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Secrets to using a tape measure
By Franklyn Gallup of I Teach Wood Floors
I teach do it yourselfers how to install, sand and refinish their own wood floors. One of the things I have found very useful is some secrets to using a tape measure. In school we learned to reduce fractions. In using a tape measure that might not be the best thing to do. Let me tell you that there is no "Half Inch" on my tape measure. It's .8 , "three quarters of an inch" is .12 five sixteenths is .5 I use a standard tape measure. This may seem like a small thing but if you take the time to learn it and make a lot of measurements is saves lots of time and is more accurate. Five and a half inches becomes 5.8 Twenty and thirteen sixteenths becomes 20.13 This becomes really handy if you have to add the two measurements above. The two measurements above added together equals 25.23 . Subtract 16 from the 23 and you get .7 add the 16 sixteenths to the 25 and the measurement is 26.7 or twenty-six and seven sixteenths. Now try the same thing with the fractions. This becomes really helpful when you add or subtract multiple measurements. Let's say you are measuring shoe molding for the whole house. Not having all those fractions makes it a lot easier. You know the denominator on all the measurements is sixteen. Another trick I use a lot with a tape measure is copying. Let's say I am measuring flooring for the inside of a closet. By stretching the tape the width of the closet and locking it you have just made a perfect template. All you need to do is copy the locked tape measure on to the board and mark for the saw.
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Contributor's Note
I have been doing wood floor work for over 35 years.
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Tape measure video
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I'm impressed by your precision and the care you take to get the exact measurements. I like reading about real craftsmen like you and how they do what they do.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thanks. Another use of a tape measure is a people fishing pole. I have used this at many craft shows. I just sit out front with my tape measure locked out at about 5 feet. I then stick it out and move my hand in a circular motion as if trolling for fish. People laugh and often make a comment. I just real 'em in to see pictures of my goldfish inlay.
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