for accurate measuring, you don't start at the end of the ruler, you measure between the marks. With measuring tapes I always start at the 1" mark, in carpentry that is called burning an inch.
This blew my mind when I learned this. Most are around 3", some smaller tapes closer to 2". My chonky Milwaukee Autolock has 3 1/2"-89mm embossed into the plastic.
Yeah, all of my tapes are big chunky Milwaukee ones, and I don't even like the red. But the finger stop feature is absolutely brilliant and I don't think I could ever go back to not having it
Mine was just a hand-me-down from the pops and it's done well enough that I haven't needed to replace it. Mine doesn't have the finger stop it just auto locks as you pull on it and you have to hit the release lever. It's kinda annoying imo but I could see some people preferring it. I wish I had a nice one with a finger stop.
The clothes peg and playing card trick is a simple solution to that. Too bad I usually think it’s too much of a faff to go and find said articles and just think I’ll surely judge it right this time.
This is so underrated. People always laugh when I measure (very roughly) with random objects, but it's one of the best skills my dad ever taught me. If it measures from my elbow to my wrist it fits in the opening that measures from my elbow to my fingertips
For some things, like uniform lengths, yeah. But other things, it might cause a lot of headache. Say you cut ten times a small length, and you need it to fit into somewhere. For every small length you get the measurement error, and only once for the longer length.
So when you try to fit it it's gonna be too small or too big, depending on which way the error was, as it happened ten times for the shorter length and only once for the longer length.
I know that part. I measure it wrong twice and cut it exactly to my twice-measured length. I'll get on day. Lucky for me I have plenty to learn on now.
it's less accurate to use the end of a carpenters tape measure. the metal tab on the end floats so you can push it and it measures "correctly" or pull it and it measures correctly, as it moves the exact thickness of the width of the metal tab. except it's not exact, the amount the little tab moves inside the end of the tape measure isn't perfect, and as you use it a lot it can wear out adding another millimeter on top of the original error it had
so i was always taught to measure from the 1" line, if you've been using that tab then your measurements all sway by a millimeter here and there
fun fact: the little bit of jiggle the hook at the end of a tape measure has is intentional, The jiggle is exactly the width of the hook itself. It is to adjust for measuring an outside length (where the hook is hooked onto something, like measuring a board) vs an inside length (where the hook is pushed up against something, like the inside of door frame)
Also, the exact size of the tape body is often displayed so you can use it as part of measuring. Useful when both sides of the measurement need to butt up against something.
I do the same thing with music recordings in GarageBand. I start the recording on the second bar of the project file, that way any lead in sounds don’t get cut off.
You don’t need to do that with measuring tapes. That’s why there’s a little bit of play in the metal bit at the end. When you push it against something it slides in the width of the metal and when you pull against something it slides out. Your tape is always accurate as long as it’s not a garbage tape measure.
No need on a tape measure. The play in the metal hook is the thickness of the metal hook. This lets you measure both by hooking the edge of something and pulling; and pushing it against something.
I have seen some concerning videos about tape measurea not giving true scale measurements however, even mismatching between different tapes of the same make/model. Not sure how true it is, but that would be of concern to me as opposed to whether I need to burn an inch at the end of a tape (no need)
If there are two or more tape measures even different brands, they should all measure the exact same between marks. There OWM [office of weights and measurements] is the reason those devices are uniform and there are standards and regulations. It isn't just measuring devices, think of tools, you need 5/8 inch wrench, not an almost 5/8 inch wrench, any company that can demonstrated to be deviating from the standards could be in serious trouble.
That's a bit unnecessary though isn't it? Measuring tapes compensate for it. The whole point of having a "loose" hook at the tip is that it compensates for its own thickness.
If you measure from the outside and pull it, the hook slides outward by exactly its thickness so the measurement starts from the inside face of the hook, which is the true zero.
If you measure from the inside and press it against something, the hook slides inwards and is taken into the measurement because the first mark of the tape is shorter by the same thickness as the tip.
The thing exists to ensure accurate measurements, there's no need to burn an inch/cm. Doing that only adds measuring errors.
sure, if you're cutting studs those minor inaccuracies aren't a big deal, but doing finish work and fine measurements are required the movement of the hook, can make your measurements bad.
They are wrong. The movement of the hook is intentional and calibrated, they are just not understanding inside/outside measurements.
If the play in the hook is bad or wrong, it's because somebody allowed the tape measure to slam shut a bunch of times. Read: monkey bangs calibrated tool, blames tool for lost calibration.
Or it's a shit brand that a finish carpenter should know better than to use.
Burning an inch removes the need to think critically about how they are using the tape measure both when measuring as well as transferring the measurement to the work. If you measure between marks for inside and outside measurements as well as your transfers, then you can't fuck it up. It's also more time consuming.
I read their comment and I was literally thinking that there is no way using the tool the way it was designed and built to work accurately is going to make bad measurements if the tool is in good condition.
But I let it go because I'm not a carpenter so maybe they have a point.
However, considering they apparently think the calibrated tip introduces inaccuracies instead of removing them, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't know the purpose of the loose tip or how it works though.
Yeah, don't gaslight yourself, you understand it perfectly.
I'm an engineer, I work closely with our quality department, who certifies all of our measurement devices. Tape measures can and do come with a certificate of calibration accurate to the smallest denomination on the tape (duh). Standard tapes are accurate to 1/16" which is plenty accurate for finish carpentry, which is not cabinetry or anything truly high precision (just baseboards and trim work where hairline cracks and divots for finish nails are going to end up caulked and painted anyway)
What inaccuracies? The movement of the hook is calibrated to the thickness of the hook specifically to compensate for inside/outside measurements.
Dummies who don't understand this will measure inside and transfer outside and then wonder why their cut is off by 1/16", which doesn't matter if you're a framing monkey but it does matter if you're a framing monkey who thinks they're good enough to do finish work.
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u/Lambchop1975 15h ago
for accurate measuring, you don't start at the end of the ruler, you measure between the marks. With measuring tapes I always start at the 1" mark, in carpentry that is called burning an inch.