# Story Sticks, The Most Essential Layout Tool



## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

I've been reading some threads where the question is asked "What is a story stick?"

Well for me it is a very important layout tool and helps prevent almost all my measuring mistakes. I don't exactly have a mind like a steel trap. I can take a measurement and sometimes forget it while walking to the saw to make the cut.

A "story stick" or story pole or layout stick is a shorthand version of a full scale layout and can contain all the measurements your project might require. I start with 1/4" plywood ripped to 1-1/2 to 2" strips which are nice and flat and easy to write on, but any flat stick with a nice square end will work. 

Lets say I'm building a chest of drawers. I'll first layout in, full dimensions, the horizontal layout. Using a tri-square I mark all the vertical references including the ends, partitions, face frames edges and dado depths and also edges of drawers and drawer parts. I mark the partitions darker then the face frames and use dashed lines for dados. I also have a shorthand lingo for marking stiles which is a broads "s" from one edge to the other.

Then make a stick for the depth and height. Now you have a three dimensional layout of your project on a couple of small sticks. You can carry it around the shop with you if you want. You can use your tape measure to take measurements off of or you can use it to directly mark your work piece. For me the real beauty of this tool is to check myself as the project is going together, if the project does not match up to the stick you know you have cut something the wrong dimension and can correct it before you go any further.

Layout sticks are the method I learned for building kitchen cabinets. You can put a lot of information on a small bundle of sticks. I computerized my shop along the way and got away from using the sticks. But now I'm back to a small shop and I do not use computer layout any more and I'm back to using the story sticks again, which I prefer anyway.

Bret


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## GoIrish (Jan 29, 2012)

I have used 1/4 ply with the joinery drawn on it but it is not easy to carry around. How do you label you lines and keep everything strait?


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

It's kind of like short hand. What this shows is the end finished end, dado depth, stile width, then the upper box is the drawer overhang, side spacing, drawer side, etc.

You could write on there what each line is if you wanted to.

Bret


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Story sticks are invaluable. I used them religiously after a kitchen renovation. Took all my measurements with a clipboard and pad and tape measure. Got back to the shop and got caught in a torrential rain, and I wound up with a big mess of soaked measurements, 45 miles from the jobsite.

Just about any dimensions can be detailed. They represent a "story" of what exists, or what will exist. Heights of items like plumbing, outlets, switches, window sills and headers, ceilings, soffits, and possible obstacles, like A/C vents, lighting, etc. Horizontal measures include overalls, outlets, switches, plumbing, windows, doors, etc. With 8' sticks, they can be noted from which direction they start, and any that need to continue. Notations can be done in different colors if necessary.

One thing for sure, once the marks are made they don't change. 









 







.


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Absolutely, you won't need any "plans" if you know how to make story sticks. Excellent design tool, too. I much prefer laying out a stick to using a computer program. There is something about standing at your bench with a square and pencil, actually marking out how things will go together in full size, compared to looking at lines on a monitor. They answer a lot of questions when projects get complicated. It takes some knowledge and practice to know how to make them but you will see them in use in most pro shops.


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## Bearcreek (Jul 22, 2009)

Lola Ranch said:


> I've been reading some threads where the question is asked "What is a story stick?"
> 
> Well for me it is a very important layout tool and helps prevent almost all my measuring mistakes. I don't exactly have a mind like a steel trap. I can take a measurement and sometimes forget it while walking to the saw to make the cut.
> 
> ...


Bret, I agree 100% with what you are saying and I use them also "but" I dont rely on them. (This is coming from a ole framer where 1/8 tolernce was a good thing.....LOL) But since I have become a cabinet maker I need to hold a tolerances of .015 (on the high side) and that can't be kept with a story stick. I am not disputing anything you wrote, just adding my few cents worth. BTW great topic!!

I want to add I have real bad vision so keeping it under.015 tolerance is a on going mission..LOL


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Bearcreek said:


> Bret, I agree 100% with what you are saying and I use them also "but" I dont rely on them. (This is coming from a ole framer where 1/8 tolernce was a good thing.....LOL) But since I have become a cabinet maker I need to hold a tolerances of .015 (on the high side) and that can't be kept with a story stick. I am not disputing anything you wrote, just adding my few cents worth. BTW great topic!!
> 
> I want to add I have real bad vision so keeping it under.015 tolerance is a on going mission..LOL


What the heck system are you using too keep those kind of tolerances? That is less than 1/64th"! If I build a cabinet that is supposed to be exactly 24" wide it would make no difference to me if it turned out to be 24 - 1/64" or 23 - 63/64". I guess that makes my tolerance +- 1/32" which is as small as the little lines on my tape measure go.:yes:

But you are right, layout sticks require transferring lines by hand and doing so by nature is not going to be within a .015" tolerance.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

I use a form of a story stick when I have to run crown molding alone.
I take two pieces of scrap and cut them a foot or two longer than half the length of the wall. I.e. on a 12' wall, I cut two sticks at 7' or 8'.
I hold them up to the wall and stretch each side out so it touches each opposite wall.
With one hand holding the two sticks together, I make a mark across the two sticks that I can line back up later for my measurement.

I also use them for baseboard when trimming closets.
I hate getting up and down and in and out of closets.
Usually two story sticks and I can cut all the pieces once and they all fit.


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## Crusader (Jan 14, 2013)

My father taught me to how to make and use story sticks, he used one for just about every project. I couldn't begin to count how times
a stick has saved my butt from a costly or otherwise stupid mistake.
I'm a big fan of layout work, always have been. I find it valuable and
stimulating.
Making a layout or story stick gets my head into the project, it's not so much what I'm making, it's how I'm making it. There's nothing worse than coming up 3/8" of an inch short because you forgot to take into account a rabbit or dado or whatever.
If your'e new to woodworking or making story sticks try using a set of plans in one of your project books and using their numbers make your own stick. Pretty soon you'll be getting the hang of it and more likely than not you'll stumble across an error in the book, a dimension that just doesn't add up and you'll be all like woo hoo!
look at me! I figured that out and what a bunch of dummies, who could let that slip through.
Anyway, thanks Lola for putting this out there:thumbsup:
We can't let these things just go away, have the computer do EVERYTHING. Folks still need to know the art of it.


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## Bearcreek (Jul 22, 2009)

Lola Ranch said:


> What the heck system are you using too keep those kind of tolerances? That is less than 1/64th"! If I build a cabinet that is supposed to be exactly 24" wide it would make no difference to me if it turned out to be 24 - 1/64" or 23 - 63/64". I guess that makes my tolerance +- 1/32" which is as small as the little lines on my tape measure go.:yes:
> 
> But you are right, layout sticks require transferring lines by hand and doing so by nature is not going to be within a .015" tolerance.


Well I dont know the EXACT tolerance I am or try to hold but I use a 5mm mechanical pencil, which is around .195 (I think), and I try to split that line when cuttin or get it as close as I can in my layout. I not saying I hold that kind of tolerance but I TRY to...LOL:thumbsup:


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## against_the_grain (Aug 15, 2010)

Story sticks are an invaluable time saver in construction as well as woodworking. Especially for those of us who are always looking for and fumbling for a tape or layout tool. And those of us with short term memory loss.:yes:

Good topic.:thumbsup:


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

Thank you for posting this. 

I don't use a story stick that often, but when I get into a project that seems pretty complicated, I end up making one to make my life easier.

I have to try to get into a habit of making one more often, for the reasons you gents state.

Thanks again!


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Being more or less self taught I haven't yet used a story stick but can see how valuable they would be. Would some of you guys who do use them mind posting pictures of ones you have used for projects? I'm assuming they are kept in case you want to build the project again.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

you are right, I do keep them for a time. I also sometimes sand them clean and re-use them.

Here's what they look like. There is a lot of info on them but it's mostly shorthand, only meant to be read by me. If I had a helper I'd make things a little clearer to understand.

Bret


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## Bearcreek (Jul 22, 2009)

Shop Dad said:


> Being more or less self taught I haven't yet used a story stick but can see how valuable they would be. Would some of you guys who do use them mind posting pictures of ones you have used for projects? I'm assuming they are kept in case you want to build the project again.


no, a story stick can be 1 or 2 pieces of wood. You take the piece of wood and mark off a dimension on the length onto the stick then you transfer that repeatedly without having to measure everytime


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## Bearcreek (Jul 22, 2009)

Lola Ranch said:


> you are right, I do keep them for a time. I also sometimes sand them clean and re-use them.
> 
> Here's what they look like. There is a lot of info on them but it's mostly shorthand, only meant to be read by me. If I had a helper I'd make things a little clearer to understand.
> 
> ...


Wow Bret....nice!!!:thumbsup:


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

Have to admit my weaknesses, never used a story stick, would need some training to learn how to do that.

I do most of my parametric drawing during down-time while travelling for work, in the plane, or in a lonely hotel room. But I can open the drawings, cut a section off and measure with a mouse click, or just open the part. Provided one works with extreme precision everything just fits together really fast without any errors. Together with a bit of planning this makes for really fast construction and totally eliminates any possible error. Most of my dimensions for case work such as this is not measured, just set the table saw fence at the right dimension on its scale and cut to drawing.



















Front base cab, drawer face stile.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Obviously, based on the beautiful work you have shown us in the past, you manage just fine without using the story sticks.

But what would you do if you could not access your computer?

I have Sketchup as well and have developed considerable skills with the program. I can safely say that, for me, it would be far faster to produce a set of story sticks to provide cutout dimensions than it would be to produce accurate working drawings for the same project using Sketchup.

But I do love Sketchup. I use it as a conceptualizing tool more than a production tool.

Bret


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## smokey1945 (Feb 20, 2009)

Brett...I really appreciate this thread (I have it bookmarked), Thank you! And to all those who are contributing such good info to it!
Smokey


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

Lola Ranch said:


> Obviously, based on the beautiful work you have shown us in the past, you manage just fine without using the story sticks.
> 
> But what would you do if you could not access your computer?
> 
> ...


For more complex pieces, call it lack of experience as I don't do this for a living every day and each piece is unique. But if I build without parametric design (how each part fits together and mates with a subsequent part), I make mistakes and then get real hard on myself for having to either throw a piece of wood or re-design.

In conceptualizing, I seem to make the same errors in parametric assembly, but it is no sweat, as I just re-draw the piece.

I believe the bonus though is once the whole build has been figured out to each little detail, with planning productivity, construction is really fast.

I heard about story sticks the first time here on the board, but have difficulty in my own mind as exactly how I would use it in the drawn project above.

Thx for posting.


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

WillemJM said:


> For more complex pieces, call it lack of experience as I don't do this for a living every day and each piece is unique. But if I build without parametric design (how each part fits together and mates with a subsequent part), I make mistakes and then get real hard on myself for having to either throw a piece of wood or re-design.
> 
> In conceptualizing, I seem to make the same errors in parametric assembly, but it is no sweat, as I just re-draw the piece.
> 
> ...


I am also more like this. I have started to spend much more time in Sketchup, trying out different designs and tweaking every little detail until it is exactly the way I want it to be. Then there is much less drama when I am trying to translate it into reality.

But after the design is done, when I start actually working with the real wood, I am finding that it helps alot to make mini-story stick kinds of things, like a little block that is exactly the size I need for multiple copies, or a set of marking gauges set to the dimensions I am going to use repeatedly during the build.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

WillemJM said:


> For more complex pieces, call it lack of experience as I don't do this for a living every day and each piece is unique. But if I build without parametric design (how each part fits together and mates with a subsequent part), I make mistakes and then get real hard on myself for having to either throw a piece of wood or re-design.
> 
> In conceptualizing, I seem to make the same errors in parametric assembly, but it is no sweat, as I just re-draw the piece.
> 
> ...


You say you are not a pro....but you could be if you wanted to be, but why take the cut in pay?

Like I said, your method works fine, why change? 

If I am working on a project that is a little more involved than normal or maybe it has curves, then I'll just do a two dimensional layout to scale on a partial sheet of plywood or some such. Maybe not the whole piece but at least the area that contains the curved work. It's hard to represent those curves on a layout stick.

Bret


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