I have a question about the so-called 'Mill Rule'
I have never used this method, so I don't really know how it works. My understanding is that here carpenters are using wood that is assumed to be generally accurate and straight, marking their joints along the timber believing that the edges are where they should theoretically be. This rather than using wood that is assumed to be inaccurate and marked according to a reference point -for example a chalk line or reference face.
But I would like to know some information as to how it works.
My Swiss associates have informed me, today they use a similar process in Switzerland, where the joints are often calculated rather than being laid out in a scribing floor and carefully marked (but this is the old method) But here, the timbers are very refined and planed to tolerances within 5mm. Any variation greater than that causes problems. To be safe, joints are all marked from a single point of reference -not a chalk line, but the truest face of the timber. So this is an edge rule technique.
Joints are not shouldered or reduced as in square rule. If a timber deviates excessively from the norm at a certain joint, the difference is accounted for by adjusting the length of an adjoining timber (that is to say, timber lengths are unique and therefore parts are not interchangeable)
My question is, how similar are 'Mill Rule' techniques as used in American shops.
