I've been working in construction for a few years now and have spent 4 years volunteering for a nonprofit organization that teaches trade skills to at risk youth. These videos are seriously awesome. They didn't teach me this stuff on the job and they sure as heck didn't teach it to me at school but you can bet I'm going to show this stuff to the kids in the after school program.
An old-timer I worked with would always give the apprentice the “dumb-end” of the tape then walk down to the end of the board and ask the kid “what do you got?” And watch for the kids reaction. One of his favorite expressions when somebody screwed up was “You cut it twice and its still too short, huh?’
People eschew trades like carpentry, but these guys are getting exercise, being creative, and are working in a paradise compared to a cubicle staring at a monitor. No water cooler banter, no office politics, no HR, no preferences, no excuses.
Former Journeyman Carpenter here who became an Architect after a back injury on the job. All of the tricks I learned swinging a hammer have paid-off in spades in my professional practice.
The truth is that most office jobs don't require the degrees they demand, sometimes a decently smart high school kid could do it with little training. Becoming a journeyman carpenter often requires more brains and experience.
Its the small things sometimes that really matter. I never had a clue for most of what you showed but I am so glad to learn it. Very helpful information. Thank you.
When I was a framer I used mine as a calculators to add subtract fractions. You can bend the tape back on itself and line the 2 numbers that you want to add together and wherever the end of the tape lands is the Sum
The belt clip has a slot to hold a pencil, with the point sticking out the bottom, then you hook it on the nail and swing it around to draw large circles. Measure/mark your radius first the lock it on your measurement to draw the circle/arch.
Have you ever heard of something called metric units? its pretty neat - 10 millimeters is 1 centimeter and 100 centimeters is 1 meter and 1000 meters is 1 kilometer.Very easy-to-use type of mesurement, we use all the time in Europe.
@@thomaskg3802 Hello. Yes, I have. I am Canadian and have a degree in physics. We began transitioning here to metric in the early Seventies when our current prime minister's father was prime minister. My science background reinforced and expanded on all of that across more than the everyday set of measurement dimensions. I have the advantage of being conversant in both the SI and imperial system of units as well as conversion between them. For example, the pound is a unit of force (i.e. weight due to gravity). Do you know what the unit of mass is in imperial?
My uncle was an old school carpenter. One of the best. Started in the 50's and worked almost to the day he died. For many years he used one of those fold up rulers. You would not believe how fast he could unfold and refold that bad boy. I'm talking literally a couple to three seconds each way. It just goes to show how fast you can become at something if you do it every day for years. When he died I was shaking hands at the people coming into the funeral home. One guy said as he was shaking my hand "great carpenter, old school".
Pull the end of the tape around lining up the end with the current year, 2019=119", look for the year you were born ,1985= 85"ECT, directly across from that number is how old you are currently. Pretty cool. Tapes are so underrated and misunderstood. I love the videos!
how did i miss this one. The opening logo page looked fun to make Erik! You are always thinking about the channel and the audience. hello from 4/20/2022
The arch in the tape measure also ensures that the tape as it winds back inside stays perfectly on center. This will keep the edges of the tape flat and compact so they don't bind on the inner walls. Also, the hook on the nail head feature allows you to measure out circles...and with two nail heads spaced apart ellipses. Thanks guys, great work!
I love my stick rule. Great for tube bending, finding a 45* reference, and especially stove piping heating and cooling and condensate lines in a hotel or apts with 10’ or shorter ceilings. Rather than getting a ladder. I can just unfold the stick rule and see I need a piece about 2’ with a 90 and then about 18” that way. Great for knocking down that level you left above the drop ceiling too.
Wow. Ive never seen these hidden features before. Especially the curved bit on the tape measure. I never did see that. But that said, in Australia, they make tape measures the other way, so the arch is facing down. That way the building industry doesn't collapse in the Land Down Under. The bit on the end being loose was amazing. I'd never seen that hidden feature either. As for the nail grabber part - the "hole" - I like to leave slag and dags on my welds for that exact reason. For sticking the tape measure on it. Some people think it is because I am a bad welder, but actually it is a feature I perform because I am an amazing tradesman. The smart and dumb ends of a tape measure. I didn't realise there was a smart side to a tape measure. That certainly was a hidden feature. It is a bit like those roadworkers (yeah, you know the ones!) that stand there on the side of the road, and you know they did something completely stupid, as their boss has told them, "Look you!" Good for nothing git!!! You take this sign, and stand there on the side of the road and tell people how STUPID you are! I want you to stop the traffic, and then tell them how SLOW you are! For eight hours!" Maybe they're all the same people who wrote the signs being punished, as the signs always miss the word "OF", causing the signs to instead of being warning signs, to be picketing signs for some union. "END ROADWORK!!!" "END FREEWAY" No wonder nothing is ever done. They are actually lobbying against their own jobs! I liked that hidden bit on the bottom of the tape measure (are you sure that the button never actually fell out? Some have buttons there, you know) for putting your finger on. I normally just use my tongue as a brake on the edge of the blade. I also liked the hidden "3 inches" feature. Still, looking at the tape measuring the body, that "3 inches" isn't exactly making 3 inches, as it seems about 1/8 out, at least where the tape is displayed. So much for the second hidden feature being useful if one uses that. The diamond was certainly a hidden feature. I mean although I couldn't see it due to it being hidden, I can imagine it being good if we get a centrepunch and just knock a little dot into it, so that way a blind man can use a tape measure and know when he reaches the floor truss dimensions. Well, great video, but none of these things are truly hidden. I was expecting a built in garotting tool or something...dart gun, UV code, something like that. So I guess the only thing hidden is... "WHERE'D I PUT MY BLOODY TAPE MEASURE???"
Been using a tape measure for years as a electrican. I knew everything except adding 3 inches when you run it to the wall..thanks you taught me something...new sub.
I got a alternate use for your 'nail trick`, while hooked on a nailhead, you can easily rotate the tape around the nail, and draw perfect circles as big as your tape. You welcome...
I watched this only out of curiosity thinking I knew about tape measures, yeah right. Well I actually learnt something, the moving end piece and hooking to a nail. As they say you are never to old to learn. Thank you.
The inside read folding rule is the go to for me in the electrical trade. It’s lays flat. It’s stiff but still light. Find angles with it. Use it as a pipe spacer when building pipe racks. It’s a great tool and don’t see why more people don’t use them
You should compile a "Top 5 features of a tape measure that pisses you off" I'll start it off with #1. 1. The end has an uncanny knack for getting caught in the slightest gap, making it virtually impossible to retract without having to forcefully pull the end out of whatever it's caught in.
And also the pin in the end will sometimes get caught on what you are measuring ( if you happen to slide the blade down you're project ) and if you're not careful then you might cut your object an inch too short.
The damn end gets bent out of square from #1, so now your measurements are off by 1/8" from someone else's tape and you can't figure why shit doesn't fit 🤦🏻♂️
OK... I have nothing to do with constructions and I never use Tape Measures, but this video was sooo cool!!!! I love tools that are soooo well designed! They thought about everything!!!! ... And you are so observant! :)
I learnt more off this about tape measures than the 2 years I spent in college, learning about joinery and carpentry in the UK, thanks so much. awesome vid.
Sucks for us in countries that use metric though. Most of our tapes are just metric versions of what you guys in US and A have, like Stanley Fatmax ect. 3 inches = 76.2 mm. Not really as easy to work out.
@@Patrick-857 .....I may be wrong, but i think the U.S is the only place in the world that inches instead of Centimeters..... I may be wrong about that though.
@@Axeltiguere1976 Yes, which is why it's weird that the rest of the world has to suffer all the products being designed in feet and inches and then adapted to metric for us.
38 year Carpenter here; the top ears on modern day catches are designed to catch something from underneath, say, the bottom of ceiling joists for hanging sheetrock. Also on modern day catches, older catches didn't recess into the attachment point and sheetrockers are the probably the cause of that recess being there now, in order to lock your razor knife into place to make rip cuts. It also works well for making rip cuts on insulation board & other soft materials. But, one of the most important things that tape measures can be used for, is a pointer, when you're pointing to what needs to be done next! 🤣
I love how it is shaped like a baseball so I can accurately throw it in the dumpster.... I’ve had 3 of those when they first came out and they kept locking up
Pull an older tape measure out almost fully and blow out the case with compressed air, (using Eye Protection) Then wrap a rag around the blade and let it close...slowly. (this wipes the accumulated dirt off of it). Then put a little 3 in 1 oil on the rag, in a clean spot, and wrap that around the blade and let it close slowly. (You don't want it dripping, just a light sheen). Over time it gets dirty. That in turn, holds moisture. That infests the inner coil spring along with the grooves the tape runs in, and it locks up, due to the added thickness with the dirt. ((Be careful ! If the tape is out too far it will twist 90 degrees from the wind-up spring and it will get away from you, tape will come loose from the spring, and the spring will wind up. Its a pain in the butt to rework that!)) This will take about 15 minutes to do, and should be done at least once per year! If you use it around the coast, you should do it every month, due to the salty air. They will corrode very quickly! Bill, from Tn. 🇺🇸
Good job Brother. You only looked over one of the most functional and cool things a tape does. In day to day working stuff every once in a while. Usually when your alone in a tight spot. The tape can be used to grab almost anything. It's not just functional it's fun😎
You can also have tape races with your friends while you're standing around. Extend the tape to five feet and say go. First one with their tape fully retracted wins. Run a 25-foot tape in a 30ft case with the 30-foot spring. Great for winning coffee and beer. That's some high-speed shit.
Another unique feature of virtually all tape measures is that they seem to have been designed by someone who is left-handed. A right-handed carpenter will hold his pencil in his right hand leaving his left to hold the tape box. Extend the tape out to the end of the board to your right, stretch it out and you will find the numbers are all upside-down.
So true, I’ve been saying that for 20+ years since I started in carpentry. The clip is also on the wrong side (if you even use it, I usually just take it off and have a special pocket for it on my belt).
Left hand fingers the dumb end. Right palm, middle, ring, and punky hold the box. Right thumb balances/pins the marking tool, right index cradles/fine tunes the marking tool. Have you never picked a measurement and ran it down a 4'x8' piece of material? Say... A studline on the outside face of rock, for example? Or the cut line when scribing in an alcove counter? No worries. The opportunity will come
We had a saying we would use, when a new supervisor came thru...He would say, WHAT'S WRONG? We would say, "I don't know...I've cut it off three times, and it's STILL too short!"...they would walk away puzzled! I THANK YOU FOR A GREAT INFORMATIVE VIDEO !!! Bill, from Tn. 🇺🇸
I like these guys, I've never been able to work with anyone who gave a shit about anything but quitting time = beer thirty . I like working smarter not harder ! Good information 👌
The tip about the tape being 3” so add it to your measurement, it actually tells you on the back side on how big the tape is, so you should add that measurement.
The three inch case to help with hitting up to corners was an “ah ha” moment. Thank you! Very helpful. I feel dumb for not figuring that out on my own. Sheesh. Thanks again!
When using the tape housing as part of the measurement, you need to look on the tape and it will have the measurement on there that you need to add. Most of them are around 3", but 3 inches isn't any kind of standard. They're all a little bit different.
Yep. Working on commercial door frames, the magnet comes in handy, but there are times when it's sticking to everything you don't want it to. Especially if you're working near lots of metal, and extending the tape, and trying to thread it through a tight spot. It would be comical if it didn't piss you off so much. That's when you go to your backup tape.
Great video I was hoping when you were showing the thumb break on the Milwaukee tape measure you would mention never ever ever did I say never let the tape free wheel into the housing you will distort “the dummy end” Always use the Thumb break or put your finger underneath to act as one. I worked for an old Carpenter 35 years ago Who would have a fit if he heard a tape measure bottom out against the case Monday mornings we all had to check our tape measures against his for accuracy it’s funny the lessons you never forget
Reminds me of when we were doing a remodel job on an old farm house and I kept getting yelled at for my boards being 1/8 long. So after I kept getting railed I said to my boss “I’m double checking these numbers before I bring the board in.” I tossed him my tape he measured my board and lone behold it was the right number on my tape but not his. Lesson learned.
My brother is of the same mind... Despite the stitches his tape has given his index finger... Twice. I prefer the Stanly 25' autolocking tape, myself. The red halfway measurements help a lot, as do the ⅛ denotations. Keeps us dyslexics from reading the wrong side of the nearest inch line 47⅜ is *not* 48⅝, but it is to me without my cheater tape lol
Being a carpenter for 22 years I thought I would show one of my greenhorns something he may not know... honestly no one on the crew didn’t already know these things and even more.
Lol love this! My grandma couldn't wait for a possibility to say: "If one has not good brain then has good legs!" whenever anyone was forgetting something somewhere.
@Ruffian By Nature Yes he was a beast. According to our families records he started swinging a hammer with his Dad and Grandpa around 1927 when he was 10 years old and other than farming, carpentry was all he did till he went off to WW-2. When he came back he was a carpenter for close to 60 years before his health made him hang up his old Occidental tool belt.
In Belgium, we still use the fold out ruler over the tape measures, it is more precise, the tape measures are made of steel which change size with the different temperature, instead of the fold ruler that are made of wood.
Arched tapes make accurate marks difficult. If your making fine furniture or close fit joints these tapes are a nightmare. Stanley METAL case 12ft tape is the best. It sucks they dont put the cheat info on the back of tape like they used to.
@@LeonidsStrapOn yeah man been using the fatmax 16 for over a decade. I also like on my Milwaukee theres a void on the bottom so i can lock the tape using my finger, easier for me to control than the normal lock
try cutting your first piece as a pattern block 1/16 short of your desired number (taking the thickness of the pencil lead into accout) then lay and scribe. make 5 or so cuts and only pull your tape once. Use this on siding too once you find you correct gable pitch save you best cut off or drop and lable it pat. then you don't have to find your degrees every cut because you did it once just pay attention which way the angle goes.
Measure twice cut once?! Are you sure?? Damnit! I thought it was measure once cut twice! Well that explains a lot lol! Good video, I wish everyone on the planet will watch this! Save the rest of us from a whole lot of head shaking haha!
Always let your finger be the bumper against the tip when you're letting it close! It'll save your rivets and not allow the rivet to elongate the tape holes. 1/16" or more could be added to your measurements.
I actually knew a few of those, my dad was a contractor and my first job was as his apprentice. Didn't know about the diamond marks or why the end was loose...super awesome info - thanks!!
Some where between the fold out measure and the tape measure was the "snap measure" (what I call it). Like a tape measure but thicker metal that would roll up (no case). You could unroll it and "snap" it so all or a portion had a bow in it and that part would stay rigid while the flat part stayed rolled up. I think it was 3' long max. Or maybe 8'. Maybe different lengths. I know there were different widths. My grandfather had several of them.
you can rest your finger on the side of the tape while pulling it out, to double-check your blood color.
Too soon bro too soon.
Good feature for diabetes patients
Ahhh ow Fuck I've done that it hurts so much
Fuckin hilatois
Love it
I've been working in construction for a few years now and have spent 4 years volunteering for a nonprofit organization that teaches trade skills to at risk youth. These videos are seriously awesome. They didn't teach me this stuff on the job and they sure as heck didn't teach it to me at school but you can bet I'm going to show this stuff to the kids in the after school program.
Grasya amigo
PAY IT FORWARD!
RIGHT ON!
Let us pray the Snowflakes pay attention...
Either way, good on ya
An old-timer I worked with would always give the apprentice the “dumb-end” of the tape then walk down to the end of the board and ask the kid “what do you got?” And watch for the kids reaction. One of his favorite expressions when somebody screwed up was “You cut it twice and its still too short, huh?’
People eschew trades like carpentry, but these guys are getting exercise, being creative, and are working in a paradise compared to a cubicle staring at a monitor.
No water cooler banter, no office politics, no HR, no preferences, no excuses.
@Roy Hill When someone says , "you have sawdust in your hair", I'll reply, "It's in my blood too."
I like to say very few people come up on the roof I’m doing to bother me. Plenty of exercise and fresh air and no back biting among co workers.
Former Journeyman Carpenter here who became an Architect after a back injury on the job. All of the tricks I learned swinging a hammer have paid-off in spades in my professional practice.
The truth is that most office jobs don't require the degrees they demand, sometimes a decently smart high school kid could do it with little training. Becoming a journeyman carpenter often requires more brains and experience.
Sounds like heaven. Corporate life has turned to shite in the last few years
Its the small things sometimes that really matter. I never had a clue for most of what you showed but I am so glad to learn it. Very helpful information. Thank you.
By no means was this boring. Very well presented,good video. Thanks
When I was a framer I used mine as a calculators to add subtract fractions.
You can bend the tape back on itself and line the 2 numbers that you want to add together and wherever the end of the tape lands is the Sum
The belt clip has a slot to hold a pencil, with the point sticking out the bottom, then you hook it on the nail and swing it around to draw large circles. Measure/mark your radius first the lock it on your measurement to draw the circle/arch.
I'll be damned!! 🤯
That's great to know. Thank you very much!
What?!?!!? Show me! Please.
Now that is something i didn't know about tape measures. Nice one
Shut the front door... never knew that. Cant wait to try it 😀
62 years old and still learning. Thanks!
Have you ever heard of something called metric units? its pretty neat - 10 millimeters is 1 centimeter and 100 centimeters is 1 meter and 1000 meters is 1 kilometer.Very easy-to-use type of mesurement, we use all the time in Europe.
@@thomaskg3802 Hello. Yes, I have. I am Canadian and have a degree in physics. We began transitioning here to metric in the early Seventies when our current prime minister's father was prime minister. My science background reinforced and expanded on all of that across more than the everyday set of measurement dimensions. I have the advantage of being conversant in both the SI and imperial system of units as well as conversion between them. For example, the pound is a unit of force (i.e. weight due to gravity). Do you know what the unit of mass is in imperial?
Thanks for making me smarter today!
My uncle was an old school carpenter. One of the best. Started in the 50's and worked almost to the day he died. For many years he used one of those fold up rulers. You would not believe how fast he could unfold and refold that bad boy. I'm talking literally a couple to three seconds each way. It just goes to show how fast you can become at something if you do it every day for years. When he died I was shaking hands at the people coming into the funeral home. One guy said as he was shaking my hand "great carpenter, old school".
Awesome story.. thanks for sharing
Wild Bill same with rebar iron workers. 6-foot stick rule was their name in Jax.
Measure twice, cut once & BEAT TO FIT :)
No. Just no. It's "Beat it in to fit and if it doesn't fit, beat it harder or cut that bitch"
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer! 🤣
Measure once, cut once.
Do your best, caulk the rest.
@@jmscrft from a close friend that passed & he was a siding fool; "if you can't throw a chicken through it, caulk it"!! 🤣
Pull the end of the tape around lining up the end with the current year, 2019=119", look for the year you were born ,1985= 85"ECT, directly across from that number is how old you are currently. Pretty cool. Tapes are so underrated and misunderstood. I love the videos!
Yuppp konw since
s
Buddy how did you figure that one out?
how did i miss this one. The opening logo page looked fun to make Erik! You are always thinking about the channel and the audience. hello from 4/20/2022
The arch in the tape measure also ensures that the tape as it winds back inside stays perfectly on center. This will keep the edges of the tape flat and compact so they don't bind on the inner walls. Also, the hook on the nail head feature allows you to measure out circles...and with two nail heads spaced apart ellipses. Thanks guys, great work!
That's cool and I am still learning how to read a tape measure. That really helped me out allot in upstanding of how to.thanks for the tips.
I love my stick rule. Great for tube bending, finding a 45* reference, and especially stove piping heating and cooling and condensate lines in a hotel or apts with 10’ or shorter ceilings. Rather than getting a ladder. I can just unfold the stick rule and see I need a piece about 2’ with a 90 and then about 18” that way. Great for knocking down that level you left above the drop ceiling too.
Another thing is when im bored at work, i entertain myself seeing how far i can extend it before it breaks..
What is your record? I got close to 17 feet with a dewault.
Have you tried extending it vertically? Pretty good entertainment too.
@@ZymixProductions i was laying on the floor sending it 45 degrees indoors, no wind
@@jmscrft 😂👍 Yea any little wind is not good.
I don't know what my "vertical" record is. Haven't done it in a while
Those comments are what I am here for 😅
A real carpenter doesn't go to work for a paycheck... We go for the love of the build 😍 that check is a bonus!
My shine box is custom built!
Do what you love and the money will follow.....
sometimes.
Wow. Ive never seen these hidden features before. Especially the curved bit on the tape measure. I never did see that. But that said, in Australia, they make tape measures the other way, so the arch is facing down. That way the building industry doesn't collapse in the Land Down Under.
The bit on the end being loose was amazing. I'd never seen that hidden feature either.
As for the nail grabber part - the "hole" - I like to leave slag and dags on my welds for that exact reason. For sticking the tape measure on it. Some people think it is because I am a bad welder, but actually it is a feature I perform because I am an amazing tradesman.
The smart and dumb ends of a tape measure. I didn't realise there was a smart side to a tape measure. That certainly was a hidden feature. It is a bit like those roadworkers (yeah, you know the ones!) that stand there on the side of the road, and you know they did something completely stupid, as their boss has told them, "Look you!" Good for nothing git!!! You take this sign, and stand there on the side of the road and tell people how STUPID you are! I want you to stop the traffic, and then tell them how SLOW you are! For eight hours!" Maybe they're all the same people who wrote the signs being punished, as the signs always miss the word "OF", causing the signs to instead of being warning signs, to be picketing signs for some union. "END ROADWORK!!!" "END FREEWAY" No wonder nothing is ever done. They are actually lobbying against their own jobs!
I liked that hidden bit on the bottom of the tape measure (are you sure that the button never actually fell out? Some have buttons there, you know) for putting your finger on. I normally just use my tongue as a brake on the edge of the blade.
I also liked the hidden "3 inches" feature. Still, looking at the tape measuring the body, that "3 inches" isn't exactly making 3 inches, as it seems about 1/8 out, at least where the tape is displayed. So much for the second hidden feature being useful if one uses that.
The diamond was certainly a hidden feature. I mean although I couldn't see it due to it being hidden, I can imagine it being good if we get a centrepunch and just knock a little dot into it, so that way a blind man can use a tape measure and know when he reaches the floor truss dimensions.
Well, great video, but none of these things are truly hidden. I was expecting a built in garotting tool or something...dart gun, UV code, something like that. So I guess the only thing hidden is...
"WHERE'D I PUT MY BLOODY TAPE MEASURE???"
The best is when you clip it on your belt and it looks like your a bad ass and actually know your shit. That's my favorite part.
Um..the real badasses remove the clip for quick removal from tool pouch
I wish I could do that, but when I do, the weight jerks my pants down, as soon as I take a few steps.
Great video mate. Thank you for the details of the markings on the blade. All the best from Australia
Been using a tape measure for years as a electrican. I knew everything except adding 3 inches when you run it to the wall..thanks you taught me something...new sub.
The measurement may differ by manufacturer. I have tapes that measure 3.25" or 3.5" I actually don't have any that measure 3"
If you look on the bottom of the tape it will tell you how much to add with your tape.
That was very informative, at last I know now how to properly use a tape measure.
Who needs a pressure gauge when you have this mans finger
Is that finger recently calibrated?
Very useful information, thank you.
I got a alternate use for your 'nail trick`, while hooked on a nailhead, you can easily rotate the tape around the nail, and draw perfect circles as big as your tape.
You welcome...
Great idea for marking curved lines....I dig it
Mind blown thank you
@@happylurch9202 rookie plumber
nice thanks for that
So if your tape is 25 foot and you do that trick you end up with a 50 foot circle.... thats way bigger then the tape....
Yup. I knew all of them. Which is a relief to me since I’m a builder.
I do granite work so I definitely use the philosophy of measure twice cut once. Nice video man
I watched this only out of curiosity thinking I knew about tape measures, yeah right. Well I actually learnt something, the moving end piece and hooking to a nail. As they say you are never to old to learn. Thank you.
The rubber covers on them make an amazing eraser !
I’ll be honest and say I always thought the loose hook end was bad! Damn I can’t believe I didn’t think of that reason lol Thanks!
Hahaha
And you can even measure stuff with it.
Steve Brenner if you’re smarter than the dipshit on this a video
AND...... It makes Julian fries.... Isn't that amazing!
LMAOOOOO!!! Wow!!!
Dont be ridiculous. Its purpose is to determine how long can you can pull it till it folds.
Oooh. I thought it was a long pointer.
The inside read folding rule is the go to for me in the electrical trade. It’s lays flat. It’s stiff but still light. Find angles with it. Use it as a pipe spacer when building pipe racks. It’s a great tool and don’t see why more people don’t use them
Ive used folding rules my entire life. They have a different use than a tape. They are complementary not in competition.
Awesome, very informative video.
Can be used as a quick straight edge as well. Flip it upside down on your work piece and a little pressure on the tape keeps it straight.
You should compile a "Top 5 features of a tape measure that pisses you off" I'll start it off with #1.
1. The end has an uncanny knack for getting caught in the slightest gap, making it virtually impossible to retract without having to forcefully pull the end out of whatever it's caught in.
And also the pin in the end will sometimes get caught on what you are measuring ( if you happen to slide the blade down you're project ) and if you're not careful then you might cut your object an inch too short.
And if you want it to stay hooked on something it usually falls off.
The damn end gets bent out of square from #1, so now your measurements are off by 1/8" from someone else's tape and you can't figure why shit doesn't fit 🤦🏻♂️
kerryman 71 and yet, when you TRY TO HOOK IT ON SOMETHING..
You boys gave me my first tape measure. 😉 Still have it! Love your channel, and those western NC views!
OK... I have nothing to do with constructions and I never use Tape Measures, but this video was sooo cool!!!! I love tools that are soooo well designed! They thought about everything!!!! ... And you are so observant! :)
I learnt more off this about tape measures than the 2 years I spent in college, learning about joinery and carpentry in the UK, thanks so much. awesome vid.
You took a tape measure class and didn't learn this? If I were you, I might start worrying about what else I don't know.
@@nothankyou5524 Trust me I learned a lot.
Im sure their is stuff that I know that you don't know.
Maybe. Coz you were probably being taught more about socialism in school
@@jackflash743 Went to a trade school, before all that crap started.
@@bushtrash2286 OK I understand
Thank you for the fun facts. Good job!
Awesome video thanks.
From a 35 year experienced Commercial carpenter. Great demo 👍👍👍
I learned a couple of new things, but the coolest was the 3 inch length of the measure tape housing.....very cool
Sucks for us in countries that use metric though. Most of our tapes are just metric versions of what you guys in US and A have, like Stanley Fatmax ect. 3 inches = 76.2 mm. Not really as easy to work out.
@@Patrick-857 .....I may be wrong, but i think the U.S is the only place in the world that inches instead of Centimeters..... I may be wrong about that though.
@@Axeltiguere1976 Yes, which is why it's weird that the rest of the world has to suffer all the products being designed in feet and inches and then adapted to metric for us.
38 year Carpenter here; the top ears on modern day catches are designed to catch something from underneath, say, the bottom of ceiling joists for hanging sheetrock. Also on modern day catches, older catches didn't recess into the attachment point and sheetrockers are the probably the cause of that recess being there now, in order to lock your razor knife into place to make rip cuts. It also works well for making rip cuts on insulation board & other soft materials. But, one of the most important things that tape measures can be used for, is a pointer, when you're pointing to what needs to be done next! 🤣
I love how it is shaped like a baseball so I can accurately throw it in the dumpster.... I’ve had 3 of those when they first came out and they kept locking up
@Beyond Your IQ I've always had Stanley's, but I found a green Ryobi 25' road kill that works better!
Pull an older tape measure out almost fully and blow out the case with compressed air, (using Eye Protection) Then wrap a rag around the blade and let it close...slowly. (this wipes the accumulated dirt off of it). Then put a little 3 in 1 oil on the rag, in a clean spot, and wrap that around the blade and let it close slowly. (You don't want it dripping, just a light sheen). Over time it gets dirty. That in turn, holds moisture. That infests the inner coil spring along with the grooves the tape runs in, and it locks up, due to the added thickness with the dirt. ((Be careful ! If the tape is out too far it will twist 90 degrees from the wind-up spring and it will get away from you, tape will come loose from the spring, and the spring will wind up. Its a pain in the butt to rework that!)) This will take about 15 minutes to do, and should be done at least once per year! If you use it around the coast, you should do it every month, due to the salty air. They will corrode very quickly!
Bill, from Tn. 🇺🇸
Good job Brother. You only looked over one of the most functional and cool things a tape does. In day to day working stuff every once in a while. Usually when your alone in a tight spot. The tape can be used to grab almost anything. It's not just functional it's fun😎
You can also have tape races with your friends while you're standing around. Extend the tape to five feet and say go. First one with their tape fully retracted wins.
Run a 25-foot tape in a 30ft case with the 30-foot spring. Great for winning coffee and beer.
That's some high-speed shit.
I learnt something new. Thx 👍
Another unique feature of virtually all tape measures is that they seem to have been designed by someone who is left-handed. A right-handed carpenter will hold his pencil in his right hand leaving his left to hold the tape box. Extend the tape out to the end of the board to your right, stretch it out and you will find the numbers are all upside-down.
So true, I’ve been saying that for 20+ years since I started in carpentry. The clip is also on the wrong side (if you even use it, I usually just take it off and have a special pocket for it on my belt).
Left hand fingers the dumb end. Right palm, middle, ring, and punky hold the box. Right thumb balances/pins the marking tool, right index cradles/fine tunes the marking tool.
Have you never picked a measurement and ran it down a 4'x8' piece of material? Say... A studline on the outside face of rock, for example? Or the cut line when scribing in an alcove counter? No worries. The opportunity will come
We had a saying we would use, when a new supervisor came thru...He would say, WHAT'S WRONG? We would say, "I don't know...I've cut it off three times, and it's STILL too short!"...they would walk away puzzled!
I THANK YOU FOR A GREAT INFORMATIVE VIDEO !!!
Bill, from Tn. 🇺🇸
I also lie awake at night wondering about tape measures, it's why I'm posting this at 4 a.m. Why I ironically searched this video.
Damn it's 502 am and I'm wondering how a tape works also
Thank you so much for this important and needed knowledge!! HAPPY BUILDING :)!!!!!
I like these guys, I've never been able to work with anyone who gave a shit about anything but quitting time = beer thirty . I like working smarter not harder ! Good information 👌
The people you have worked for are not Carpenters then.
The tip about the tape being 3” so add it to your measurement, it actually tells you on the back side on how big the tape is, so you should add that measurement.
The three inch case to help with hitting up to corners was an “ah ha” moment. Thank you! Very helpful. I feel dumb for not figuring that out on my own. Sheesh. Thanks again!
Great tips!
When using the tape housing as part of the measurement, you need to look on the tape and it will have the measurement on there that you need to add. Most of them are around 3", but 3 inches isn't any kind of standard. They're all a little bit different.
No wonder my measurements have been off, Who knew? Learned something new.
I was looking for someone to mention this; I have a Stanley FatMax that says its 3.38 inches, which has turned out to be rather annoying to deal with.
Great video. Not at all boring
Komelon Self Lock 30ft tapes are my favorite, magnet on the end comes in handy but sometimes it sticks to a surface when you don’t want it to haha
Yep. Working on commercial door frames, the magnet comes in handy, but there are times when it's sticking to everything you don't want it to. Especially if you're working near lots of metal, and extending the tape, and trying to thread it through a tight spot. It would be comical if it didn't piss you off so much. That's when you go to your backup tape.
25' Stanley, unless it slices your finger when it has a burr on the edge!
☝️😩*×√°!
you gave me almost a stroke by the opening walkaround hahahahaha
I learned at least 5 new things that I had no idea about. G'day from Australia
What's inches?
Thank you! 👍👍
Great video I was hoping when you were showing the thumb break on the Milwaukee tape measure you would mention never ever ever did I say never let the tape free wheel into the housing you will distort “the dummy end” Always use the Thumb break or put your finger underneath to act as one. I worked for an old Carpenter 35 years ago Who would have a fit if he heard a tape measure bottom out against the case Monday mornings we all had to check our tape measures against his for accuracy it’s funny the lessons you never forget
Reminds me of when we were doing a remodel job on an old farm house and I kept getting yelled at for my boards being 1/8 long. So after I kept getting railed I said to my boss “I’m double checking these numbers before I bring the board in.” I tossed him my tape he measured my board and lone behold it was the right number on my tape but not his.
Lesson learned.
My brother is of the same mind... Despite the stitches his tape has given his index finger... Twice. I prefer the Stanly 25' autolocking tape, myself. The red halfway measurements help a lot, as do the ⅛ denotations. Keeps us dyslexics from reading the wrong side of the nearest inch line 47⅜ is *not* 48⅝, but it is to me without my cheater tape lol
Awesome thanks! Been using tapes 30+ years and still learned a few tricks! How about the scribe feature on the button lip of the hook?
I remember the folded out I was told never let the tape slam back into the housing it may eventually knock the end off
Very true
Or add a 1/16" or more!
Wow I learned a lot watching this video. Thank you
Being a carpenter for 22 years I thought I would show one of my greenhorns something he may not know... honestly no one on the crew didn’t already know these things and even more.
very handy, thanks for sharing
My Uncle was a carpenter for overt 70 years and his favorite thing to say was " Boy you cut that board twice and it's still to short"
Lol love this!
My grandma couldn't wait for a possibility to say: "If one has not good brain then has good legs!" whenever anyone was forgetting something somewhere.
You came from good folks.
This made me lol
@Ruffian By Nature Yes he was a beast. According to our families records he started swinging a hammer with his Dad and Grandpa around 1927 when he was 10 years old and other than farming, carpentry was all he did till he went off to WW-2. When he came back he was a carpenter for close to 60 years before his health made him hang up his old Occidental tool belt.
Settling for a substandard cut you'd often hear "Can't see it from my house"
In Belgium, we still use the fold out ruler over the tape measures, it is more precise, the tape measures are made of steel which change size with the different temperature, instead of the fold ruler that are made of wood.
3:17 tape measure soul is leaving the earth
memo Nava Ramirez - Nah. It's when you drop it from up on a ladder and it hits the concrete and does the 'death spin'.
Interesting, that will make my life easier.
Arched tapes make accurate marks difficult. If your making fine furniture or close fit joints these tapes are a nightmare. Stanley METAL case 12ft tape is the best. It sucks they dont put the cheat info on the back of tape like they used to.
Stanley 25'👍
You can also use the finger brake to scribe without worrying about getting splinters
Tape measures have an even more useful feature everywhere outside of America...they measure in metric!
I wish we used metric too
Amazing. Thanks. Never would have thought
If you need to plum something and you're in a bind, without a plumb bob and without being super accurate, hook your tape and let it drop.
Excellent knowledge 😃👍💯
Love those Milwaukee tapes with the wire clip so when you hook it on your pocket it doesn’t ruin your jeans.
Milwaukee tapes are the best, a bit on the heavy side, but you can span them out 12ft+ unsupported without it collapsing.
@@LeonidsStrapOn yeah man been using the fatmax 16 for over a decade. I also like on my Milwaukee theres a void on the bottom so i can lock the tape using my finger, easier for me to control than the normal lock
As a carpenter of more than 25yrs I have all brands of measuring tapes & 5 gallon buckets everywhere. I even have an old Stanley as a taxidermy .
If I am making a lot of same cuts I'll take a pencil and make a mark such as 14-7/16" for quick reference and so I don't inch myself
try cutting your first piece as a pattern block 1/16 short of your desired number (taking the thickness of the pencil lead into accout) then lay and scribe. make 5 or so cuts and only pull your tape once. Use this on siding too once you find you correct gable pitch save you best cut off or drop and lable it pat. then you don't have to find your degrees every cut because you did it once just pay attention which way the angle goes.
I learned something today!!Thank you
I love learning things like this. I use a tape daily for my flooring business in did not know all that Thank you
Nice. The diamond is news to me. Like you said...ingenious.
Measure twice cut once?! Are you sure?? Damnit! I thought it was measure once cut twice! Well that explains a lot lol! Good video, I wish everyone on the planet will watch this! Save the rest of us from a whole lot of head shaking haha!
Haha... I usually measure once and cut four times
I totally agree with you. This was interesting and I wasn't aware of these facts. Fun video.
How clever. I had not even thought about those symbols. Especially the "loose" rivets at the end.
Well now that you know, you just graduated the dummy end of the tape,,,😉
John Barham because you're a f****** dumbass
Cool. I knew all except the nail head. Good to learn something new everyday.
Pro tip; the black rubber over coating on the fatmax can be used as an eraser.
Always let your finger be the bumper against the tip when you're letting it close!
It'll save your rivets and not allow the rivet to elongate the tape holes.
1/16" or more could be added to your measurements.
Take the end of the tape, bend it and match it this year, then find your birth year, directly across is your age
Wow, my tape measure doesn't even go up to 2020..
Does it go up to 120? That should do
I'm 28 inches old
I actually knew a few of those, my dad was a contractor and my first job was as his apprentice. Didn't know about the diamond marks or why the end was loose...super awesome info - thanks!!
Hello, just to let you know there are right and left handed tapes so you don't have to read the tape up side down.
And double sided tapes.
Measuring tape is wonderful tool ever
That's pretty cool! Love the video. Very interesting.
Some where between the fold out measure and the tape measure was the "snap measure" (what I call it). Like a tape measure but thicker metal that would roll up (no case). You could unroll it and "snap" it so all or a portion had a bow in it and that part would stay rigid while the flat part stayed rolled up. I think it was 3' long max. Or maybe 8'. Maybe different lengths. I know there were different widths. My grandfather had several of them.
Add roughly an inch to that second diamond and you have a meter, 39 3/8”. Good way to remember the conversion when it comes up...
Then you can roughly measure twice and roughly cut once, and it will be roughly fucked up.
Great job!