Press it into your wood for an accurate measurement when you don’t have a pencil handy. The metal hook often has a serrated edge that you can use as a scribing tool. You can tap a nail into the edge of your piece of wood, hook the nail grab and let the tape measure extend from there. The tiny hole at the end of the tang, also called a nail grab, makes it easy to keep the end of your measuring tape stationary while measuring something large. The extra length compensates for its being on the outside of the wall or outside of your measurement. However, if you use the hook to grab the edge of a wall, as you pull the tape measure, the tang extends 1/16 of an inch from the end of your tape. It is exactly 1/16 of an inch so that when the hook sits inside of an area to be measured, like a shelf, it becomes part of your measurement and is zero - no need to add length. That wobbly itty-bitty piece of metal is a design marvel, perhaps more so than Tang, the drink of choice of NASA’s 1960s astronaut lineup. The tang allows you to walk away, extending the measuring tape to the far edge for an accurate reading with no additional help holding it in place: Very useful when taking measurements alone. The metal hook, or tang, at the end of the tape grabs the surface you’re measuring, like the edge of a table. It’s an easy way to get a read on a corner. You may need to add this number to your calculations when measuring the inside of a cabinet where you use the case itself as part of the measurement. A lighter material, like rubber, is easier to carry around and may not chip tile if you drop it on the floor - just something to consider.Įach case has its own exact measurement printed on the outside. Metal tape measures were invented by the hoop skirt designers of the 18th century, but many new forms have been developed since then.Īll-metal tape measures can be heavy, which you may find helpful when needing a counterweight to keep the tape from bending. ![]() The best tape measure, however, is the one you have on you and that you know how to use for precise measurements. These stud designations are intended to indicate the "on-center" position of framing members.There are lots of different options when it comes to tape measures. You will rarely use these markings unless you happen to be building a shed or playhouse, or constructing partition walls during major remodeling projects. These increments correspond to the common intervals for the studs, joists, and rafters that are used to create the basic structural framework for walls, floors, and roofs. Find the Stud Markingsįor the benefit of framing carpenters who do repetitive work, most tape measures also have convenient markings at 16-inch and 19.2-inch increments, usually designated by a number highlighted in red, or by a small diamond marking on the blade. 1/16- and 1/32-inch increments are more often used in fine woodworking projects where hardwood workpieces need to fit very tightly. When framing walls, for example, tolerances down to 1/8-inch are usually completely sufficient to bang studs and joists into place. On dual-purpose tape measures, the numerals on the opposite side of the blade indicate centimeters.įor general construction work using framing lumber, it's usually sufficient to measure down to 1/8-inch increments. ![]() On some tape measures, the inch markings repeat 1- to 12-inch increments on one side of the blade, with running inch increments on the other side (as shown here).Inch marks are usually in the largest font.At 8 feet, for example, you will see both a "8 ft." and a "96" inch designation. Inch mark numbering usually continues along the entire length of the blade. The next increments of measure on a tape measure blade are the inch marks, which will be identified by the longest lines and usually labeled with a single numeral-1, 2, 3, etc. It's the same thing, but a little easier to read on the tape and remember. So, instead of a ceiling being measured as 7 feet, 6 inches, it would be measured as 90 inches. ![]() That way, you only need to pay attention to one set of figures: inches. The Spruce Home Improvement Review Boardįoot marks are valuable, but often it's easier to avoid them altogether and measure only in terms of inches.
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