Not your first mistake, your first mistake was saying that using feet and inches is because you don't know how to read a tape measure. Many trades used to use feet and inches and doors and windows are still commonly referred to this way.
@@dwcheshire I’m confused. I didn’t say you shouldn’t use feet and inches. I use them on everything I build. Maybe you misunderstood or I wasn’t clear. Sorry about that.
My husband was a carpenter, he knew all of this, and he taught me because he said if anything should happen to him, I'd at least know some carpentry skills, he passed away in 2002 and I'm glad he taught me, and I taught the kids. He always used Stanley tools
This has to be one of the best TH-cam videos ever. I’m 44 and have been using tape measures whenever necessary and didn’t know all of these tips and tricks. Thank you!!
I'm a retired construction trades journeyman who made a living with my tape measure for decades, and you just taught me a thing or two I didn't know. Thanks.
Yeah. I’ve been a contractor for 30 years and went to trade school for machining/metalworking. I will still always watch as many as these basic videos because they either remind me of forgotten techniques or teach me something new. My Grandfather, God rest his soul, always taught me to not be too smart for my own good.
Don't fold your tape to find the midpoint of an odd measurement. There is a very easy method to figure it. Say you want half of 23 3/4: Subtract 1 from 23 (22) and divide by half (11) Add the top & bottom of the fraction 3+4 (7) Put that sum over the next smaller fraction (8ths) Center (half) of 23 3/4 = 11 7/8 Practice it a few times & it becomes very easy.
I'm 70 years old and I learned a boat load of tape stuff that I never knew! So useful is that info! I didn't know that they sold a tape with all the markings of the fraction of an inch on it.I need to find one of them to teach my grandyoungins how to read a tape, and they range from 9 to 23. Thanks so much for sharing this important information! Take care! And stay well. Oh yeah, you said your dad had a hardware store, I can tell you when I was a kid, I used to love to go into those old hardware stores, and if you think about it they would have to be old when I was going to them as a kid. But my point was, they had a certain unexplainable smell about them and I mean a good smell, ya just don't have good old hardware stores like that anymore! So sorry about the rambling on.
Check the Dewalt tapes. That’s the brand I’ve found with the fractions. Yes! They definitely have distinct smell. I walked in a hardware store on St Simons Island and was immediately flooded with memories from our store. It smelled the exact same way!
And I just hammered the rivets tighter I thought it was a manufacture defect looks like I got to go out a buy another new tape measure again...knowing myself I'll forget and hammer the rivets tight again.. I wondered why all my cabinets were leaning off to one side...
heres a tip all woodworkers and metal workers need to know You will understand as a veteran, when you are moving around the job remove your finger from the trigger till you need the tool. Also if you want to learn the trade find out where the local Union hall is and see if you can join their training program. Unions are very good and they also act as employment agentseven though they want the dues they really are your friend. They are working men not billionare developers.
With thirty years experience, I'm considered a pro by many but I still learned something watching this. Cap off to you sir on a well done demonstration without the usual yap no tap on other channels.
My plumber dad taught me at age 8 how to brake a stuck pipe union, hitting one side whale bucking up the other side, during 5th grade recess I taught a crusty old plumber that hack, annoyed at my advice, he did hit it with a hammer, I interrupted him, saying Ya gotta back it up with that 14" wrench, [he said no I need a bigger wrench!] Now he's pissed & ran me off, (He finely did it the right way, and ran his knuckles into the stucco, You should have seen the look in his eyes, at me laughing at him, If looks could kill, I wouldn't be here! I learned, no body like advise, But they might just maybe take it when all else fails! It's an, "I'll do it, my way" form of "logic."
As a European, I was expecting plenty of imperial-only stuff, but there were some gems in your vid that everyone can use. This is the reason why I watch US carpentry videos.
@@mrzebe3624 . The smallest increments of you imperial measuring tape is 1/16 of an inch. The smallest increments of a metric measuring tape is 1 millimeter (mm). 1/16 of an inch is 1.58 mm. We even have rulers with 0.5 mm increments. We will never use fraction like 1/4 or 1/8 etc. We only use the decimals. A metric measurement of 8.675 meter is 8675 millimeter, this is 24 foot 5.535 inches. 24 foot and 5 inches is easy but how much is 0.535 inch is in the fraction of 16? Between 8/16 and 9/16. Or must I say just between 1/2 and 5/8 on you imperial tape. Not very easy. But Americans are very clever people they can handle it.
@@marcelw6827 we have a misunderstanding i think, the impression i got from studioctana was that he stated "inches is more accurate then centimeters" (yes i exagerate but its to explain my impression) . at best you can get the same accuracy from either system, also for real small measurements you'd use a caliper. where SI shines vs imperial in my opinion is in conversions , you basicly move the decimal and thats it. 3/4 ( or 0.75) of a kilometer is 750 meters is 75000 centimeters. 3/4 of a mile is erm... 6 furlongs , so 6x 220 = 1320 yards , 1320x 3 = 3960 feet , 3960x 12= 47520 inch . that right there is why i do not like imperial.
Now, I though 20+ minutes to explain a tape measure would have been overkill, but you taught me a lot. Thank you for the teaching and follow through with examples.
This feature gave me the giggles🎉I HAVE BEEN a dedicated furniture making hobbyist for more than 25 years and yet, I happily learned some cool and useful things today!!
Thanks for the upload. 66 years young wrinkly coffin dodger pensioner, started my electrical apprenticeship aged 16 using a folding wooden 3ft measure. Know a few tweaks with tapes but didn't know half what you taught me. Have subscribed and will look for more videos. 5 stars not enough......thank you kind sir from sunny Ireland 🤓
It's always nice to find someone showing us something interesting and simple without making us feel like total morons for not knowing this 😆. Great video, thanks for sharing.
Before this video I WAS that moron, now, however I'm ready to calculate algebra, build houses and solve the problems of tape measure fishing issues. Such as how far can my tape go out in order to catch fish. 🐠😊😉
If you want to feel a little helpless, pick up an Engineers tape and try reading it. Among other things its marked in 10ths and 100ths, and the feet don't line up.
My deceased spouse was a carpenter. He taught me quite a lot of skills and hands on working with him. He gave me a Dewalt tape for easier measurement readings. However he never explained the additional markings on the tape. What they were used for or meant. And many of your usage tips I never knew either. Thank you very much. I’ve always enjoyed carpentry and welcome being taught new things too improve my own abilities and knowledge. Thank you.
I never knew that the black diamonds were for floor joist. We always ran them at 24” centers because then it didn’t matter which way you ran your decking. I have been a carpenter for over 50 years, let that one sink in. I can’t wait for you to teach about the framing square and the speed square. There is a whole world of information on those two, ie. To find pitch, angles, framing stairs etc. Thanks again for teaching an old dog new tricks.
@@phickleprickprospecting Yep, I agree. Had me rolling when I read your comment! Glad the older gentleman mentioned 24" center on floor joists 'cause I was definately doing some rethinking!
There only used on TGI floor joist. The reason,, the top and, bottom of rim joist are usually 2 1/4 in. Wide. According to length of support. Thay could be from 9 1/4 depth , to 24in. 1 3/4 wide at top and bottom. To 2 1/2 in. Wide. T/B. These joist are the only ones I will see a architect use for support.
I am a carpenter in New England. About 25 years experience. I’ll teach you what all the things are for. Framing hammer: so you can reach the middle of your back when scratching it. Speed square: for scraping ice off the lumber in the winter time. Chalk line: contains your Smurf cocaine so you can offer it to them when you find them at parties. You can also pretend you are fishing with the container. Just let me know if you need some more tips. I got bunches.
You can also divide your material into equal parts by angling the tape until a whole number lines up with the edge... i.e. A piece of timber sheet is 9 inches long and you want to divide it into 5 equal spaces. Hook the tape on one edge and pull it to the other edge diagonally until 10 inches lines up with that edge. Now mark at 2 inch intervals.
I'm a retired handyman. I knew almost all of this but still have to comment on how nicely made the video is. Direct to the point, all good facts, well and cleanly explained without any wasteful history lesson. Thank you excellent video.
We used the same method when drawing engineering designs pre CAD software. Great for drawing a grid with "non standard" distances between lines. Just use a ruler at an angle and set it so that the major divisions (for example 1cm or 1/4 inch) give you the spacing you need. Hope that made sense!
@@tonythemadbrit9479 Indeed! I learned that in my drafting class during the Ford administration. 😄 If, say, you want to rip a board into 7 strips just open the tape to a number dividable by 7, ie 14, 21, 28 & put your tick mark at those points. This may be obsolete when everyone has a calculator in their pocket but it's fast & simple for layout.
Of all the years I've used a tape I thought I knew or thought of everything until the split tape add or subtract idea to get the measurement. JUST BRILLIANT! Thankyou for sharing! And yep...I subscribed .
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I was never really good at Math in my younger years & NOW that I'm older I can finally grasp it!!! Thank you so much for not making me feel stupid 🙂 💯
Thank you so much! I was never good with math or fractions in school. I'm 60 now. Could never read a tape measure till my mom bought me a readable one . Love these tricks you just showed! Will be using them👍
I been a carpenter sum 37 yrs. Started my apprenticeship in 8/8/88 finished in 1993. I still like to watch these clips to learn little tricks along the way. So here's one for u .....take a #4 or #6 hand drive finish nail and b4 u drive it into to the end of a board hoping u DNT split the end of board, invert that #4 finish nail place the head of the nail where u wld hav to nail the board and give it a firm tap w ur hammer leaving a impression in the wood then flip nail on it's rite position and drive that bad boy where the head impression u just left and u will never split the end of a board again my friend. See for urself and try it out.
@@shonalford3419 that's correct only because you flattened the point of the nail, but indentation of the wood makes no difference. When the nail isn't as pointy it doesn't split the wood as much but compresses it instead
Grew up in a custom duct shop, still there 40years layer. All the old school guys used s tape rule. Did radius and strait fittings, beautiful stuff. Well setup. Best demo I’ve seen using a tape as a slide rule. 👍
I'm a vet and fortunate enough to have some time on my hands. Taking up wood working/carpentry for some extra money. Definitely picked up a couple of short cuts here. Thanks for the video and you picked up another subscriber!
To do it with one tape pick a easy to find center measurement longer then the width of a board set the tape at an angle at the measurment you picked and mark the center.😎🤔
It is amazing how complicated are simple tasks when you use imperial sistem instead of decimal!! Incredible, I didn't know you had to suffer with halves, quarters and so on! God bless you.
Another tip: some tapes are marked on the bottom for the length of the tape "housing", for lack of better terms. This is useful for measuring between two permanent items without bending your tape in the corner and guessing. The tape reading and the quick addition of your housing length is your total distance.
A very interesting video. As I grew up in the UK in the 50s and 60s, I started with feet and inches before we switched to metric. Our tapes for DIY ers still have inches on one edge and metric on the other but all industrial and professional tapes are pure metric because that's all they use. I still find myself using inches occasionally but if there is any calculation needed, metric is way easier to do. Many people still use the old units for measurements of themselves, such as height and weight and our road speeds are still MPH. But going back to the tape, it's interesting to see the features that are common to all.
I am not convinced that just because we have 10 digits on our hands base 10 (decimal) is the best. Base 16 (hexadecimal) is far better for calculations for use with digital computers because they work in base 2. For measurement base 12 has the advantage of 3/12 (1/4), 4/12 (1/3). Decimal because of rounding errors does not handle thirds well and there are a lot of other fractions and computations handled far better by bases 16 and 12.
Ditto on your comment Crusty, although I grew up 60s 70s in the UK. I can use both comfortably but for ease of use, metric is obviously easier... I actually thought that the dual measuring units on tapes was the standard round the world...I believe there are only 3 countries that still don't officially use metric..... United States, Liberia, and Myanmar??
Today I learned how complicated is imperial sistem even for simply measuring a straight line...then there "issues " even for finding the half of a measurement! What I'd you had to find a third of a length! Then you need to calculate f(x)= log %$#@!. dx/dy
Fascinating video on very mundane subject, well done. Also a bit of a history lesson, being from the UK. I learned metric when in infants school 65 years ago. They also taught feet and inches so we could communicate with our grand parents.
So are there any " Metrics Tape measure ment ? Here is the Arkansas or Missouri In America ? I learned about Metrics When Demoncratic Party President Carter Jimmy Peanut Farmers Carter forcefully made us learn about Metrics in 1976 to 1980s schools.
@@richardscaggs5936 Oh no, you had to learn something the rest of the world uses. The horror of it all. Have you recovered yet? 😁 And to answer your question, yes, there are metric tape measures. You can even get them showing both metric and imperial measurements if you like.
Dude. I love you. I’m stupid. So I’ve had teachers explain how to read a ruler and it’s always been a horrible experience. I don’t know if it was they’re patience, ability to teach, or my ability to want to learn this at that moment. But surely did the best job explaining the ruler to me today. This is what this measures at and this I how the ruler is broken down. Sounds easy enough but the world of difference when you’re anticipating the answer and other person has somewhere to be. Thank You.
Thank you so much for this video. As a woman, I did not know how to use the tape measure accurately. You explained it perfectly. I’m a reseller on multiple platforms & taking accurate measurements is essential. I’ve also made things to help with taking photos of my items. Again, taking proper measurements saves time & materials. So again thank you 🙏🏻
@@krsnkr Thank you for that. In my upbringing, I was at a disadvantage. I grew up in a household that didn’t value women. I had to practically fight for my right to learn to drive as well as put myself through college. Practically everything I know is self taught. Thank goodness for the internet today. We have the world of info readily available to us. I’m proud & love being a woman.
I've been in construction for 44 years and a builder for 30 years. We've always framed floor joists at 16" on Center, until they came out with engineered floor trusses which are sometimes 19.2" O. C., hence the black diamonds. Most traditional framed floors and walls are still framed at 16" on Center.
Great info, especially for people like me who enjoy small-project woodworking. This video was full of neat little hacks that will save time and brain cells. Thanks a bunch.
I know this is an old video, but I’m starting a carpentry apprenticeship, and this is all very helpful. Gonna help me look a whole lot less clueless once I get working. And help me pick out a good tape measure too!
That’s great! Learn all you can from the old timers. Just FYI, the diamond isn’t used very often. Floor joists are commonly 16ft on center. The black diamond is for engineered ibeams.
Not a carpenter but have been using a tape measure for 40+ years and I never paid any attention to some of the features on the tape. Also some very good tips for the math challenged in subtracting with fractions and finding the halfway point. Good information for everyone.
Finding the center of a weird length board was new to me and will certainly be helpful. I think I remember seeing a guy do this somewhere but I've never had it explained so simply!
Thank you for such a great video! One interesting fact I learned that I could share is that on the back of a tape measure there is a marking that states (for example) + 3in/76mm..The 3 inches is actually the length of the tape measure itself. So instead of breaking the tape at the surface of whatever you're measuring, place whole tape measure up against it and add the 3 inches (or whatever your tape measure says....Ex: 3in; 4in, etc.) to the measurement. I hope this makes sense!
Lisa well done it makes perfect sense. and since you already brought it up the 76mm is the equivalent of 3 inches so you add 76 mn to your distance and you have the amount in meters too. Oh finally the tape box is the case
Unfortunately you need a microscope to read the numbers, and it's buried under the clip, at least on my Stanley tapes. Would also be nice if they used whole numbers, instead of 2-3/8" on my 12' Stanley (at that's what I think it says!)
In Canada we use both tape measures metric and imperial myself I grew up with imperial then the change over was hard to get used to but lumber is still measured in imperial 2x4 board Or. 4x8 sheet. And 1/4 or. 1/2 or. 3/4 inch thickness as well as lumber going between Canada and the United States The United States stayed with imperial measurement.. when it first started it was a pain in the rear for cars you get used to what wrench you needed then it started going half and half always getting the wrong wrench now mostly all metric go Canadian cars ... If you ask me should just stay with bubble gum...
I learnt more in watching this video, in the 12 minutes it took that I had at any point and total on in my life. Thank you. This was a lot of fun for me to learn.
Another good reason for marking a position with a 'V' instead of just a line, is that when you draw the line on wood, your pencil easily gets caught up in a line of the grain and wiggles about. But if you make a V, then it doesn't matter if the lines of the V are wiggly, as long as the point of the V is in the right place :-)
Excellent your information. Key to understanding and optimizing the use of this valuable tool. Unbelievably his focus is on the building system in the US, mostly stud-based and 16-inch spread. In the Latin American approach it is a bit different, based on the decimal metric system. Very thankful. I learned a lot.
Great video and as a Contractor and lifetime construction dork, I always watch to see if I can learn something new that I had not yet. You would be surprised how many of our youth do NOT know anything about a tape measure.........
Me four. Been in the trade for 40 years. This is the first time I've heard about laying out floor joists with the black diamond. I was told in Apprenticeship school that the Black diamond was used to lay out studs back in the early days of home construction when plaster was used for the walls. This would allow the carpenter to use one less stud every 8-ft. As standard measures came out they converted to using 16" on center so it worked out with the drywall and sheetrock.
As a child I had numerous tear-stained weekends as my mother tried to get me to do maths with fractions. I did crack it eventually but the metric system is SO-O-O-O much easier, and more precise: 1mm is 1/25”. Life in UK definitely got better as we adopted European measures. Worth a try.
This is so enlightening. Simple but very effective tips. This is my first time watching your videos but I will watch them all as a new subscriber. Can’t wait to see what else I can learn!!
I did not know how read a tape measure as well, my husband was also a carpenter and he taught me as well, thank goodness! I greatly appreciate your video, because it refreshed my memory
What a good video! I’m from the UK and can’t wrap my head around using inches even though I spent my childhood with imperial measurements. The tips, of course, transfer to metric and there are some here which I haven’t thought of. Thanks.
Years ago it was easy to find a tape measure with both imperial and metric measurements, at least in southern US. I'm not a professional carpenter, but thoroughly enjoyed building houses when I was younger and building my own projects now. I haven't looked for a while for one of those double system tapes and I still have trouble with picturing metric. My son wonders why anyone would ever "want" to use imperial.
As a licenced carpenter I knew most of these tips but not the one about angling the tape to find the halfway point in an irregular length board. Another quick trick: when measuring between two flat 90° surfaces, i.e the height of a doorway from floor to top of opening, you need to fold your tape at the top or bottom to get a reading. A simple more accurate way to get this measurement is to measure down exactly 10" from the top of the door opening, mark it, and then measure up from the floor to the 10" mark. Let's say that measurement was 68 and 3/4". Now add the 10" to it and get a final and exact measurement of 78 and 3/4 inches. Hope that helps 👍
The angling was known and is one of the propositions in Euclid's Book called Elements (from 300 bce) and as some people above noted, you can do it for more then just half, for example, if you want to get 1/5' markings, you can angle it at 10/15/20 etc and mark at 2/3/4 etc
Very informative thank you. I have a hard time remembering measurement markings on a tape measure or a ruler. My stepdad taught me many times but I still forget. And he's been gone about 10 years now but he always helped me with math since High school up to his very last days. He was about 83 when he left us.
HOW COULD YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN?! -to mention that the case will also have an edge-to-edge dimension on it... enabling one to conveniently do internal measurements. Fantastic video! As an old, retired Union carpenter I watched to see what I might learn [new]. Darned if there weren't a coupla tricks I'd not run across before.
I was one of the first framing business to use the manufactured I-beam joists in Washington in the 90’s and the supplers came out to explain these things and give us the special layout plan. They actually supplied us with a couple Stanley tapes with the diamonds in case we couldn’t find them.
Thank You so much!!! I learned a lot!! Over the MANY years since leaving school, you lose some of this ( especially when you're not using it frequently). This will be my go to video to freshen up those number skills when I pull out that measuring tape!!
In the early 80's the Field Engineer on our job asked the Carpenters to bring our tape rules out for calibration. He had his 'chain' pulled out along a beam explaining that at this temperature it was at zero- being metal it grew longer when hotter and shorter when colder, and he showed us the chart he used to apply a correction percentage for the temperature so that his measurements would always match regardless of conditions. Then we pulled our tapes alongside the 'chain'. All manner of tape rules were involved in the testing, but only Stanley and Lufkin tapes consistently matched the 'chain' at 20 ft distance. I had a Craftsman and it was 1/8" shorter at 20ft. One cheap tape was 3/8" off. That was an eye-opener and since then I've only used Stanley tape rules.
My contribution for measuring tapes is my dad told me to always have one on you while at work. So if you happen to not be doing anything or just standing and bs-ing and the boss drives up... just start measuring something, anything ;)
@@MGZig When I was in college I worked in the summer at an aluminum extrusion factory. I was on the maintenance crew. I found that I could waste a lot of time walking around wiping my hands on a red shop towel, as if I just finished working on something.
Just learned so much more about how to use my tape measure. The red joist numbers could be handy in possibly finding a stud for stability in hanging things. An interior design trick to use.
The method you used to draw a line down the length of a board can also be used to draw a circle. You attach a mail to the board and then hook the end of the tape to the nail. Measure out the radius (1/2 of the diameter) of the circle you want by placing your pencil at the mark and then make a circle or arc if you just want a radius.
Thanks for the info about that small black diamond. I'm not a carpenter, my Dad was but he never told me that floor joists were supposed to be 19 and 3 / 16 inches on centers so now I can die peacefully knowing this tip which I haven't known til now. I will reach my 80th birthday this coming December but hopefully will enjoy years more good carpentry tips before I kick the bucket. I love those self locking tapes in my very basic woodworking projects.😁😁😁😁
Floor joists can be installed at 12" , 16", or 19.2 " centers depending on size of timber and span of the joist. 19.2 centers are generally used with engineered floor joists such as TGI joists and land on every 8 feet for plywood which is 8 feet long.
I had tapes with black dots before tgi was ever used......... so I think this is wrong..... I have heard so many different reasons I don't know who to belive...... besides that is just a waste of time when you are used to better methods.
@@willrector9716 It's 19.2 " centers. Whether used for TGI joists or not. In my 30+ years of as a carpenter, I have never seen anything other than a TGI joists spec out at 19.2" center but there is no reason that it couldn't be used for other products or uses at that center spacing. As we all know in the industry, the products we build with dictate for the most part what center spacing we use to accommodate for them . IE Joist type/size plywood, insulation sizing and so on.
@@dirtrider17 oh ok....... some say it's for block...... some say it's for finding the middle of a bay in a wall..... and on and on. Seems to be a mystery still..... I never in my life seen anyone do 19.2....... ever. Been doing it for 23 years..........
when laying out a wall from the end you must hold 3/4 of an inch.when measuring from a stud its 16in.the black diamond on the 19 3/16 is for laying out wood eye floor joist which are generally 31/2 inches wide on top.thats why the black diamond works out on the 8ft mark which is the standard length of plywood
I don't understand what you mean by "hold 3/4 of an inch". Do you mean that you are adjusting 3/4" to make it center to center? Of so are you aware that edge to edge is the same as center to center.
@@wmason1961 its not hard to understand.do you want your drywall to end at the side of the stud or in the middle.youre only holding 3/4 from the end of wall not stud to stud.been framing houses for 35yrs its one of the first things i was taught.might do things different in the states .i dont know im in canada eh.
@@wmason1961 your first stud isn't going to be on 16" center with the rest because you are hooking the end of the wall. A wall that ties between the two walls with corners in them will need 4-1/4" held in order to stay on 16" centers. I don't think I'm explaining it the best though. It's easier to show you. Lol
@@wmason1961 also, you don't have to"hold" 3/4. I hook the end of the top and bottom plates and mark 3/4 shy of 16" centers. 15-1/4, 31-1/4, 47-1/4, and so on. It takes in account that the siding is going flushed to the end of the wall and not in the middle of the first stud, which would be 3/4 from the end. Just remember to always set the studs ahead of the marks. So, I mark 3/4 shy and put an x on the advancing side of the mark to make sure they stay on the same layout.
Good info for many people. I'm not a professional carpenter, but most I knew, and I am a Dewalt fan; tools as well as my go to is one of my two 25' tapes. I purchased due to the 1/8 inch markings.
Yeah, what he said! I could not figure out what the measure was for the floor joists in the house I bought. Now that you show the black diamond the weird measure makes sense. Sort of. No insulation is made that size though...
I'm a General Contractor and have always bought and used the 30' Stanley tape because it has the best "Stand out" I could find. And they last for a long time, usually 2 house builds.
Does Stanley still put measurements formulas on the back? For example how to find the radius of a circle...converting US to metric...so on and so on? I have an old Stanley that belonged to my grandfather and over the years of use has worn off the back.
I was a lead carpenter for a framing crew in the start up of San Destin Resort in Florida back in the early 1980's. Innovations were often tried there. One was that 19.2" on centers floor tresses layout. One can easily see that 19.2" X 5 = 96". This allows for the "breaking" of full sheets of 4' X 8' on the centers of the joists. To start the second run of plywood it is customary to cut a full sheet in half. Then on traditional 16" and or 24" on centers layout each successive sheet will fall exactly on the centers of the erected floor joists, tresses, etc. The problem with the 19.2" on centers system is with starting that 2nd, 4th, 6th etc. runs of plywood. That's because there's 5 floor tresses to each 8' of layout. So now on those even numbered runs there's nothing for a 48" half sheet to fall on! This caused a considerable amount of trouble for the 4 different framing crew's hands as they were used to the traditional layouts of 16" OC and 24" OC. This also caused trouble for the plumbers as well for the same reasons. Its true that as I did one can cut the 2nd and successive first piece to 38.4", as I did. And as these were townhouses that were carefully drawn by the architect(s), the remaining 57.6" " drop off" left over from cutting the starting with 38.4" pieces would work as the last piece on that same run of plywood. The entire reason for this was to save money by using only 5 tresses per 8' of layout instead of the 6 (6 X 16" = 96") layout. The savings were also to enable rhe use of lower profile floor tresses ie. less material cost per tress. It was also to ease the installation of heating/ cooling ducts Taller profile tresses were required to use 24" OC layout, hence costlier I can remember being called to blacked in town houses using that 19.2" OC system at least 20 times to locate those tresses for the plumbers after those floors had been "sub-floored". The original developer/ owner of San Destin was Peter Boss, yep Boss was his real name. He quickly ended that little 19.2" OC boondoggle. Mr. Boss died flying his private helicopter around 1983. He was a wonderful man. He was a mult-millionaire thru his own hard work and amicable personage. He took great care to let every person from the carpenter helper or house cleaning maid to the big-time contractor or hotel/ restaurant raunt manager to know that he cared about them. Not just as a means to enrich himself financially, but to enrich his life and soul. I write of him because I always brown bagged my lunches and ate on the job site s. He wouldn't want any of the crews to think he was spying in them. So several or more times per week at lunchtime he'd drive about in his well used pickup truck to see how the development of his resort was going. And he'd usually stop by and sit in the shade with me as I took lunch and just "shoot the bull". RIP Mr. Peter Boss, and RIP 19.2" OC! He'd laugh at that!
@@captainjack8823 Thanks for this information & the story of Mr. Peter Boss. Not only the industry but the world could follow his example. Stay safe, Joe Z
I lose my tape measure all the time when I'm using it. I can never remember where I sat it down. My wife tells me "if only they'd put a clip on it you could use to attach it to your belt." She thinks she's so funny.
I’ve even been on a job where my main tape and two spares disappeared. Found them at the end of the day in the apprentice’s tool pouch. He forgot that he put one in there and so grabbed mine.
That's why I always prefer to wear my old carpenters pouch even when I'm working in a shop. Without it, I never have a pencil, a tape or anything else I need!
I'm left-handed and realized the other day that I've somehow subconsciously adapted to reading all the tape measure numbers upside down. My natural preference would be to hold the tape measure in my left hand and pull from right to left or toward me to the left side. On reflection, I realized that there might be a reverse grip left-handed solution to pull left to right. I'm sure I'm not the only lefty navigating a world of right-handed tools. At least a tape measure is unlikely to cut off any body parts on accident...
I always keep a tape measure on my desk, so if I’m researching stuff on the internet and I need to visualise how big something is, then I pull out that tape measure rather than trying to guess. Handy to visualise enclosures as I can make a rectangle shape and check how other objects fit inside it.
Fractions were always a problem for me in any math class I had in school, from elementary to high school. My Father showed me how to solve fraction problems using a ruler to a tape measure. So since elementary school, I solved the math fraction questions in my head, visualizing a tape measure. Since then, I aced math tests with fraction problems memorizing the tape measure.
Fractions (and math in general) can seems extremely abstract to people of all ages without a practical application. It's why some kids can't even grasp simple addition and subtraction without an abacus (or counting frame). Using real life objects to teach these concepts should be mandatory for kids having trouble. I remember my dad teaching my brother simple fractions using his train set (16 cars, half is 8, quarter is 4 etc.). I was a little guy of 5 watching the lesson and it stuck with me. Made fractions a breeze years later!
What about the numbers on the side of the tape's case? It let's you know the exact measure of the case so you don't have to bend the tape as coming to a corner to get a length. Just check the measure on the tape and add up the measure of the case. More precise than bending the tape. (You may have covered this one in another video later)
Tapes are also good for scribing a radius on a floor or on plywood for arched openings and windows by hooking that tip on a nail on the center line and holding the pencil against the blade while pulling your arch.
Thanks for this information. It can be a great help to others, ‘cuz it was a refresher course to me. I had left the healthcare line of work, & went to work in a factory a few years back. I’m now retired, & have used my learned skills so many times, & was so happy to have retained what I learned. Chances are you’ll never forget either. Since being @ home more, I’m now more of a daily seamstress, & will take the time to teach my grandchildren all they my need to know. So, Thank You, for any helpful hints that I can pass on to them…all 5 are boys, & girls 😉💕🇺🇸
Along the bottom edge of most tape measures is a measurement listed. That is the size of the housing itself, so to measure inside dimensions you can put the back of the housing against one edge, pull out the tape until it touches the other side, then just add the known housing size to the measurement shown on the tape.
I made a mistake and didn’t catch it in editing. 8ft is 96 inches, not 144. Sorry about that.
Not your first mistake, your first mistake was saying that using feet and inches is because you don't know how to read a tape measure. Many trades used to use feet and inches and doors and windows are still commonly referred to this way.
@@dwcheshire I’m confused. I didn’t say you shouldn’t use feet and inches. I use them on everything I build. Maybe you misunderstood or I wasn’t clear. Sorry about that.
corner to corner for square
The quaint non metric system is actually duodecimal which has great fractional advantages.
@@odysseus9672 a dozen dozen dozen is called a great gross
My husband was a carpenter, he knew all of this, and he taught me because he said if anything should happen to him, I'd at least know some carpentry skills, he passed away in 2002 and I'm glad he taught me, and I taught the kids. He always used Stanley tools
Sorry for your loss
@@leesire thank you
Sorry for your loss. He sounds like a great man. Everyone should learn the basics.
@@TightWadDIY thank you, he was a good man,
I'm very sorry for your loss. But God bless your husband for showing you.
This has to be one of the best TH-cam videos ever. I’m 44 and have been using tape measures whenever necessary and didn’t know all of these tips and tricks. Thank you!!
That’s time to buy tapes is around Christmas time. They always have them for two packs same price as one basically
I'm a retired construction trades journeyman who made a living with my tape measure for decades, and you just taught me a thing or two I didn't know. Thanks.
Thanks great! Thank you for you years of service!
22 years welding and I just learned 3 awesome things that I'll now never forget! Thanks!
That’s great to hear! I could learn something from you as well. I really wish I knew how to weld.
Old dog, new tricks? I’m a 73 y/o amateur wood worker and I learned three things from this video. Thank you!!!
That’s great! I’m always happy to hear when someone learns something new.
Yeah. I’ve been a contractor for 30 years and went to trade school for machining/metalworking. I will still always watch as many as these basic videos because they either remind me of forgotten techniques or teach me something new. My Grandfather, God rest his soul, always taught me to not be too smart for my own good.
@@SolasChristusMinistry I like the way you think. Try to learn something new every day.
Don't fold your tape to find the midpoint of an odd measurement. There is a very easy method to figure it.
Say you want half of 23 3/4:
Subtract 1 from 23 (22) and divide by half (11)
Add the top & bottom of the fraction 3+4 (7)
Put that sum over the next smaller fraction (8ths)
Center (half) of 23 3/4 = 11 7/8
Practice it a few times & it becomes very easy.
Yup, every little bit helps. We’re never too old to learn.
I'm 70 years old and I learned a boat load of tape stuff that I never knew! So useful is that info! I didn't know that they sold a tape with all the markings of the fraction of an inch on it.I need to find one of them to teach my grandyoungins how to read a tape, and they range from 9 to 23. Thanks so much for sharing this important information! Take care!
And stay well.
Oh yeah, you said your dad had a hardware store, I can tell you when I was a kid, I used to love to go into those old hardware stores, and if you think about it they would have to be old when I was going to them as a kid. But my point was, they had a certain unexplainable smell about them and I mean a good smell, ya just don't have good old hardware stores like that anymore! So sorry about the rambling on.
Check the Dewalt tapes. That’s the brand I’ve found with the fractions.
Yes! They definitely have distinct smell. I walked in a hardware store on St Simons Island and was immediately flooded with memories from our store. It smelled the exact same way!
Did you know before tapes, 6' folding rules were used , then came 6' tapes & then length war was on!
@@stevemitz4740 you are sure right about that and I bet when you was young, you probably tried to make letters out of those old 6' folding rules!
@@lutherhgrindstonemtn3456 No but I made protractors out of those old 6' folding rules!
You may also be interested to know that some tapes include additional decimal measure, labeled opposite to the fractions.
Aaaahhh. I’ve spent years cursing poor manufacturing for the loose ends of a tape and you’ve just explained why they do it. Thanks.
And I just hammered the rivets tighter I thought it was a manufacture defect looks like I got to go out a buy another new tape measure again...knowing myself I'll forget and hammer the rivets tight again..
I wondered why all my cabinets were leaning off to one side...
That makes us... a lot!
LOL
I'm a journeyman electrician, and I've always talked shit about the loose lil ends.. 😲 lol
You have got to be joking.
I'm a vet trying to learn some carpentry skills, very raw actually. I learned something new with your video. Thanks a lot!
I love that you are trying to learn new things!
@@stefmod9273 Thank you for providing your opinion. It’s very valuable here.
heres a tip all woodworkers and metal workers need to know You will understand as a veteran, when you are moving around the job remove your finger from the trigger till you need the tool. Also if you want to learn the trade find out where the local Union hall is and see if you can join their training program. Unions are very good and they also act as employment agentseven though they want the dues they really are your friend. They are working men not billionare developers.
With thirty years experience, I'm considered a pro by many but I still learned something watching this. Cap off to you sir on a well done demonstration without the usual yap no tap on other channels.
Thanks! I’m glad you found it helpful.
My plumber dad taught me at age 8 how to brake a stuck pipe union, hitting one side whale bucking up the other side, during 5th grade recess I taught a crusty old plumber that hack, annoyed at my advice, he did hit it with a hammer, I interrupted him, saying Ya gotta back it up with that 14" wrench, [he said no I need a bigger wrench!] Now he's pissed & ran me off, (He finely did it the right way, and ran his knuckles into the stucco, You should have seen the look in his eyes, at me laughing at him, If looks could kill, I wouldn't be here! I learned, no body like advise, But they might just maybe take it when all else fails! It's an, "I'll do it, my way" form of "logic."
As a European, I was expecting plenty of imperial-only stuff, but there were some gems in your vid that everyone can use. This is the reason why I watch US carpentry videos.
Imperial or French is more
Accurate and easy to read compare the fragions
@@studioctana i'm curious how it is more accurate? while i can give you leeway on being used to things more or less accurate is not true imo.
@@mrzebe3624 . The smallest increments of you imperial measuring tape is 1/16 of an inch. The smallest increments of a metric measuring tape is 1 millimeter (mm). 1/16 of an inch is 1.58 mm. We even have rulers with 0.5 mm increments. We will never use fraction like 1/4 or 1/8 etc. We only use the decimals. A metric measurement of 8.675 meter is 8675 millimeter, this is 24 foot 5.535 inches. 24 foot and 5 inches is easy but how much is 0.535 inch is in the fraction of 16? Between 8/16 and 9/16. Or must I say just between 1/2 and 5/8 on you imperial tape. Not very easy. But Americans are very clever people they can handle it.
@@studioctana imperial or French are two different things. Imperial is foot and inches. French is metric.
@@marcelw6827 we have a misunderstanding i think, the impression i got from studioctana was that he stated "inches is more accurate then centimeters" (yes i exagerate but its to explain my impression) . at best you can get the same accuracy from either system, also for real small measurements you'd use a caliper.
where SI shines vs imperial in my opinion is in conversions , you basicly move the decimal and thats it. 3/4 ( or 0.75) of a kilometer is 750 meters is 75000 centimeters. 3/4 of a mile is erm... 6 furlongs , so 6x 220 = 1320 yards , 1320x 3 = 3960 feet , 3960x 12= 47520 inch . that right there is why i do not like imperial.
Now, I though 20+ minutes to explain a tape measure would have been overkill, but you taught me a lot. Thank you for the teaching and follow through with examples.
I’m glad to hear you found it helpful!
I'm right there with ya.
@@robertrocheville7769 Thanks! I almost broke the video into multiple parts but I’m glad I didn’t.
It's only 12 minutes and four seconds, you must have paused it a lot.
This feature gave me the giggles🎉I HAVE BEEN a dedicated furniture making hobbyist for more than 25 years and yet, I happily learned some cool and useful things today!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the upload. 66 years young wrinkly coffin dodger pensioner, started my electrical apprenticeship aged 16 using a folding wooden 3ft measure. Know a few tweaks with tapes but didn't know half what you taught me. Have subscribed and will look for more videos. 5 stars not enough......thank you kind sir from sunny Ireland 🤓
It's always nice to find someone showing us something interesting and simple without making us feel like total morons for not knowing this 😆. Great video, thanks for sharing.
Before this video I WAS that moron, now, however I'm ready to calculate algebra, build houses and solve the problems of tape measure fishing issues. Such as how far can my tape go out in order to catch fish. 🐠😊😉
Need more people like him
Thank you
YOU cannot believe the humiliation and prejudice l just suffered for this same reason
If you want to feel a little helpless, pick up an Engineers tape and try reading it. Among other things its marked in 10ths and 100ths, and the feet don't line up.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
My deceased spouse was a carpenter. He taught me quite a lot of skills and hands on working with him.
He gave me a Dewalt tape for easier measurement readings.
However he never explained the additional markings on the tape.
What they were used for or meant. And many of your usage tips I never knew either. Thank you very much.
I’ve always enjoyed carpentry and welcome being taught new things too improve my own abilities and knowledge.
Thank you.
I’m glad you found it helpful. Everyone should know how to take measurements.
I never knew that the black diamonds were for floor joist. We always ran them at 24” centers because then it didn’t matter which way you ran your decking. I have been a carpenter for over 50 years, let that one sink in. I can’t wait for you to teach about the framing square and the speed square. There is a whole world of information on those two, ie. To find pitch, angles, framing stairs etc. Thanks again for teaching an old dog new tricks.
To clarify: 19.2 isn’t for all joists. It’s for engineered ibeams. Not very common. I’m glad you found the video helpful though.
Rofl, had me rethinking some projects. Hope those floors didn't give 8P
@@phickleprickprospecting Yep, I agree. Had me rolling when I read your comment! Glad the older gentleman mentioned 24" center on floor joists 'cause I was definately doing some rethinking!
There only used on TGI floor joist. The reason,, the top and, bottom of rim joist are usually 2 1/4 in. Wide. According to length of support. Thay could be from 9 1/4 depth , to 24in. 1 3/4 wide at top and bottom. To 2 1/2 in. Wide. T/B.
These joist are the only ones I will see a architect use for support.
I am a carpenter in New England. About 25 years experience. I’ll teach you what all the things are for.
Framing hammer: so you can reach the middle of your back when scratching it.
Speed square: for scraping ice off the lumber in the winter time.
Chalk line: contains your Smurf cocaine so you can offer it to them when you find them at parties. You can also pretend you are fishing with the container.
Just let me know if you need some more tips. I got bunches.
You can hook on the right size nail head and draw a fairly accurate radius/circumference on something also👍
I learned that one after the video. Maybe I need to make a follow up!
Don't tell me you circle back .
Don't know why the algorithm threw this up but I'm glad it did. Thanks for this video!
You can also divide your material into equal parts by angling the tape until a whole number lines up with the edge...
i.e. A piece of timber sheet is 9 inches long and you want to divide it into 5 equal spaces. Hook the tape on one edge and pull it to the other edge diagonally until 10 inches lines up with that edge.
Now mark at 2 inch intervals.
Nice idea!
Thats genius
I'm a retired handyman. I knew almost all of this but still have to comment on how nicely made the video is. Direct to the point, all good facts, well and cleanly explained without any wasteful history lesson.
Thank you excellent video.
Thank you sir. I appreciate the kind comment.
In a similar fashion to drawing the straight line, you can also use a nail for the tip and draw an arc or radius.
Yes! Great trick.
Yes, that was what I was told it is for.
That was the one he missed. the slot is great for those.
Did this at work recently and it blew my coworker's mind. Hooked a screw in the middle of the board and locked the tape, bingo.
Easiest way to draw a circle
I like the go a bit diagonally to get centre accurately... Going to do this at work and show the others. Genius move !! 👍
Goes to show how you can learn something new every day. Neat trick.
Diving by two is pretty easy this seems retarded
We used the same method when drawing engineering designs pre CAD software. Great for drawing a grid with "non standard" distances between lines. Just use a ruler at an angle and set it so that the major divisions (for example 1cm or 1/4 inch) give you the spacing you need. Hope that made sense!
@@tonythemadbrit9479 Indeed! I learned that in my drafting class during the Ford administration. 😄 If, say, you want to rip a board into 7 strips just open the tape to a number dividable by 7, ie 14, 21, 28 & put your tick mark at those points. This may be obsolete when everyone has a calculator in their pocket but it's fast & simple for layout.
Of all the years I've used a tape I thought I knew or thought of everything until the split tape add or subtract idea to get the measurement. JUST BRILLIANT!
Thankyou for sharing!
And yep...I subscribed .
I love learning new things too! Thanks foe the sub.
I carried many tape measures for 40 yrs as an insurance adjuster. I learned a lot here that I wish I knew then!! Thanks!!
Thanks! I’m glad you found the video now at least!
@@TightWadDIY yeah, I pulled out all my tapes and checked them out. I wish I knew that stuff when I was a trainer.👍👍
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
I was never really good at Math in my younger years & NOW that I'm older I can finally grasp it!!! Thank you so much for not making me feel stupid 🙂 💯
You’re welcome! You are NEVER stupid for wanting to learn something new.
Thank you so much! I was never good with math or fractions in school. I'm 60 now. Could never read a tape measure till my mom bought me a readable one . Love these tricks you just showed! Will be using them👍
I’m glad you are still learning new things!
I been a carpenter sum 37 yrs.
Started my apprenticeship in 8/8/88 finished in 1993. I still like to watch these clips to learn little tricks along the way.
So here's one for u .....take a #4 or #6 hand drive finish nail and b4 u drive it into to the end of a board hoping u DNT split the end of board, invert that #4 finish nail place the head of the nail where u wld hav to nail the board and give it a firm tap w ur hammer leaving a impression in the wood then flip nail on it's rite position and drive that bad boy where the head impression u just left and u will never split the end of a board again my friend.
See for urself and try it out.
@@shonalford3419 that's correct only because you flattened the point of the nail, but indentation of the wood makes no difference. When the nail isn't as pointy it doesn't split the wood as much but compresses it instead
Grew up in a custom duct shop, still there 40years layer. All the old school guys used s tape rule. Did radius and strait fittings, beautiful stuff.
Well setup. Best demo I’ve seen using a tape as a slide rule. 👍
I'm a vet and fortunate enough to have some time on my hands. Taking up wood working/carpentry for some extra money. Definitely picked up a couple of short cuts here. Thanks for the video and you picked up another subscriber!
That’s great! I’m a teacher who also does woodworking on the side for extra money!
Another tip -- to find mid point of a board, use two tapes from opposite side. The mid point is where same marking from two tape meet!
That’s a quick trick with no math needed!
Great tip thanks
To do it with one tape pick a easy to find center measurement longer then the width of a board set the tape at an angle at the measurment you picked and mark the center.😎🤔
Or don't, because that's stupid.
It is amazing how complicated are simple tasks when you use imperial sistem instead of decimal!! Incredible, I didn't know you had to suffer with halves, quarters and so on! God bless you.
I didn't know most of those tips and tricks - and I've been using a tape measure for around the house jobs for 30 plus years. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you found the video! My pleasure.
Another tip: some tapes are marked on the bottom for the length of the tape "housing", for lack of better terms. This is useful for measuring between two permanent items without bending your tape in the corner and guessing. The tape reading and the quick addition of your housing length is your total distance.
Yea! Another great tip!
@@TightWadDIY so humble, good man
Thank you. Nice to know.
Some are marked but some aren't, in which case I write it on the case with a permanent marker.
@@robertrinehuls9099 Good idea.
You're a legend! My grandfather taught me a lot of this when I was too young to retain the information. Thank you for making this video 💚🙏
My pleasure!
A very interesting video. As I grew up in the UK in the 50s and 60s, I started with feet and inches before we switched to metric. Our tapes for DIY ers still have inches on one edge and metric on the other but all industrial and professional tapes are pure metric because that's all they use. I still find myself using inches occasionally but if there is any calculation needed, metric is way easier to do. Many people still use the old units for measurements of themselves, such as height and weight and our road speeds are still MPH. But going back to the tape, it's interesting to see the features that are common to all.
That’s really cool. I need to look for a tape with both systems.
I am not convinced that just because we have 10 digits on our hands base 10 (decimal) is the best. Base 16 (hexadecimal) is far better for calculations for use with digital computers because they work in base 2. For measurement base 12 has the advantage of 3/12 (1/4), 4/12 (1/3). Decimal because of rounding errors does not handle thirds well and there are a lot of other fractions and computations handled far better by bases 16 and 12.
@@firstlast7052 millimeters is much better. Alway's plus 1. 10 mm is 1cm, 10 cm is 0.1Meter, 100cm is 1 meter........ easy.
Ditto on your comment Crusty, although I grew up 60s 70s in the UK. I can use both comfortably but for ease of use, metric is obviously easier...
I actually thought that the dual measuring units on tapes was the standard round the world...I believe there are only 3 countries that still don't officially use metric..... United States, Liberia, and Myanmar??
Today I learned how complicated is imperial sistem even for simply measuring a straight line...then there "issues " even for finding the half of a measurement! What I'd you had to find a third of a length! Then you need to calculate f(x)= log %$#@!. dx/dy
My Fat Max Stanley 25' reaches out to 12' before breaking over. Had this tape for 8 yrs or so. Still works great.
Fascinating video on very mundane subject, well done.
Also a bit of a history lesson, being from the UK.
I learned metric when in infants school 65 years ago. They also taught feet and inches so we could communicate with our grand parents.
That’s cool. We are taught mostly imperial with a little bit of metric.
So are there any " Metrics Tape measure ment ? Here is the Arkansas or Missouri In America ? I learned about Metrics When Demoncratic Party President Carter Jimmy Peanut Farmers Carter forcefully made us learn about Metrics in 1976 to 1980s schools.
@@richardscaggs5936
Oh no, you had to learn something the rest of the world uses. The horror of it all. Have you recovered yet? 😁 And to answer your question, yes, there are metric tape measures. You can even get them showing both metric and imperial measurements if you like.
Engineers still use both systems. I was taught both a fair bit less that 65 years ago.
@@captainchaos3053 Both are still taught in American schools.
Dude. I love you. I’m stupid. So I’ve had teachers explain how to read a ruler and it’s always been a horrible experience. I don’t know if it was they’re patience, ability to teach, or my ability to want to learn this at that moment. But surely did the best job explaining the ruler to me today. This is what this measures at and this I how the ruler is broken down. Sounds easy enough but the world of difference when you’re anticipating the answer and other person has somewhere to be. Thank You.
I’m glad you found the video helpful. You finally had the right teacher to show you the basics. I’m a teacher by trade!
Thank you so much for this video. As a woman, I did not know how to use the tape measure accurately. You explained it perfectly. I’m a reseller on multiple platforms & taking accurate measurements is essential. I’ve also made things to help with taking photos of my items. Again, taking proper measurements saves time & materials. So again thank you 🙏🏻
Why did you have to write "As a woman"... You are human and that's ok...
@@krsnkr Thank you for that. In my upbringing, I was at a disadvantage. I grew up in a household that didn’t value women. I had to practically fight for my right to learn to drive as well as put myself through college. Practically everything I know is self taught. Thank goodness for the internet today. We have the world of info readily available to us. I’m proud & love being a woman.
Yeah..n u didn't notice his bad math
I've been in construction for 44 years and a builder for 30 years. We've always framed floor joists at 16" on Center, until they came out with engineered floor trusses which are sometimes 19.2" O. C., hence the black diamonds. Most traditional framed floors and walls are still framed at 16" on Center.
You nailed it! Thanks.
Code once allowed for a 18 inch stud to stud span . Things changed with the introduction of plywood.
@@redwater4778 NO, it was the r value of insulation not plywood that change the code LOL
@@corb765 Insulation code changed the stud dimension from 2x4 inch to 2x6inch
@@redwater4778 when they went to 2x6 it went to 24 on center from 16
Great info, especially for people like me who enjoy small-project woodworking. This video was full of neat little hacks that will save time and brain cells. Thanks a bunch.
I know this is an old video, but I’m starting a carpentry apprenticeship, and this is all very helpful. Gonna help me look a whole lot less clueless once I get working. And help me pick out a good tape measure too!
That’s great! Learn all you can from the old timers. Just FYI, the diamond isn’t used very often. Floor joists are commonly 16ft on center. The black diamond is for engineered ibeams.
@@TightWadDIY thanks, good to know!
Mad respect sir I’ve learned so much from this video thank you.
Thank you for the kind comment.
Great tutorial
Not a carpenter but have been using a tape measure for 40+ years and I never paid any attention to some of the features on the tape. Also some very good tips for the math challenged in subtracting with fractions and finding the halfway point. Good information for everyone.
Thanks for taking the time to comment! I’m glad you enjoyed the video.
I just learned something?? Angle tape across to find centre at an easy divide number?? Would never have thought of that! 👍
I’m glad you found it helpful!
The sides must be parallel.
I agree. That blew me away! :)
Finding the center of a weird length board was new to me and will certainly be helpful. I think I remember seeing a guy do this somewhere but I've never had it explained so simply!
Glad I could help!
You made the hard stuff I hated about tape measures really easy. I’m going to be practicing most of these tips to get the hang of them. Thank you 👍🏽🇻🇮
Thank you for such a great video! One interesting fact I learned that I could share is that on the back of a tape measure there is a marking that states (for example) + 3in/76mm..The 3 inches is actually the length of the tape measure itself. So instead of breaking the tape at the surface of whatever you're measuring, place whole tape measure up against it and add the 3 inches (or whatever your tape measure says....Ex: 3in; 4in, etc.) to the measurement. I hope this makes sense!
Thanks!
What tape is this?
Each of my tapes have a 3" base.
Lisa well done it makes perfect sense. and since you already brought it up the 76mm is the equivalent of 3 inches so you add 76 mn to your distance and you have the amount in meters too. Oh finally the tape box is the case
Unfortunately you need a microscope to read the numbers, and it's buried under the clip, at least on my Stanley tapes. Would also be nice if they used whole numbers, instead of 2-3/8" on my 12' Stanley (at that's what I think it says!)
I’m British and a lot of this doesn’t apply over here but......I found this very, very interesting!
In Canada we use both tape measures metric and imperial myself I grew up with imperial then the change over was hard to get used to but lumber is still measured in imperial 2x4 board Or. 4x8 sheet. And 1/4 or. 1/2 or. 3/4 inch thickness as well as lumber going between Canada and the United States The United States stayed with imperial measurement.. when it first started it was a pain in the rear for cars you get used to what wrench you needed then it started going half and half always getting the wrong wrench now mostly all metric go Canadian cars ... If you ask me should just stay with bubble gum...
@@peterrivney552 in Europe timber is sold in horrible french numbers (metric) which catches a lot of the older fellas off guard.
I learnt more in watching this video, in the 12 minutes it took that I had at any point and total on in my life. Thank you. This was a lot of fun for me to learn.
Another good reason for marking a position with a 'V' instead of just a line, is that when you draw the line on wood, your pencil easily gets caught up in a line of the grain and wiggles about. But if you make a V, then it doesn't matter if the lines of the V are wiggly, as long as the point of the V is in the right place :-)
Yes! Great point.
That is something I didn't know. I was always trying to figure out which end of the line I needed. Causing me to Remeasure many times.
It's also referred to as a crows foot instead of a "V"
That`s the reason we were taught 50 yrs ago, plus the act you can come back and see your mark quicker and easier.
@@TightWadDIY:: is it prudent to slow the retracting tape down before the return spring mechanism ‘nests’ it ?
Excellent your information. Key to understanding and optimizing the use of this valuable tool. Unbelievably his focus is on the building system in the US, mostly stud-based and 16-inch spread. In the Latin American approach it is a bit different, based on the decimal metric system. Very thankful. I learned a lot.
Buy a metric tape same principles apply or buy one with both on
Even as a fairly experienced DIYer and family/friend handyman, a few new tape measure tricks! Thanks. Fun.
I’m glad you learned something new! That is my goal with every video.
@@TightWadDIY what are you talking about
@@mikelachney3589 I thought it was pretty clear. 🤷🏻♂️
Great video and as a Contractor and lifetime construction dork, I always watch to see if I can learn something new that I had not yet. You would be surprised how many of our youth do NOT know anything about a tape measure.........
I think they should use them in schools to teach fractions.
The floor joist black diamond was new info for me, thanks!
Me too
Me three👍🏼
Me four. Been in the trade for 40 years. This is the first time I've heard about laying out floor joists with the black diamond.
I was told in Apprenticeship school that the Black diamond was used to lay out studs back in the early days of home construction when plaster was used for the walls. This would allow the carpenter to use one less stud every 8-ft.
As standard measures came out they converted to using 16" on center so it worked out with the drywall and sheetrock.
Me five.
@@lowellmiller6663 me six
Caution: This video contains information on how to divide fractions! Stay calm, you'll get through it. -- great video. Thanks.
I was expecting to see a slide rule show up
As a child I had numerous tear-stained weekends as my mother tried to get me to do maths with fractions. I did crack it eventually but the metric system is SO-O-O-O much easier, and more precise: 1mm is 1/25”. Life in UK definitely got better as we adopted European measures. Worth a try.
@@iainmacdonald7034 Let's hope the Imperial system in weights and measures can be reintroduced now we have Brexit.
This is so enlightening. Simple but very effective tips. This is my first time watching your videos but I will watch them all as a new subscriber.
Can’t wait to see what else I can learn!!
Thank you! I’m happy to have you as a subscriber!
I did not know how read a tape measure as well, my husband was also a carpenter and he taught me as well, thank goodness! I greatly appreciate your video, because it refreshed my memory
You are so welcome!
What a good video! I’m from the UK and can’t wrap my head around using inches even though I spent my childhood with imperial measurements. The tips, of course, transfer to metric and there are some here which I haven’t thought of. Thanks.
Thank you for your kind comment.
Years ago it was easy to find a tape measure with both imperial and metric measurements, at least in southern US. I'm not a professional carpenter, but thoroughly enjoyed building houses when I was younger and building my own projects now. I haven't looked for a while for one of those double system tapes and I still have trouble with picturing metric. My son wonders why anyone would ever "want" to use imperial.
As a licenced carpenter I knew most of these tips but not the one about angling the tape to find the halfway point in an irregular length board. Another quick trick: when measuring between two flat 90° surfaces, i.e the height of a doorway from floor to top of opening, you need to fold your tape at the top or bottom to get a reading. A simple more accurate way to get this measurement is to measure down exactly 10" from the top of the door opening, mark it, and then measure up from the floor to the 10" mark. Let's say that measurement was 68 and 3/4". Now add the 10" to it and get a final and exact measurement of 78 and 3/4 inches. Hope that helps 👍
Nice tip. Thanks!
I taught myself that one! And yes it works!
The angling was known and is one of the propositions in Euclid's Book called Elements (from 300 bce) and as some people above noted, you can do it for more then just half, for example, if you want to get 1/5' markings, you can angle it at 10/15/20 etc and mark at 2/3/4 etc
Wow, I wish I had seen this when I bought my house over 35 years ago. It would have saved a lot of material 🤪. Thanks for a great video 👍👍👍👍👍
Even with this knowledge, I still have waste! Haha. Cut twice, measure later.
@@TightWadDIY Yeah, I cut it twice and it's still to short!
Very informative thank you. I have a hard time remembering measurement markings on a tape measure or a ruler. My stepdad taught me many times but I still forget. And he's been gone about 10 years now but he always helped me with math since High school up to his very last days. He was about 83 when he left us.
Glad it was helpful! It sucks losing people we love.
Thank You so much I work at Home Depot Hardware Dept and this video will definitely help me at work!!
Great! I love the HD.
HOW COULD YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN?! -to mention that the case will also have an edge-to-edge dimension on it... enabling one to conveniently do internal measurements. Fantastic video! As an old, retired Union carpenter I watched to see what I might learn [new]. Darned if there weren't a coupla tricks I'd not run across before.
I was one of the first framing business to use the manufactured I-beam joists in Washington in the 90’s and the supplers came out to explain these things and give us the special layout plan. They actually supplied us with a couple Stanley tapes with the diamonds in case we couldn’t find them.
That’s really cool.
Thank You so much!!!
I learned a lot!! Over the MANY years since leaving school, you lose some of this ( especially when you're not using it frequently). This will be my go to video to freshen up those number skills when I pull out that measuring tape!!
My pleasure!
In the early 80's the Field Engineer on our job asked the Carpenters to bring our tape rules out for calibration. He had his 'chain' pulled out along a beam explaining that at this temperature it was at zero- being metal it grew longer when hotter and shorter when colder, and he showed us the chart he used to apply a correction percentage for the temperature so that his measurements would always match regardless of conditions. Then we pulled our tapes alongside the 'chain'. All manner of tape rules were involved in the testing, but only Stanley and Lufkin tapes consistently matched the 'chain' at 20 ft distance. I had a Craftsman and it was 1/8" shorter at 20ft. One cheap tape was 3/8" off. That was an eye-opener and since then I've only used Stanley tape rules.
Always measure with the same tape for taking the measurement and transferring to the board!
My contribution for measuring tapes is my dad told me to always have one on you while at work. So if you happen to not be doing anything or just standing and bs-ing and the boss drives up... just start measuring something, anything ;)
@@MGZig Bit like walking around with a clip board, love it TFS, GB :)
@@MGZig When I was in college I worked in the summer at an aluminum extrusion factory. I was on the maintenance crew. I found that I could waste a lot of time walking around wiping my hands on a red shop towel, as if I just finished working on something.
@@MGZig 😂😂😂😂
I taught my son fractions with a tape measure after my wife threw her hands up and said(I give up). He got an A+ in fractions at school.
Yes! Great dad move.
Five quarters of kids these days don't understand fractions.
@@wickedcoolname399
So five quarters is the equivalent of ten eighths right? LOL, thanks for the reply😂
@@TightWadDIY why divide 96 by (5) to get the 19.2 inches, why the number 5 ??
@@cab3910 So you have 5 evenly spaced iBeams for every 8ft.
Just learned so much more about how to use my tape measure. The red joist numbers could be handy in possibly finding a stud for stability in hanging things. An interior design trick to use.
My pleasure!
A tape measurer can be used as radio antenna! The length of the antenna can be trimmed to match the length of the frequency, half-length, etc.
Good one!
Have a happy Yagi!
A very good video, thanks. The "V" you mention for marking a measure, in my part of the country, we would call that a Crow's foot 😀
The method you used to draw a line down the length of a board can also be used to draw a circle. You attach a mail to the board and then hook the end of the tape to the nail. Measure out the radius (1/2 of the diameter) of the circle you want by placing your pencil at the mark and then make a circle or arc if you just want a radius.
Yes! Another great tip.
Thanks for the info about that small black diamond. I'm not a carpenter, my Dad was but he never told me that floor joists were supposed to be 19 and 3 / 16 inches on centers so now I can die peacefully knowing this tip which I haven't known til now. I will reach my 80th birthday this coming December but hopefully will enjoy years more good carpentry tips before I kick the bucket. I love those self locking tapes in my very basic woodworking projects.😁😁😁😁
Thanks and you’re welcome!
Came to see if you talked about the black diamonds. Glad you did. Thanks!
😅
Floor joists can be installed at 12" , 16", or 19.2 " centers depending on size of timber and span of the joist. 19.2 centers are generally used with engineered floor joists such as TGI joists and land on every 8 feet for plywood which is 8 feet long.
is that the black dots?? Not a framer I do commercial
@@ChiDraconis Yes. Black diamonds.
I had tapes with black dots before tgi was ever used......... so I think this is wrong..... I have heard so many different reasons I don't know who to belive...... besides that is just a waste of time when you are used to better methods.
@@willrector9716 It's 19.2 " centers. Whether used for TGI joists or not. In my 30+ years of as a carpenter, I have never seen anything other than a TGI joists spec out at 19.2" center but there is no reason that it couldn't be used for other products or uses at that center spacing. As we all know in the industry, the products we build with dictate for the most part what center spacing we use to accommodate for them . IE Joist type/size plywood, insulation sizing and so on.
@@dirtrider17 oh ok....... some say it's for block...... some say it's for finding the middle of a bay in a wall..... and on and on. Seems to be a mystery still..... I never in my life seen anyone do 19.2....... ever. Been doing it for 23 years..........
Hey! Look at me! I learned something new today. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I have this saved in my Playlist. 👍
I’m always happy to help!
Wow, been using tape measuring every day for 44 years and never thought about folding my tape for half dimensioning. Thanks
You are so welcome!
when laying out a wall from the end you must hold 3/4 of an inch.when measuring from a stud its 16in.the black diamond on the 19 3/16 is for laying out wood eye floor joist which are generally 31/2 inches wide on top.thats why the black diamond works out on the 8ft mark which is the standard length of plywood
Just so you know, it is not 19 3/16. It is 19.2, 38.4, 57.6, 76.8 then 96. Divide 96 by 5. Cuts out one engineered floor joist every 8 ft.
I don't understand what you mean by "hold 3/4 of an inch". Do you mean that you are adjusting 3/4" to make it center to center? Of so are you aware that edge to edge is the same as center to center.
@@wmason1961 its not hard to understand.do you want your drywall to end at the side of the stud or in the middle.youre only holding 3/4 from the end of wall not stud to stud.been framing houses for 35yrs its one of the first things i was taught.might do things different in the states .i dont know im in canada eh.
@@wmason1961 your first stud isn't going to be on 16" center with the rest because you are hooking the end of the wall. A wall that ties between the two walls with corners in them will need 4-1/4" held in order to stay on 16" centers.
I don't think I'm explaining it the best though. It's easier to show you. Lol
@@wmason1961 also, you don't have to"hold" 3/4.
I hook the end of the top and bottom plates and mark 3/4 shy of 16" centers. 15-1/4, 31-1/4, 47-1/4, and so on. It takes in account that the siding is going flushed to the end of the wall and not in the middle of the first stud, which would be 3/4 from the end. Just remember to always set the studs ahead of the marks. So, I mark 3/4 shy and put an x on the advancing side of the mark to make sure they stay on the same layout.
Always good to learn something new, Thank You.
If they taught math like this when I was in school, it would've made perfect sense, I finally get it, I'm 62, thank you
I’m a teacher but I don’t teach Math! I agree this makes much more sense than just looking at numbers.
Good info for many people. I'm not a professional carpenter, but most I knew, and I am a Dewalt fan; tools as well as my go to is one of my two 25' tapes. I purchased due to the 1/8 inch markings.
Yes! Love the Dewalts.
Really fascinating. Never thought I would say that about a tape-measure instructional video. LOL!
Haha! I never thought it would be so popular!
I didn't know what the black diamond was for . . . Thank you.
Yeah, what he said! I could not figure out what the measure was for the floor joists in the house I bought. Now that you show the black diamond the weird measure makes sense. Sort of. No insulation is made that size though...
@@davidherdman9798 that's because most floors aren't insulated
Thank you for the very practical presentation. Loved it. The matematics part is just awsome. :)
You are welcome. I’m glad you found it helpful.
I'm a General Contractor and have always bought and used the 30' Stanley tape because it has the best "Stand out" I could find. And they last for a long time, usually 2 house builds.
Nice!
That folded ruler trick to do math is pretty cool. In the 60s they used the same thing, slide rules, and built SR-71 black bird with them.
I have my old K&E framed over the desk with a sticker that says "In case of power failure--break glass."
I still use one, it's quicker than a calculator if you're used to it. Mind you it's a bit more involved than a measuring tape...
Does Stanley still put measurements formulas on the back? For example how to find the radius of a circle...converting US to metric...so on and so on? I have an old Stanley that belonged to my grandfather and over the years of use has worn off the back.
I haven’t noticed those. That’s a great idea though.
Yeah my carpenter father taught me about that on tape measures.
Find the radius of a circle? Divide the diameter by 2. Do you mean the circumference?
The diamond Mark is the layout for TJI manufacture floor and roof systems. Won a tap extension contest once with a Stanley tape.
Very cool. Thanks for sharing.
What's a tap extension? I think that you meant a tape extension.
I was a lead carpenter for a framing crew in the start up of San Destin Resort in Florida back in the early 1980's. Innovations were often tried there. One was that 19.2" on centers floor tresses layout.
One can easily see that 19.2" X 5 = 96". This allows for the "breaking" of full sheets of 4' X 8' on the centers of the joists.
To start the second run of plywood it is customary to cut a full sheet in half. Then on traditional 16" and or 24" on centers layout each successive sheet will fall exactly on the centers of the erected floor joists, tresses, etc.
The problem with the 19.2" on centers system is with starting that 2nd, 4th, 6th etc. runs of plywood. That's because there's 5 floor tresses to each 8' of layout. So now on those even numbered runs there's nothing for a 48" half sheet to fall on!
This caused a considerable amount of trouble for the 4 different framing crew's hands as they were used to the traditional layouts of 16" OC and 24" OC. This also caused trouble for the plumbers as well for the same reasons.
Its true that as I did one can cut the 2nd and successive first piece to 38.4", as I did. And as these were townhouses that were carefully drawn by the architect(s), the remaining 57.6" " drop off" left over from cutting the starting with 38.4" pieces would work as the last piece on that same run of plywood.
The entire reason for this was to save money by using only 5 tresses per 8' of layout instead of the 6 (6 X 16" = 96") layout. The savings were also to enable rhe use of lower profile floor tresses ie. less material cost per tress. It was also to ease the installation of heating/ cooling ducts Taller profile tresses were required to use 24" OC layout, hence costlier
I can remember being called to blacked in town houses using that 19.2" OC system at least 20 times to locate those tresses for the plumbers after those floors had been "sub-floored".
The original developer/ owner of San Destin was Peter Boss, yep Boss was his real name.
He quickly ended that little 19.2" OC boondoggle.
Mr. Boss died flying his private helicopter around 1983. He was a wonderful man. He was a mult-millionaire thru his own hard work and amicable personage. He took great care to let every person from the carpenter helper or house cleaning maid to the big-time contractor or hotel/ restaurant raunt manager to know that he cared about them. Not just as a means to enrich himself financially, but to enrich his life and soul.
I write of him because I always brown bagged my lunches and ate on the job site s. He wouldn't want any of the crews to think he was spying in them. So several or more times per week at lunchtime he'd drive about in his well used pickup truck to see how the development of his resort was going. And he'd usually stop by and sit in the shade with me as I took lunch and just "shoot the bull".
RIP Mr. Peter Boss, and RIP 19.2" OC! He'd laugh at that!
@@captainjack8823 Such a great story! We love the San Destin area too! Thanks for sharing about Mr. Peter Boss.
@@captainjack8823 Thanks for this information & the story of Mr. Peter Boss. Not only the industry but the world could follow his example.
Stay safe, Joe Z
I already knew most of these tricks, but this is going to consolidate them into a great teaching project outline for my 10 year old grandson. Thanks!
Thanks! I’m glad you found it helpful.
One thing I learned about tape measure.. You can never find one when you need it, like a pencil.
So true. You definitely can’t find your favorite one…ever.
Thats why I buy a few dozen at a time.
I lose my tape measure all the time when I'm using it. I can never remember where I sat it down. My wife tells me "if only they'd put a clip on it you could use to attach it to your belt." She thinks she's so funny.
I’ve even been on a job where my main tape and two spares disappeared. Found them at the end of the day in the apprentice’s tool pouch. He forgot that he put one in there and so grabbed mine.
That's why I always prefer to wear my old carpenters pouch even when I'm working in a shop. Without it, I never have a pencil, a tape or anything else I need!
I'm left-handed and realized the other day that I've somehow subconsciously adapted to reading all the tape measure numbers upside down. My natural preference would be to hold the tape measure in my left hand and pull from right to left or toward me to the left side. On reflection, I realized that there might be a reverse grip left-handed solution to pull left to right. I'm sure I'm not the only lefty navigating a world of right-handed tools. At least a tape measure is unlikely to cut off any body parts on accident...
I’m actually a lefty too! They do sell left handed tapes but like you, I’ve adapted.
I seem to recall seeing a tape measure that could be read either way. That was years ago though.
Interesting. I prefer to hold the tape in my right hand so I get a better mark with my left hand.
@@andrewmartin4258 same.
@@James_Knott That’s not a bad idea!
I always keep a tape measure on my desk, so if I’m researching stuff on the internet and I need to visualise how big something is, then I pull out that tape measure rather than trying to guess.
Handy to visualise enclosures as I can make a rectangle shape and check how other objects fit inside it.
Good idea.
You might want to try Adam Savage's temporary ruler tattoo. A 12" ruler with markings down to 1/8" always on your forearm.
IMMEASURABLE value,
great Tips to avoid frustration.
Always MEASURE twice CUT once. Thanks.
So true!
Fractions were always a problem for me in any math class I had in school, from elementary to high school. My Father showed me how to solve fraction problems using a ruler to a tape measure. So since elementary school,
I solved the math fraction questions in my head, visualizing a tape measure. Since then, I aced math tests with fraction problems memorizing the tape measure.
That’s really cool!
Fractions (and math in general) can seems extremely abstract to people of all ages without a practical application. It's why some kids can't even grasp simple addition and subtraction without an abacus (or counting frame). Using real life objects to teach these concepts should be mandatory for kids having trouble. I remember my dad teaching my brother simple fractions using his train set (16 cars, half is 8, quarter is 4 etc.). I was a little guy of 5 watching the lesson and it stuck with me. Made fractions a breeze years later!
As an old maths teacher I totally agree. The more relatable to practical problems the better for most of us.
Something virtually impossible in metric only countries.
@@wmason1961 You still need to learn fractions even if you live in a metric country. Fractions don't only relate to inches!
What about the numbers on the side of the tape's case? It let's you know the exact measure of the case so you don't have to bend the tape as coming to a corner to get a length. Just check the measure on the tape and add up the measure of the case. More precise than bending the tape. (You may have covered this one in another video later)
Tapes are also good for scribing a radius on a floor or on plywood for arched openings and windows by hooking that tip on a nail on the center line and holding the pencil against the blade while pulling your arch.
Thanks for this information. It can be a great help to others, ‘cuz it was a refresher course to me. I had left the healthcare line of work, & went to work in a factory a few years back. I’m now retired, & have used my learned skills so many times, & was so happy to have retained what I learned. Chances are you’ll never forget either. Since being @ home more, I’m now more of a daily seamstress, & will take the time to teach my grandchildren all they my need to know. So, Thank You, for any helpful hints that I can pass on to them…all 5 are boys, & girls 😉💕🇺🇸
My pleasure.
I really learned a lot , great tips. Mahalo from hawaii🤙🏽
I built over 200 house's for Hawaiian homelands in the 90s. Be cool if you were living in one.
Good luck God bless
Enjoy your perfect day
Awsome explanation, thanks.
Along the bottom edge of most tape measures is a measurement listed. That is the size of the housing itself, so to measure inside dimensions you can put the back of the housing against one edge, pull out the tape until it touches the other side, then just add the known housing size to the measurement shown on the tape.
Good tip. Lots of people just extend the tape out and try to get a rough measurement from the tape curving in the corner (guilty as charged 😣).
@@mindmedic9435 I do it too. Knowing the right way to do something, and doing it, are two different things.
I like to pull from one side 10" and make a mark then measure from the other side to my mark and add the 10"
Thanks a lot for your great info. I've been cutting wood and measuring for a long time and I didn't know some of these things. Never too old to learn.
Great! Im glad you enjoyed it!