"Measuring sticks" Topic

I see a lot of people using tape measures for their gaming. Is there a bendable measuring stick out there on the market or has anyone made their own?

Thanks

Look up flexible rulers.

I have a 12" and an 18" from drafting in the old days but haven't used them in years, either for drafting or gaming.

I just use a tape measure. It bends, it can stay straight to use for LOS checking and it rolls up in a convenient travel case.

Just look in the drafting supplies at hobby lobby or staples

One of my buddies uses pieces of string for various movement rates, with a black marking for a single move and the black markings at the whole length for a double move. They work very well, although I think a measuring tape works well enough for me.

My brother made a ruler from stretchy rubber for those awkward moments when your charge falls an inch or two short. No, he never really tried to use it… :)

Hey Bill,
I have brought out my stretchy rubber ruler at games for the same purpose. Everybody laughs, then I have to put it away because the host won't let me use it for real ;)
John

I do use a measuring stick, but a rigid one, never seen a bendy one.

Frankly, a tape measure works fine.

I've used a wooden rod painted in range bands for Rapid Fire.

Several of the GW games (Necromunda, Mordheim) came with measuring sticks, twelve inches long with marked inches.

Problem is the sticks themselves were of a medium strength plastic so bent/warped…which meant that distances were more difficult to measure, and of course only being 12 inches long were not much use for longer ranges.

None of my gaming group used them – we all used normal tape measures.

I normally play on a 12 foot table. I have a 6 foot wooden dowel about 1 inch in diameter. I write the range on a sticky address label and put it on the dowel. Of course we have shorter ones but I use the 6 foot one to measure the long ranges. Playing 1 inch = 25 meters the 6 foot dowel is 1800 meters.

The 6 foot length also comes in handy to smack players that are not paying attention or getting out of hand. It works more quickly than tape measures.

Wolfhag

How about a Tailor's Tape Measure aka soft tape measure:

link

Why not go to any Lowes or Home Depot and buy some of that round rubber gasket material on a roll. Should be completely flexible and available in long lengths.

If you're looking to turn around a corner, you could check out the corsec engineering omni ruler. It comes in detachable 1 inch increments.

I've used the nylon packing tape ( often seen on palletised stock), cheap (free) tough and flexible. Just block painted in with suitable measurements ( for rules I was using it was 3" and then 6" blocks) for speed I shaded them with an indelible black marker………..used them for for/participation games too, no problem if they get broken or lost.

Years ago a chap in our group had a rep for 'flexible' measuring with steel rules etc, we bought him an elastic tape measure……..message received.

I have sticks for Chain of Command scouting phase- multiple 12" sticks makes it easier to check contact with own disks, move and lock down distances.

Richard hosted a game at our club, and was a bit dismissive at first, then after he saw them in action went 'Yeah, they work"!

I cut a 4 foot piece of dowel into two 18" sticks and a 1 foot stick for use in Chain of Command. The 1' stick is useful for moving the markers in the patrol phase and the 2 18" markers are really useful for determining both the angles and distance for the JOPs. The 18" length is also useful for measuring close range.

That being said, most of the time I use a tape measure.