jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

From Family Handyman - "Never Forget Your Measurements Again." I haven't taken my measurements in years - if ever. As it turns out, this is about measurements in carpentry. I got an email last week about making something longer. It must have been my fingers so I could play the ukulele better. 🤣

The Handyman tips suggest that you -
Use a pencil to mark the lumber directly without bothering to measure.
Use a piece of wood to transfer lengths from one area to another.
Use a template for cutting several pieces the same size. You won't have to worry about measuring 23 5/32".
Write the measurement on masking tape applied to your tape measure.

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

Huh?!! So if you're making the neck of your ukulele longer to accommodate bigger fingers, you just cut your wood to what looks fairly close to something accurately measured? And do you just stick the frets where they "look right?" Gonna make a pretty poor sounding musical instrument. I can kinda see this working if you're replacing an existing piece of wood where you can place another piece of wood against it and mark the length but if you're building something new, "best guess measuring" is a poor idea.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

No, I follow the rules when I make or modify a uke.

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

Among other things, I do carpentry and woodworking on everything from barns to making furniture. That means 1/8” difference can be darn good sawing on a barn to a disaster on furniture. I’m teaching my 8 year old grandson woodworking and teaching him cabinetry measurements first. I told his mother it’s easy to possess fine skills and not need them on a barn but tough having rough carpentry skills and then having to learn the fine skills (like I did).

I’ve found that when replacing a board or piece, if at all possible use the old one for a pattern. It may have been cut crooked for a reason.

When remodeling an old house, leave your square at home. Or at least in the truck. It’s unlikely a century old house will be square to begin with.

When building furniture, use a sharp pencil that makes a fine line and mark which side to cut on.

When using a tape measure for furniture, use the same one all of the time.

Of course the old adage, measure twice cut once.

And one that applies to photography, make a scale drawing to see how proportional things are. As in photography, some proportions are more pleasing to the eye than others. Just like peering through the viewfinder, if it doesn’t look right, change your height, width, add, remove or use light and dark wood to alter the contrast or the impression of size or depth. Also like photography, do your best to make it as perfect as possible initially. Whether you’re using finishing tools (sandpaper, stain and finish) or photoshop (light, dark, color correction), enhancing something that is good to start with is far easier and more successful than “fixing “ something that is wrong or just doesn’t look right. And sometimes there is no fixing something that is wrong whether it’s a twist or cup in a board or blown highlights and shadows with no detail. Sometimes you just gotta swallow your pride and start over.

BebuLamar

That would be the reason for errors. This site really have great tips too bad they want money and I wouldn't want to pay them.

Polock

take a picture (raw) of your ruler while it's measuring the stick.
but really metric tape measures are easier to use

Wasabi

Wasabi

"...When remodeling an old house, leave your square at home. Or at least in the truck. It’s unlikely a century old house will be square to begin with...."

Or plumb.

medphotog Loc: Witness protection land

Century old? Uh, ours was built in 1968. Plumb and square were optional that year, plus the added bonus of aluminum wiring. But it's a keeper.

fsommer

Always use the original piece to mark duplicates. Otherwise your pieces will grow with each generation. Cumulative tolerances.

JBuckley

Our 1953 vintage (stick home) seems to be pretty plumb in all aspects, except in the garage.

Because the outside (framed) wall was built on a 6 inch cement wall, the studs on that wall were cut to accompany the roof line that was already in place. When converting the (small single-car garage), I had to cut the new dry wall sheets to accomodate the shorter walls. I never realized that until trying to put up the new dry wall.
Live and learn. (Measure twice, and then ..... draw a new plan.)

Old houses are built to last....except for the cast iron drains and galvanized water pipes.

The mice love the old (cloth covered) wiring in the basement.

cyan Loc: Northern NJ

Measure twice, cut once.

Equus Loc: Puget Sound

I’ve found that when replacing a board or piece, if at all possible use the old one for a pattern. It may have been cut crooked for a reason.

It may have been cut crooked for a reason but if it is old things may have shifted and made it crooked. Either way use the piece as a pattern.

When remodeling an old house, leave your square at home. Or at least in the truck. It’s unlikely a century old house will be square to begin with.

I think that you are dreaming with the unlikely statement. A house that is 10 years old is unlikely to be square. A century old house is going to be out of true in all directions. And a 200 year old house may have never known what true was. (that is from working on a 200 year old house)

When building furniture, use a sharp pencil that makes a fine line and mark which side to cut on.

Or use a knife to cut the line.

Of course the old adage, measure twice cut once.

My adage is measure a bunch of times and cut several times, usually on a new piece of wood each time.
The German adage is cut it again and it is still too short.

edrobinsonjr Loc: Boise, Idaho

I use "story sticks" a lot. I gives you a permanent record of the project and it contains all of the measurements you need.

Ed

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

A buddy was remodeling a house built in the early 1970’s. The builders used the old trick of putting a closet in the corner, allowing the bedroom to be square and concealing all of the errors in the closet. He said the smallish walk in closet was 7” out of square!

And I was disgusted with myself this summer when the floor of the 14x20 addition to my shop was 1/4” out of square when completed. I guess I expected too much of myself. It’s bad when others disappoint you but worse when you disappoint yourself. I’m sure my German finish carpenter grandfather is turning over in his perfectly square and plumb casket.