Story Stick

Instructions

Story Sticks [*1] [*2] can be useful woodworking tools. Perfect for quick inside cabinet measurements, or domino/biscuit placement marking [*3]. This ShaperHub project documents how I made my own reusable one using the Shaper Origin and Incra parts and explains how you can make one too. Story Sticks can be made out of scrap wood in the shop, or purchased in stores [*4] [*5]. This project most closely mirrors the Woodpecker's Story Stick Pro in features and finish. 🔩 Hardware All the pieces in this project are cutout to fit the Incra T-Track Plus aluminum tracks. Incra sells them 18", 24", 36" and 48" sizes. I have multiple sizes and use whichever fits the project. Incra sells both imperial and metric scales. Since story sticks are more about actual fit / relative measurements, I prefer the metric scales since it's easy to subdivide and space markers evenly. The pieces for this project are attached to the track using standard 1/4-20 bolts, washers, and knurled nuts purchased as my local big box hardware store. I haven't tested it, but I expect M6 hardware would work using the included project files without modification. 🖥️ Project Files This project includes templates for two different types of acrylic parts: • The first type is a "tab", which is a flat piece of acrylic the size of a domino. These work great for alignment tasks like biscuit or domino layouts • The second type is a "caliper arm", which is useful for measuring the inside or outside of a space (like a cabinet) and transferring that measurement accurately to a table saw fence without having to use a tape measure. 🪚 Cutting Instructions • Setup a Grid in the Shaper Origin on the acrylic sheet. I cut mine down into smaller pieces and used the Shaper Workstation, but using tape and cutting directly on the sheet would work too. • Acrylic can be cut successfully with different types of router bits. In my testing, a 1/8" single o-flute bit worked best. I used a cheap set of HSS bits I found on Amazon, replacing them after they got dull (roughly once every 6 parts). Lower router spindle speeds are suggested (1-2), though honestly I forgot and left mine at 5 for a few of them and they turned out okay. Go slow and look for good chip ejection. • Each part has two different files. One file ("part 1") for any shallow cuts that are used to ride smoothly across the track. The other file ("part 2") is for deeper cuts that go all the way through the material, like the outside profile. • To cut out a piece, you will need to cut the parts from both Part 1 and Part 2. I layer both of them at same time, aligning them together using the grid. But you may find it easier to do Part 1, then go back and add Part 2. • Depths are encoded in the file - I designed them in Fusion 360 and exported them using the Shaper extension 🔗 Reference Links [*1] https://canadianwoodworking.com/techniques_and_tips/story-sticks [*2] https://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-tips/techniques/layout-measuring-marking/story-stick [*3] https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/other-tools-accessories/woodpeckers-story-stick-positioning-dominos/ [*4] https://www.woodpeck.com/woodpeckers-story-stick-pro-96.html [*5] https://www.rockler.com/rockler-story-stick-kit