they are. Even though they could learn how to use them, many people just don’t know how easy they are to use. An architect scale ruler is a short 6″ or 12″ ruler that is used to read a blueprint or a layout of a new kitchen remodeling plan.

How do you use one?

Look at the bottom of the drawing. If it says 1″ = 4 feet”, then use the scale that is marked “1/4″. If the drawing says 1″ = 8 feet”, then use the 1/8 scale.
When you want to see how many feet wide a hallway is, your architect scale ruler will read 4, if the width is 4 feet.

So that’s it in 2 easy steps. Now you can use a tool that was designed for architects!

How to Use an Architect Scale Ruler

Don’t be afraid of the unusual scales on an architect scale ruler. It might have 4

Architects Scale ruler — Architects Scale Lufkin tape measure

scales, but you will only need to use one of them for a particular drawing. Let’s make one example. Take a look at the w906a Architects Scale Lufkin Tape. It has 2 scales. One is 1/8 and the other is 1/4. Let’s say that the drawing in front of you is drawn to the 1/4 scale. It says this in the information box at the bottom. The 1/4 means that 1/4 inch on the drawing represents 1 foot in real life. In this case we will ignore the 1/8 scale and use only the 1/4 scale. Set your zero mark at the corner of some part of the drawing. The other corner is even with the 9 mark. That means it is 9 feet long. It’s really that simple.

Which is the Best Architect Scale Ruler?

Suppose you own a business. Suppose your customers are architects, designers, contractors, builders, engineers, or real estate developers. Suppose you want to advertise your company to them, in a way that your name and phone number are visible to them every hour of the day. An architect scale ruler would be a very effective advertising tool for you! But which one?

Architect 6″ long with four bevel scales
Engineer 12″ long with four bevel scales
Architect 6″ long pocket scale
Hollow triangular architect 12″ scale

These scales are all good choices. Of course the 6″ one are very portable. They are for inspectors and estimators that are on the go. The 12″ ones would usually stay at the work station. Architects and engineers would need different scales, so that is something for you to consider. Ask a couple of your customers which ruler they would prefer. That would take the pressure off of you to make a difficult decision.

Architect 6″ Four Bevel Scales 3130

Engineer 12″ Four Bevel Scales 3331

Architect 6″ Pocket Scale 3010

Hollow Triangular Architect 12″ Scale 3030

The Anatomy of Today’s Architect Scale Ruler

An architect scale ruler is used by architects, designers, planners, and draftsmen. If you are going to order some with your company logo, which ruler should you choose?

6 inches long, or 12 inches long? Will the person using it, be carrying it in their shirt pocket, or in their brief case, or on their desk?
Scales. A good architect scale ruler has at least 8 scales. Examples are (1/8, ¼), (½, 1), (3/8, 3/4), (3, 1½). These are listed in pairs, because they share the same edge, but are marked in opposite directions.
Color. It is good to choose a color that goes with your corporate colors.
Imprint color. The logo imprint color is usually the same color as the markings. So, you should choose a markings color that has a high contrast from the color of the ruler.
A good ruler is imprinted using a photo anodized method. This assures smooth edges, so you can use a pen or pencil to draw tick-free lines.
Aluminum is the best material, since it doesn’t warp.

If your architect ruler has all these characteristics, you have a good one.

Where Will You Take Your Architect Scale Ruler on Spring Break?

When you’re packing your bags to leave for a much-needed spring break, what do you bring?

Clothes, swimsuits, shoes, toiletries, books?

Did you ever think you would need to throw in an architect scale ruler too?

Most people probably don’t need one, but for those dedicated architects out there, you should probably have an extra one on-hand just in case the situation calls for it!

The 3 Key Features of An Architect Scale Ruler (Plus a Bonus Feature!)

The average person doesn’t typically use an architect scale ruler– we tend to stick to just a regular ol’ ruler or tape measure. To be honest with you, I hadn’t even heard of these unique rulers until just a few years ago!

What do you think their best features are?

Ability to quickly translate the measurements on a blueprint
They are small and portable (ie: pocket-friendly!)
They come in both rigid and flexible styles

Bonus feature #4: They can be imprinted with your company’s logo!

No Holiday Gift List Will Be Complete Without This Architect Scale Ruler

The holiday season is officially upon us, and people are eagerly putting together their holiday gift lists. It’s best to plan ahead and take care of the employees and customers on your list who need an architect scale ruler. These are the best ones to spoil them with: