There are more purely geometrical ways to divide a line, 
but none faster, easier, or more precise.

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Tom, lets have a race: There's 3 boards each 4+5/16" wide x 1' long. 
Each 1' length has to be divided equally into battens. 
One piece into 4 battens, one into 6 and the last into 8 battens.

Ready, set go. 

My method is to get a rule and angle it across the board from the 
0" mark to the 6" mark (4 equal divisions of 1+1/2" ) and make 3 marks. 
Next I move to the second 1' piece and again lay the rule across the board
at an angle from the 0" mark to the 6" mark, and mark off 5 marks at the 
inch divisions. etc., etc.

Done.

Some-one a long time ago discovered this and I'm happy they did for I rarely 
use a different method for this type of dividing work.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/71876725/IMG_6085.JPG

Of course it (almost) goes without saying that (not just) in layout, there are 
times when there is more than one way to skin a cat, and there are those times 
when only one way will get you through the maze.

But what do I know? I have a nice set of Mitutoyo verniers, and my method for 
using them is to place work inside the jaws, or the jaws inside work and lock 
them up, then get my trusty steel rule and measure against it. Accuracy? 
Within any one division of the rule. 

Cheers
PeterH in Perth
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