> On Jul 16, 2018, at 1:22 AM, Don Schwartz  wrote:
> 
> 
> Our daughter and son-in-law GIT visited recently to surprise me for my
birthday. One of the things he showed interest in was getting an image of a
story stick. I couldn't find one, so he had to make do with taking a photo of
one of mine. But I offered to look through some of my books to see what I could
find on the topic, and the only reference to story sticks was in Jere Cary's
book on kitchen cabinets, where he gives a detailed explanation of their use.
His description, and the sticks themselves, have been immensely useful to me
both in refitting a kitchen, and in building furniture. Basically, they serve as
a tool of relative measure, as a method for transferring dimensions - from a
kitchen to the workshop, or from a full-size drawing to stock on the workbench.
It seemed to me I should be able to find some reference to them elsewhere, but I
can't. Does anyone know of earlier references to these devices? Does anyone else
use them? Has anyone found them at sales?

In “Doormaking & Windowmaking” published by Lost Arts Press, Anonymous (c. 1910)
simply assumes you know what a “Setting Out Rod” is and describes it in one
sentence.

George Ellis, “Modern Practical Joinery” goes into a bit of detail w/
illustration about a “story rod” use in stairbuilding c. 1902.

Bernard Jones in “The Practical Woodworker” c.19?? discusses the “setting out
rod” in reference to window making.

Those are the only references I could find in my library.

Bill