My first experience with this was over 30 years ago while working for a roofing company. When re-sheeting a roof and cuts were needed this is how the roof guy would call down measurements to the ground guy making the cuts. It worked great and cut down on miscommunicate or repeated yelling of the fraction. They were only calling out there measurements in 8ths but I can see how it would work down to 16ths. It's funny to me how many people I see in the comments that make fun of this system. Just because its not YOUR way doesn't mean its the wrong way and just like all systems, you get more proficient and comfortable with it the more you use it. Quit being so small minded.
I am an old man who putters around the backyard with tools and I have never heard that. Thanks for being on RUclips. You learn something new everyday. Never stop learning.
I was going to post the exact same thing. And I’ve worked in Florida, Texas, and throughout New England area so I’ve been around a lot of guys who have different names for things. But I’ve never heard of this nonsense.
I've run into it a few times. Mostly from crews that were all family members that had been working together for a long time. If you have guys coming and going on a crew it doesn't really work, since most guys don't do it.
Very interesting. After over 40 years (insert old dog here) as a finish carpenter this method would have me converting everything back to normal fractions in my head lol. When calling out measurements to a man on the saw to get to 32nds I'd just call out the measurement in 16ths light or strong or "leave the line". If I started calling out measurements like 14/12 I'd be getting some strange looks pretty quickly.
@@philgiglio7922 Yes, the measurement code is very similar to the take/leave at the lines. Both work very well for fast building with a good level of precision when framing. When we work in finish carpentry we work to a higher level of precision, but these systems are great for framing.
I worked with NPOs for 40 years and that included mostly volunteers. On one project there were two retired machinists. Precision was the only thing they knew so we cut everything to the thousandth. Well, that’s what the tape said. One of the most entertaining and enjoyable projects ever.
Yeah when you’re cutting pieces of wood unless you’re super fast at knowing down to the hair measurements, I think it’s a waste of time trying to be precise, leave that to people who need that precision, like air space engineers.
I'd been a machinist for many years and decided to build my own garage. When I was about half way through construction, a carpenter friend looked over my work and drawings, he just shook his head. He said that they only frame to 1/8" and I realized that I'd never make it as a pro carpenter, I'd be way too precise to make any money. He nicknamed my project the Taj-Garage after that.
It’s much easier to just know how to read a tape. Been doing this for 40 years. That was the first thing I was taught how to do when I got on the job was how to read a tape.
I had a year or so in working with carpenters, then switched gears and went to work with a small paving company. First time helping grade a parking lot and I was pounding stakes for the owner as he used the transit. He said " down two tenths" I did a few quick calculations in my head and gave the stake two very light taps. Seemed like it moved about 1/4". I put the stick on it and he said " what the fuck, I said 2 tenths-- " Then he figured it out and said " thats 2 tenths of a foot !" We had a good laugh
This is the first time I have seen someone using the system I've been using since I was a kid back in the 1960s! Thanks for posting this video! Several times in builds I would have a friend helping who would be resistant to using this way of communicating. But, with noise and distance creating problems of clear communication of numbers, this simplifies everything. I can remember hearing my grandfather calling out "142 and 8 heavy" or "92 and 12 take the line". Nostalgic.
After 50years I still use 1/16 finish, 1/8 1/16 framing, 1/8 squaring framing. Or better still I hold the piece to be cut up to where it goes. Fits perfectly every time! Never in all my 50 years seen anyone do this.
Scribe and mark. I'm catching onto it. There is a great video of guy installing door casing. Didn't use a tape measure once, and it was done perfectly in under 15 minutes.
Love your system Herrick, trades people are smart. In my furniture and cabinet career I would call out numbers down to 1/16 as well. There is a great thing you can add to this by putting + plus or - minus behind any number and circling it, this will take you up or down by a 1/32nd. If you write a + or - and do not circle the plus or minus you will be writing 1/64th up or down. I never ever call out or write 32nd or 64th, this invites mistakes. Our systems are so easy and spot on !! Thanks again for posting these cool ideas.
I've never come across this on jobsites before, but I like it. I'll try using it for projects at home and for friends, neighbors, etc. Smart. Years ago, while traveling overseas, I volunteered some time building using the metric system. So much simpler, faster, and fewer mistakes. No fractions, cut lists were all in millimeters. It took about 10 seconds to get used to, even for an old guy like me.
I once overheard drywallers yelling out measurements to each other in this code. I was intrigued but never heard it used on any other jobs. Now I’m sold. So fast. Makes sense that I heard drywallers using it. They are the epitome of speed in construction. Thanks for this video.
THAT IS WHERE IS SAW MASTER SHEET ROCK HANGERS DOING THIS ALSO. AND DAMN THEY WERE FAST AND ACCURATE. IT BLEW MY MIND. NOT THAT MY MIND IS THAT BIG. MIND YOU.!
Very handy when yelling out measurements to your partner who may be 20 feet below you in a noisy environment. Less syllables, save your breath and time. Plus it makes the memory and math much easier.
My first time hearing this "code" was over 30 years ago while working for a roofing crew. The older guys were re-sheeting a roof and would call out measurements from the roof to the ground guy making the cuts. They were using it with 1/8ths but I've seen it used with 1/4ths and 1/16ths depending on the situation. I've used and seen it used many times over the years and its amazing how fewer and fewer people know what is.
If you want 14 and 3/4, why not just say 14 and 3/4. This does not get rid of fractions it just converts one fraction to another, adding a step and making fractions even more troublesome. (metric is better, but we are stuck with it in North America for the time being.)
It makes perfect sense. Just like some of us only call out inches and fractions and not feet, and in metric we only call out centimeters and millimeters and not meters. This guy is only calling out inches and 16ths.
Nah, we like being 1 of the 3 countries (USA,Liberia & Mynmar) that hold onto the past. I remember in 1975 Pres. Ford signed the Metric Conversion Act and it wasn't long after that all our highway signs and speedometers had to include kilometers. In usual US fashion (stupidity) they didn't remove the miles or MPH...the belief was we'd all just ignore what we'd be using and naturally convert...LOL. The final proof that these things need to be done "cold turkey"...bottles of soda switched to liters and to this day no one I know gets confused picking up a 2 liter bottle of Coke.....oops should say Pepsi..they were the ones to make the change and everyone else followed suit.
I've been using this method since the nineties. I was able to mark out an entire building floor by coffee break, while other people needed two days to complete. I was always the perimeter guy for tile work.
I have a story I need to share. Coming up in the trade I had become what I thought was a good carpenter. At the time I was hourly. Fighting for pay increases was never ending. One day the company put a new hire with me. We were cutting and installing grade stakes out of rebar for a concrete pour. I started by explaining to the new guy, (who was supposed to be by equal), what we were doing and asked him which position he wanted. Cutting the rebar to size or determining the size to be cut. He said he wanted to determine the size. Very well and away we went. So I am at my cut station and waiting for him to give me a dimension. (Forgot to mention he was being paid identical to me) The new hire had his tape extended to provide determining the size needed. I'm watching and waiting but not getting any dimension from him. I start to ask him "hey, what do you need?". Still no response. I ask a bit louder but still no response. This time I hollar out "hey man what do you need?". He finally replies by saying, "fourteen and three little marks and a big one". I immediately went to the Supt. and demanded a comparable raise which I got after explaining why I was so adamant. More power to that guy for BSing management to get his pay.
When I first started my career in carpentry, I found a guy stripping forms by himself..over time I watched him and he was brilliant. When a problem arose, I watched how his deductive reasoning to come up with a solution..I became the same way and found joy when presented with geometric problems...that I could solve...I miss my carpentry days and am now resigned to drinking bourbon and working my Bonsai trees...cheers!
My laminate flooring came in metric dimensions, so I bought a ruler with metric. I didn't care if he units were called hectares or litres or whatever; if I needed 132 of them that's where I cut. Came out great.
Imagine basing all measurements off of 10. Increments start at about 1/32 and 10 of those would equal about 1/2 inch. Sure would be an easy way to measure things.
@@wolfmantroy6601 So 12 and 7/8 inches would be 25 .6 ?? That took too long, not confident in my answer, and it just felt foreign and dirty. 13 inch, loose the line for the 8th, just feels better. Cut proud or shy for the 32nd.That puts you on a quarter scale so fast simple math.
Love that this is the best example why the whole world uses the superior metric system. All construction is worked to the mm (that’s millimetres). It’s almost like the imperial system caters to people that can’t count or do maths. Needing simplified ways to divide and multiply
It's not so much a way to avoid math, it is a way to avoid miscommunication. I would argue that SI units dramatically simplify the math operations compared to the Imperial system. With the metric system, you dramatically reduce the need for working with fractions.
Was a cutman for 20+ years... before air nailers..... Never heard anything like this... Guy’s called out the length, fraction... and if needed, Cut or leave the line... I’d like to see a guy now, cutting lumber, with 5 different guys yelling out measurements in this fashion...
I thank you for calling me KID.... But I’ve forgot more of this trade, than you’ve learned... Back in my day, we did everything.... There were No pre- cut Anything...Including Trusses... You hand drove nails all day, no air anything... Also there were No Subs , we did everything as a crew from start to finish... The thing that bugs me about todays Carpenters is the amount of waisted material that I see tossed in the job site dumpsters, this would have never been acceptable back in my day... just profit thrown away, that would have been divided up amongst us workers at the end of the job... We worked hard, and took pride in our work... It’s about the all mighty dollar, today....
As a Computer Scientist this makes sense to me because one of the main computer math bases is 16. We actually need to know how to add/sub in base 16. Computers don't like fractions. 😁
How odd. Both my brothers were programmers, and they say everyone uses metric on computers. I have never known anybody that uses feet /inches on a computer. Not to say it is not done, I just have not met anyone that does. They both began their careers using Fortran.
I'm a (humble) carpenter and cabinet maker. For cutting to 1/32" I write the figure with an "H" or an "L" for heavy and light. I had a guy working for me that was "intellectually challenged" but a really hard worker. He couldn't quite grasp the 1/16" on the tape measure. We were installing a Trex deck with me calling out the dimensions and him cutting. I'd say "133 3/4 plus (or minus) one little mark". The one little mark being 1/16".
Everyone that measures for a living , should know how to use a tape . And as a commercial superintendent I don't like to hear "Oh it's 14 and 13 little marks ." I would question how well you know your job . You have a blessed one .
You do know, as a commercial super, that all the man did was use the 16th scale, right? This isn't some voodoo Jedi mind trick. It's something we all do when we use the inch scale while leaving off calling out the "feet". It's actually very smart. It's the next best thing to using metric.
For boat building, offset table dimensions are given as foot/inch/eighths, and starting out with that trade, I've always worked that way. There, lofting out the various curved lines needed to define the three dimensional shape of boat, accuracy beyond an eighth is not usually needed, but can be given as a plus or minus 1/16th, much like your system. I still work that way for building, although with the use of long carpenters tapes now (as opposed to the 6 foot folding rules I learned on) I usually just use inches, eighths, and + or - a sixteenth.
One afternoon I listened to a young apprentice in Canada calling out the cut lengths to the older carpenter below. “27 and 3 of the little things” was the call out. Turns out the apprentice had only ever been exposed to metric in the Canadian school system and did not know fractions of an inch. The older carpenter told me the trick was to check the tape to make sure it is in 1/16th and not 32nd before sending him up the ladder - otherwise it will all be cut too short like last week. I was taught by my grandfather and his friends to use "less a hair" and "plus a hair" so that 14 5/32 was 14 1/8 plus a hair.
Must have been a regional thing. I was a carpenter most of my life and I've never heard this before. We had something similar for adding a 32nd, where we would say, for example 3/8 "strong", which indicated to add the 32nd inch onto the 3/8 fraction. The "strong" designation was written as the "+" sign. We would sometimes say, "take the line", or "leave the line", for a more precise cut. I laughingly remember one carpenter I worked with who was used to building dams -- who refused to accept a measurement less than 1/4 designation (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, etc.). Obviously he didn't last long with finish work and building cabinets and went back to building concrete forms for dams.
Great trick. I'm an engineer, I've done a lot of math, but when using a tape measure, sometimes I think "one past a 1/4 inch". I love how old auger bits are marked in 16ths as well. Many a new guy has been confused by all the fractions, and unit systems if the shop uses decimal or metric at times too. Less confusing means less errors. With your system if you don't know the name of that fraction line, count it out. Simple.
I have never heard of this, I have been a carpenter for 35 years. I started on a all Irish crew when I was 13 years old, these guys were right off the boat and could be hard to understand sometimes. They were all great guys, they were hard workers, but made it fun. I learned a lot. They didn’t call out 16ths , only 8ths. If you needed something 1/16 longer, you added a Kunt hair
Lumber is now metric. I finally bought a metric tape measure. It is fantastic. No more 3/4 inch boards that are really 19 mm. No more 2x4's that aren't 2 or 4. The whole english system is a confusing waste of time. Amazing how easy it is to just measure and cut to decimal mm or cm.
When i need a precise fit and it measures to the 32nd - I just call it out like "7 and 3/8 HEAVY or LIGHT" (for example). Also, If you're working with others and you're relying precise measurements down to a guy on the saw it helps tremendously if everyone has the same make/model of tape measures. There are slight variations between some brands and that's enough to throw you off when you need to be precise
I've always worked with people who used "Light" and "Heavy" to indicate a 32nd more or less than the tic on the tape. But I think Herrick's system is the same principle in another form.
Never heard of this in my 23 years. We write our measurements down to 1/8 and then use +/- for 1/16 ths and then word strong for 1/32 if necessary. 7-3/4+, 6-5/8-, 10-7/8+s, etc. Works for us.
I haven't met a framer yet that cares about 16ths. But we do yell out the 1/8ths. 12 and 4 would be 12 1/2. This does help with all the noise on site. When yelling 3/8 or 3/4 you tend to hear 3 WHAT? a lot. Then heavy or light is add or subtract a 1/16th or hair heavy/light if important enough for the 32nd measurement. Find it's a lot easier for a new guy to take in.
I have been a carpenter for over 40 years and have used this method several times. For framing I use it in the 1/8 increments. You are probably OCD if you’re using 1/16 increments. Trim and fine finishing, yes 16ths.
That is a good code when you get used to it. My Dad was a shoe repairman and used 2-8s or 6-8s or something like that for the nail length in 1/8" increments.
Nice. I agree that for my wood working, 1/16 inch increments is fine and we can interpolate the half 1/16 inch when necessary. I have a Stanley pocket tape where the first foot is divided into 1/32 inch increments and it makes it more difficult to use. I also do not need a tape with the fractions printed on the tape and is just clutter. Do you have a pocket tape you recommend? (Incidentally, 1/16 inch is approximately 1+ mm.)
As an apprentice cutting for the man who I was working with I might be given a length to cut to of say 1 foot 14 /16 if the carpenter wanted this plus an extra 32nd he would say cut it strong. This would mean cutting just to the waste side of the line. I hope this makes some sense to you it was all a long time ago but it was common practice in the shops i worked in 60 years ago.
excellent! I didn't know of this code until today, I just started doing this method because it's quick and easy. I teach woodworking to K-6th grade now and this is lesson #2 on reading tape measures. lesson #1 is that tape measures aren't swords; 0
I’ve relayed the + as “strong” no need for a - just add a strong to the previous 1/8th. Framing was conveyed in 1/8th with + as an indication of 16th. “12 and 6, strong” (12 13/16”) way easier to annunciate than “12 and thirteen” on a noisy job site. If you’re framing to the 32nd you’ve got too much time on your hands. I don’t use a cut man for finish work which is all done to the 32nd. I understand my own short hand to write my cut list in a note pad, before fitting each piece.
I was an inspector at a company where we used fractional pull tapes but eyeballed to the nearest one hundredth of an inch for our written reports. Surely some others have done similar.
I learned a similar code hanging drywall where we worked in 1/8's. In other words we only counted the 1/8's. Example 5 3/4" is 5 and 6. 6/8=3/4. I have adapted this to carpentry for years by doing the same but then going "heavy" or "light". Heavy meaning 1/16 over and light being 1/16 under. Example 5 11/16 would 5 and 5 heavy or 5 and 6 light. Very quick and efficient. Not as ready applicable if working with 1/32's. But works perfectly in all framing and sheeting applications.
I grew up in the sheetrock business as well and the 1/8's is so engrained in my subconscious that I sometimes forget that not everyone understands what I mean when calling out measurements to most people. The best part is that it only takes a second to explain and everyone seems to like it.
I'm on the tail end of finishing basement. It's the most drywall I have ever done and I still don't feel like I know what I'm doing. One key point I finally started grasping is, drywall isn't trim and I don't have to measure precise. I still don't get it, that if I cut the dang thing exact, why it don't fit. But it don't.@@Kensdisguise
Not a framer or carpenter but think that’s brilliant. Been on job sites and things are noisy and this “code” lessens the room for mistakes between someone who needs something and the body cutting it. Makes perfect sense. Thanks for that.
Excellent video! I'm a carpenter but not my occupation and have been doing this exact method (I use +/- for 32nd's) for my own lists. However, when giving dimensions to other I'm working with I put the exact fractions so they didn't think I was crazy. Ha! I can now use this method with others around and feel like a pro. Thank you.
We always used the words light or heavy to communicate the 16ths, but seems a bit more confusing to start .essing with other numbers that are easily seen on a tape.
Seems very complicated to me. In Australia we have been fortunate enough to have changed to metric which takes all of the trouble with fractions out of the equation. When I started my trade we were using imperial and it was difficult to change to metric initially but once you start using it, it is much easier than the imperial system.
Working with the same crew for an extended time frame, would make this a big time saver. I'm not a carpenter. I have remodeled a fair number of houses, and tend to work like this in my head. I also "leave the line" and "take the line". My only disaster over the years was ruining a set of stringers. My framing square is marked in eighths. I was thinking in sixteenths. My own house so it only hurt my pride and my wallet!
When they built the Channel Tunnel, the Brits used Imperial, having Invented it, the French used metric, being stoically European. Upon meeting in the middle, they were 1/8th of an inch, or 3 millimeters out!
I’ve been in construction for over 20 years and have worked with a bridge company, a commercial building company, a general construction company that mainly kept me on concrete construction, and now a dot bridge and structure crew. The closest I’ve seen to that is someone would say something like “ cut one 23 and 9/16’s heavy.” Or it could be “light cut”.
I suppose if you needed 32nds this could be a good system to learn. Reading comments, most people seem to use a similar system as what I came up with as self taught carpenter. Unless you are building furniture or something, 16ths are the smallest I ever need, so just use a + after the 1/8” fraction. 1/2+, 7/8+. Easy to read, no conversions.
If you’re talking about blocks in a wall for rough framing, I don’t think you need to worry about a 32nd of an inch. Even finish work, cut a bit long and trim to fit. In rough framing, 2x4’s and such, I just wrote down st or sh after the measurements. If it was 16 9/16” I wrote 16 1/2 st, for strong and knew that was meant to add a 1/16”. And in your example I believe your measurements varied by about 3/4”. If these were to go in between 2 studs, then one or both are bowed, or if a consistent widening, then one of them probably wasn’t nailed in the right spot on one end. Another thing is that it really doesn’t matter how precise the measurements are if the person doing the cutting hasn’t figured out which side of his cut line to cut on, or uses a dull carpenters pencil to mark it and marks a line an 1/8” wide.
What a great video. I've always wondered which side of the line does the measurement start at? Like you get right down to the whatever inch, and wammo there's that | mark. And then I wonder, hmm is it the left side or the right side.... Or the middle. That's a good solid 32nd inch error built right into every measurement and I never in my life heard anyone even mention it...
I retired in the shipbuilding trades. if any fitter cut something that was not exact I would reject it . We have codes too and they are to be adhered to, per the welding code. Gaps are critical. As a CWI I had to inspect all fitups before signing off to the welding dept. Then I inspect the welds. Big gaps in steel increases the probably of weak welds. I could tell someone who was in woodworking real quick. It gets worse when you switch to pressure vessels. Different code than the structial code . I have worked with wood as a hobbie but I still measure to the 16th. LOL
I worked in machining for years, using microns, but I still think this is a very clever code. All he's doing is calling everything out in whole inches, and 16ths, so you're not being any more accurate than he is. It's just like how some of us don't call out feet or meters. I use metric, and call out only cents and mills, never meters.
I've run into this a few times (midwest). Always on a crew that were all family, or had been working together for a long time. If you constantly have new guys in and out, it doesn't really work. Most guys don't do it. Or are just too dumb to learn it.
In my 67 years I have never heard of this. In rough carpentry we always used measurements in the "eighth" of an inch and would mark it "L", for long in adding a "sixteenth" of an inch, or mark it "S", for short, to subtract a "sixteenth" of an inch. For example, if someone called out 7 and 3/8 inch LONG, the measurement was 7-7/16".
I asked a helper to cut a 3 foot board for me while I was in the air . He cut it wrong . Then I asked him to cut a 36 inch board for me . He cut it wrong . Then I asked him again to cut a 3 foot board for me and it was wrong too . I asked him why he couldn't cut a 36 inch board for me ? He said , I can but you keep changing the numbers on me !
If your wall studs are that far out, you'd need to fix them with 14.5 blocks. You'll need blocks for things like cabinet backers, and wet walls. If you dont use the proper spacings, drywallers will have a hell of time, and probably never mud for you again. I learned this as a kid when I was making trusses. it's a good system, but I now use decimal points. .25 .5 .75 .12 etc.. In the digital age, it's still difficult to type out ³over, try typing out 15 over ---
As a drywaller I've always used this with just 8ths. So much sumpler to communicate than calling out fractions. We dont use 16ths. They are our plus or minus.
Why is there not a double header over the two windows iin the background?? The window on the side has it. Its the gable end of the building but still... Thanks for the "code" and your other videos..
In my high school building trades class my teacher would give us a dimension with a " right on, leave the line or take the line" for a good fit. We didn't have "the code"
I do something similar with eighths. For example 14 and 3/8 plus or minus a 16th. Who needs 32nds? Maybe if you were doing something more precise like cabinets but not for decks.
The only problem I ever had with fractions was sometimes I would read the fraction on the wrong side of the inch. eg. when I was an apprentice I was told to cut a 10x10 at 65 1/2" but cut at 64 1/2 due to reading the wrong side of the inch. And just my luck it was a 10x10 rather than a 2x4! 😀
This was good knowledge, but you should have explained how you arrived at the top 16th of an inch number. 14 9/16 : 16 is a whole 16th, so you multiply 9 ❌ 1 to get 9. 14 7/8 : 8 is 1 of 2 halves of a 16th, so you multiply 7 ❌ 2 halves to get 14. 13 3/4 : Here, 4 is 1 of four quarters of a 16th, so you multiply 3 ❌ 4 quarters to get 12. 14 3/8 : Once again, 8 is 1 of 2 halves of a 16th, so you multiply 3 ❌ 2 halves to get 6.
As a retired finish carpenter I think we would all be better off using the metric system that they told us we were switching to in the 70s. Wonder what happened there?
I've decided not to wait for the rest of the US to switch. I've just ordered a new 5 meter Fat Max from the UK. I've already made the switch this year. Just built a large pet shelter using nothing but metric, and I'll never go back to Imperial. I love metric now, even though I've been using nothing but Imperial for over 50 years.
I use to work in the mobile home industry.....Most employee were taught too use little and big marks.... There was also a saying if something was outta plumb...they would simply say you can't see it from my house....My job was vinyl siding and painting, sorta like putting lipstick on a pig... AIN'T IT JUST AIN'T IT 😜 lols
Never used this we used round up or down so 14 and 9/16 becomes 14 and 1/2 heavy meaning heavy is a tick up or down with light. If I asked anyone to give me 14 and 6 I would a 20 in cut or a look like I was crazy
Хобби
My first experience with this was over 30 years ago while working for a roofing company. When re-sheeting a roof and cuts were needed this is how the roof guy would call down measurements to the ground guy making the cuts. It worked great and cut down on miscommunicate or repeated yelling of the fraction. They were only calling out there measurements in 8ths but I can see how it would work down to 16ths. It's funny to me how many people I see in the comments that make fun of this system. Just because its not YOUR way doesn't mean its the wrong way and just like all systems, you get more proficient and comfortable with it the more you use it. Quit being so small minded.
I am an old man who putters around the backyard with tools and I have never heard that. Thanks for being on RUclips. You learn something new everyday. Never stop learning.
OK, I've been a carpenter for 50 years and have never heard of "The Code" before. I think I'd get laughed off the job if I did measuments like this. 😂
I would tell you to just read the tape, Poindexter.😆
Thank you! Been doing carpentry since the 80s in trade school never heard this method before either. Its not that difficult to read a tape
There are much better carpenters than you that measure this way
I was going to post the exact same thing. And I’ve worked in Florida, Texas, and throughout New England area so I’ve been around a lot of guys who have different names for things. But I’ve never heard of this nonsense.
I've run into it a few times. Mostly from crews that were all family members that had been working together for a long time. If you have guys coming and going on a crew it doesn't really work, since most guys don't do it.
Very interesting. After over 40 years (insert old dog here) as a finish carpenter this method would have me converting everything back to normal fractions in my head lol. When calling out measurements to a man on the saw to get to 32nds I'd just call out the measurement in 16ths light or strong or "leave the line". If I started calling out measurements like 14/12 I'd be getting some strange looks pretty quickly.
A carpenter was explaining to me about "take the line" and "leave the line" when making very precise cuts
@@philgiglio7922 Yes, the measurement code is very similar to the take/leave at the lines. Both work very well for fast building with a good level of precision when framing. When we work in finish carpentry we work to a higher level of precision, but these systems are great for framing.
MY CARPENTER FRIEND USES THE LIGHT OR LONG METHOD.. I CAN'T BUT HE DOES FINE WITH IT.
Yup. We’d use “scant” or “full”
Ya, "heavy" or "light" for the 32nds. And leave the line or take the line.
For drywall, 8ths only. 14 3/4 is "14 and 6". 30 1/2 is "30 and 4".
I worked with NPOs for 40 years and that included mostly volunteers. On one project there were two retired machinists. Precision was the only thing they knew so we cut everything to the thousandth. Well, that’s what the tape said. One of the most entertaining and enjoyable projects ever.
Right on. Once you get acclimated to measuring to the thousandths it becomes hard to let it go
@@dilldowschwagginz2674 I just measure to the nearest 1/8th inch. If something looks "funny" I just sand the hell out of it. 🤣😂
Yeah when you’re cutting pieces of wood unless you’re super fast at knowing down to the hair measurements, I think it’s a waste of time trying to be precise, leave that to people who need that precision, like air space engineers.
I'd been a machinist for many years and decided to build my own garage. When I was about half way through construction, a carpenter friend looked over my work and drawings, he just shook his head. He said that they only frame to 1/8" and I realized that I'd never make it as a pro carpenter, I'd be way too precise to make any money. He nicknamed my project the Taj-Garage after that.
@@erth2man 😂 👍
It’s much easier to just know how to read a tape. Been doing this for 40 years. That was the first thing I was taught how to do when I got on the job was how to read a tape.
I had a year or so in working with carpenters, then switched gears and went to work with a small paving company. First time helping grade a parking lot and I was pounding stakes for the owner as he used the transit. He said " down two tenths" I did a few quick calculations in my head and gave the stake two very light taps. Seemed like it moved about 1/4". I put the stick on it and he said " what the fuck, I said 2 tenths-- " Then he figured it out and said " thats 2 tenths of a foot !" We had a good laugh
This is the first time I have seen someone using the system I've been using since I was a kid back in the 1960s! Thanks for posting this video!
Several times in builds I would have a friend helping who would be resistant to using this way of communicating. But, with noise and distance creating problems of clear communication of numbers, this simplifies everything. I can remember hearing my grandfather calling out "142 and 8 heavy" or "92 and 12 take the line". Nostalgic.
.. i almost just posted this elsewhere.. take the line or keep the line was how i was taught. I like heavy better!
@@juniperpruniper4935 I say heavy or light -keep the line or take it
After 50years I still use 1/16 finish, 1/8 1/16 framing, 1/8 squaring framing. Or better still I hold the piece to be cut up to where it goes. Fits perfectly every time! Never in all my 50 years seen anyone do this.
BUT IT WORKS BETTER THAN YOUR WAY !!!!
Scribe and mark. I'm catching onto it. There is a great video of guy installing door casing. Didn't use a tape measure once, and it was done perfectly in under 15 minutes.
I have mused on adopting 16ths as THE fixed scale. It is nice to see another with a good head on their shoulders. Thanks from Texas.
Love your system Herrick, trades people are smart. In my furniture and cabinet career I would call out numbers down to 1/16 as well. There is a great thing you can add to this by putting + plus or - minus behind any number and circling it, this will take you up or down by a 1/32nd. If you write a + or - and do not circle the plus or minus you will be writing 1/64th up or down. I never ever call out or write 32nd or 64th, this invites mistakes. Our systems are so easy and spot on !! Thanks again for posting these cool ideas.
Been doing that for years. Works great as long as the whole crew is on board.
I've never come across this on jobsites before, but I like it. I'll try using it for projects at home and for friends, neighbors, etc. Smart.
Years ago, while traveling overseas, I volunteered some time building using the metric system. So much simpler, faster, and fewer mistakes. No fractions, cut lists were all in millimeters. It took about 10 seconds to get used to, even for an old guy like me.
That is odd. All the guys that I know that use the metric system call out in centimeters.
I once overheard drywallers yelling out measurements to each other in this code. I was intrigued but never heard it used on any other jobs. Now I’m sold. So fast. Makes sense that I heard drywallers using it. They are the epitome of speed in construction. Thanks for this video.
THAT IS WHERE IS SAW MASTER SHEET ROCK HANGERS DOING THIS ALSO. AND DAMN THEY WERE FAST AND ACCURATE. IT BLEW MY MIND. NOT THAT MY MIND IS THAT BIG. MIND YOU.!
Very handy when yelling out measurements to your partner who may be 20 feet below you in a noisy environment. Less syllables, save your breath and time. Plus it makes the memory and math much easier.
My first time hearing this "code" was over 30 years ago while working for a roofing crew. The older guys were re-sheeting a roof and would call out measurements from the roof to the ground guy making the cuts. They were using it with 1/8ths but I've seen it used with 1/4ths and 1/16ths depending on the situation. I've used and seen it used many times over the years and its amazing how fewer and fewer people know what is.
We used eights and plus or minus for sixteenths.
I did drywall for years and if you even tried using something this tight they’d throw something at you. They only used 1/4s and 1/2s
If you want 14 and 3/4, why not just say 14 and 3/4. This does not get rid of fractions it just converts one fraction to another, adding a step and making fractions even more troublesome. (metric is better, but we are stuck with it in North America for the time being.)
It makes perfect sense.
Just like some of us only call out inches and fractions and not feet, and in metric we only call out centimeters and millimeters and not meters.
This guy is only calling out inches and 16ths.
Why don’t you use the metric scale. It is easier and more exact. That’s what we use in New Zealand.
Nah, we like being 1 of the 3 countries (USA,Liberia & Mynmar) that hold onto the past. I remember in 1975 Pres. Ford signed the Metric Conversion Act and it wasn't long after that all our highway signs and speedometers had to include kilometers. In usual US fashion (stupidity) they didn't remove the miles or MPH...the belief was we'd all just ignore what we'd be using and naturally convert...LOL. The final proof that these things need to be done "cold turkey"...bottles of soda switched to liters and to this day no one I know gets confused picking up a 2 liter bottle of Coke.....oops should say Pepsi..they were the ones to make the change and everyone else followed suit.
@@peterb6282 you made me laugh. Thanks for your honesty. Love your videos and hello from NZ.
LOL, we'll just stay with what we know. It's easier to measure our rifle barrels for the 16-inch minimum length and of course shotguns at 18!
I've been using this method since the nineties. I was able to mark out an entire building floor by coffee break, while other people needed two days to complete. I was always the perimeter guy for tile work.
I have a story I need to share. Coming up in the trade I had become what I thought was a good carpenter. At the time I was hourly. Fighting for pay increases was never ending. One day the company put a new hire with me. We were cutting and installing grade stakes out of rebar for a concrete pour. I started by explaining to the new guy, (who was supposed to be by equal), what we were doing and asked him which position he wanted. Cutting the rebar to size or determining the size to be cut. He said he wanted to determine the size. Very well and away we went. So I am at my cut station and waiting for him to give me a dimension. (Forgot to mention he was being paid identical to me) The new hire had his tape extended to provide determining the size needed. I'm watching and waiting but not getting any dimension from him. I start to ask him "hey, what do you need?". Still no response. I ask a bit louder but still no response. This time I hollar out "hey man what do you need?". He finally replies by saying, "fourteen and three little marks and a big one". I immediately went to the Supt. and demanded a comparable raise which I got after explaining why I was so adamant. More power to that guy for BSing management to get his pay.
When I first started my career in carpentry, I found a guy stripping forms by himself..over time I watched him and he was brilliant. When a problem arose, I watched how his deductive reasoning to come up with a solution..I became the same way and found joy when presented with geometric problems...that I could solve...I miss my carpentry days and am now resigned to drinking bourbon and working my Bonsai trees...cheers!
My laminate flooring came in metric dimensions, so I bought a ruler with metric. I didn't care if he units were called hectares or litres or whatever; if I needed 132 of them that's where I cut. Came out great.
I use 1/8 for drywall, 1/16 for framing, 1/16 heavy or light for trim. It really cuts down on the confusion. Thanks!
I learned the system you described in building trades class in the early 70's. Only difference was verbal description, we use "Strong or Shy".
Imagine basing all measurements off of 10. Increments start at about 1/32 and 10 of those would equal about 1/2 inch. Sure would be an easy way to measure things.
This is 'Murica boy. We like our steaks rare, our jeans blue, and our measurin' Imperial like. If'n you don't like it, you can geet out!
@@wolfmantroy6601 So 12 and 7/8 inches would be 25 .6 ?? That took too long, not confident in my answer, and it just felt foreign and dirty. 13 inch, loose the line for the 8th, just feels better. Cut proud or shy for the 32nd.That puts you on a quarter scale so fast simple math.
@@gueto70 ZOOM that went right over your head. I was referring to the metric system. Much easier to use.
doesn't surprise me that many people don't know this but it's been around forever
We had our own code on a crew i worked on, we called 16ths little ones and 8ths big ones. It was more for entertainment then usefulness
Love that this is the best example why the whole world uses the superior metric system. All construction is worked to the mm (that’s millimetres). It’s almost like the imperial system caters to people that can’t count or do maths. Needing simplified ways to divide and multiply
It's not so much a way to avoid math, it is a way to avoid miscommunication. I would argue that SI units dramatically simplify the math operations compared to the Imperial system. With the metric system, you dramatically reduce the need for working with fractions.
This exactly. You don't have to find a lowest common denominator if you start with all your fractions there already.
I've been a framer for almost 40 years. Never heard of anybody doing this. Must be a geographical thing.
Was a cutman for 20+ years... before air nailers.....
Never heard anything like this...
Guy’s called out the length, fraction... and if needed, Cut or leave the line...
I’d like to see a guy now, cutting lumber, with 5 different guys yelling out measurements in this fashion...
YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN AROUND FAST MASTERS OF THE TRADE. KID HANG AROUND AND LEARN MORE.
I thank you for calling me KID....
But I’ve forgot more of this trade, than you’ve learned...
Back in my day, we did everything.... There were No pre- cut Anything...Including Trusses... You hand drove nails all day, no air anything... Also there were No Subs , we did everything as a crew from start to finish...
The thing that bugs me about todays Carpenters is the amount of waisted material that I see tossed in the job site dumpsters, this would have never been acceptable back in my day... just profit thrown away, that would have been divided up amongst us workers at the end of the job...
We worked hard, and took pride in our work...
It’s about the all mighty dollar, today....
@@olmoe1167 Amen brother. I wonder if he was talking about me. I likely have underwear older than him.
Here in Aust, its all metric, the imperial precision is long gone.
As a Computer Scientist this makes sense to me because one of the main computer math bases is 16. We actually need to know how to add/sub in base 16. Computers don't like fractions. 😁
How odd. Both my brothers were programmers, and they say everyone uses metric on computers. I have never known anybody that uses feet /inches on a computer. Not to say it is not done, I just have not met anyone that does. They both began their careers using Fortran.
*Use HEXIDECIMAL* instead of the sixteenths fractions (using "digits" 0-9, A, B, C, D, E, F) Makes sense to me! 🤪
I'm a (humble) carpenter and cabinet maker. For cutting to 1/32" I write the figure with an "H" or an "L" for heavy and light. I had a guy working for me that was "intellectually challenged" but a really hard worker. He couldn't quite grasp the 1/16" on the tape measure. We were installing a Trex deck with me calling out the dimensions and him cutting. I'd say "133 3/4 plus (or minus) one little mark". The one little mark being 1/16".
Everyone that measures for a living , should know how to use a tape . And as a commercial superintendent I don't
like to hear "Oh it's 14 and 13 little marks ." I would question how well you know your job . You have a blessed one .
You do know, as a commercial super, that all the man did was use the 16th scale, right?
This isn't some voodoo Jedi mind trick. It's something we all do when we use the inch scale while leaving off calling out the "feet".
It's actually very smart. It's the next best thing to using metric.
West Coast here, we called out based on 1/8" so 14 -4 was 14 1/2 for example, then added a plus or minus to take it down to 16ths
For boat building, offset table dimensions are given as foot/inch/eighths, and starting out with that trade, I've always worked that way. There, lofting out the various curved lines needed to define the three dimensional shape of boat, accuracy beyond an eighth is not usually needed, but can be given as a plus or minus 1/16th, much like your system.
I still work that way for building, although with the use of long carpenters tapes now (as opposed to the 6 foot folding rules I learned on) I usually just use inches, eighths, and + or - a sixteenth.
So happy we use the metric system in Europe. So much simpler and precise.
One afternoon I listened to a young apprentice in Canada calling out the cut lengths to the older carpenter below. “27 and 3 of the little things” was the call out. Turns out the apprentice had only ever been exposed to metric in the Canadian school system and did not know fractions of an inch. The older carpenter told me the trick was to check the tape to make sure it is in 1/16th and not 32nd before sending him up the ladder - otherwise it will all be cut too short like last week.
I was taught by my grandfather and his friends to use "less a hair" and "plus a hair" so that 14 5/32 was 14 1/8 plus a hair.
Must have been a regional thing. I was a carpenter most of my life and I've never heard this before. We had something similar for adding a 32nd, where we would say, for example 3/8 "strong", which indicated to add the 32nd inch onto the 3/8 fraction. The "strong" designation was written as the "+" sign. We would sometimes say, "take the line", or "leave the line", for a more precise cut. I laughingly remember one carpenter I worked with who was used to building dams -- who refused to accept a measurement less than 1/4 designation (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, etc.). Obviously he didn't last long with finish work and building cabinets and went back to building concrete forms for dams.
Great trick. I'm an engineer, I've done a lot of math, but when using a tape measure, sometimes I think "one past a 1/4 inch". I love how old auger bits are marked in 16ths as well. Many a new guy has been confused by all the fractions, and unit systems if the shop uses decimal or metric at times too. Less confusing means less errors. With your system if you don't know the name of that fraction line, count it out. Simple.
I do the same thing when working by myself. It works when you take the measurement then go immediately to make the cut.
I have never heard of this, I have been a carpenter for 35 years. I started on a all Irish crew when I was 13 years old, these guys were right off the boat and could be hard to understand sometimes. They were all great guys, they were hard workers, but made it fun.
I learned a lot. They didn’t call out 16ths , only 8ths. If you needed something 1/16 longer, you added a Kunt hair
Lumber is now metric. I finally bought a metric tape measure. It is fantastic. No more 3/4 inch boards that are really 19 mm. No more 2x4's that aren't 2 or 4. The whole english system is a confusing waste of time. Amazing how easy it is to just measure and cut to decimal mm or cm.
Where did you get it, and what brand? I couldn't find it in the states, so I had to get one off Amazon Global from Europe.
When i need a precise fit and it measures to the 32nd - I just call it out like "7 and 3/8 HEAVY or LIGHT" (for example). Also, If you're working with others and you're relying precise measurements down to a guy on the saw it helps tremendously if everyone has the same make/model of tape measures. There are slight variations between some brands and that's enough to throw you off when you need to be precise
While I've never actually done this, you can pull all the tapes on the job down a beam and get rid of any that don't agree.
I've always worked with people who used "Light" and "Heavy" to indicate a 32nd more or less than the tic on the tape. But I think Herrick's system is the same principle in another form.
Never heard of this in my 23 years. We write our measurements down to 1/8 and then use +/- for 1/16 ths and then word strong for 1/32 if necessary. 7-3/4+, 6-5/8-, 10-7/8+s, etc. Works for us.
I haven't met a framer yet that cares about 16ths. But we do yell out the 1/8ths. 12 and 4 would be 12 1/2. This does help with all the noise on site. When yelling 3/8 or 3/4 you tend to hear 3 WHAT? a lot. Then heavy or light is add or subtract a 1/16th or hair heavy/light if important enough for the 32nd measurement. Find it's a lot easier for a new guy to take in.
Thank god for metric!
Life is so much easier.
Been a carpenter all my life...(and I'm getting old)...we always use strong or weak... basically the same.. God bless
I have been a carpenter for over 40 years and have used this method several times. For framing I use it in the 1/8 increments. You are probably OCD if you’re using 1/16 increments. Trim and fine finishing, yes 16ths.
That is a good code when you get used to it. My Dad was a shoe repairman and used 2-8s or 6-8s or something like that for the nail length in 1/8" increments.
Nice. I agree that for my wood working, 1/16 inch increments is fine and we can interpolate the half 1/16 inch when necessary. I have a Stanley pocket tape where the first foot is divided into 1/32 inch increments and it makes it more difficult to use. I also do not need a tape with the fractions printed on the tape and is just clutter. Do you have a pocket tape you recommend? (Incidentally, 1/16 inch is approximately 1+ mm.)
As an apprentice cutting for the man who I was working with I might be given a length to cut to of say 1 foot 14 /16 if the carpenter wanted this plus an extra 32nd he would say cut it strong. This would mean cutting just to the waste side of the line. I hope this makes some sense to you it was all a long time ago but it was common practice in the shops i worked in 60 years ago.
excellent! I didn't know of this code until today, I just started doing this method because it's quick and easy. I teach woodworking to K-6th grade now and this is lesson #2 on reading tape measures. lesson #1 is that tape measures aren't swords; 0
Fastcap makes a tape measure written this way. (After 8ths it goes 11, 13 ect)
They make a left handed one too
Give me my metric system every day
You should show a cut list for a room of baseboards showing outside miters and cope joints .
Because switching to metric would be too easy? 1mm is approximately 1/32 give or take a few thou.
Using the 50 unit scale on an engineer's ruler then 1mm would be 2 lines...25.4mm=1 inch
I’ve relayed the + as “strong” no need for a - just add a strong to the previous 1/8th. Framing was conveyed in 1/8th with + as an indication of 16th. “12 and 6, strong” (12 13/16”) way easier to annunciate than “12 and thirteen” on a noisy job site. If you’re framing to the 32nd you’ve got too much time on your hands. I don’t use a cut man for finish work which is all done to the 32nd. I understand my own short hand to write my cut list in a note pad, before fitting each piece.
I was an inspector at a company where we used fractional pull tapes but eyeballed to the nearest one hundredth of an inch for our written reports. Surely some others have done similar.
I learned a similar code hanging drywall where we worked in 1/8's. In other words we only counted the 1/8's. Example 5 3/4" is 5 and 6. 6/8=3/4. I have adapted this to carpentry for years by doing the same but then going "heavy" or "light". Heavy meaning 1/16 over and light being 1/16 under. Example 5 11/16 would 5 and 5 heavy or 5 and 6 light. Very quick and efficient. Not as ready applicable if working with 1/32's. But works perfectly in all framing and sheeting applications.
I grew up in the sheetrock business as well and the 1/8's is so engrained in my subconscious that I sometimes forget that not everyone understands what I mean when calling out measurements to most people. The best part is that it only takes a second to explain and everyone seems to like it.
I'm on the tail end of finishing basement. It's the most drywall I have ever done and I still don't feel like I know what I'm doing. One key point I finally started grasping is, drywall isn't trim and I don't have to measure precise. I still don't get it, that if I cut the dang thing exact, why it don't fit. But it don't.@@Kensdisguise
Not a framer or carpenter but think that’s brilliant. Been on job sites and things are noisy and this “code” lessens the room for mistakes between someone who needs something and the body cutting it. Makes perfect sense. Thanks for that.
Excellent video! I'm a carpenter but not my occupation and have been doing this exact method (I use +/- for 32nd's) for my own lists. However, when giving dimensions to other I'm working with I put the exact fractions so they didn't think I was crazy. Ha! I can now use this method with others around and feel like a pro. Thank you.
In the metal shop 32eds were used and I have a 1954 Niagara brand shear with a adjustable back stop calibrated in 64ths.
Rather than plus or minus we always say heavy or light. Another way that we might say it is to cut the line, or leave the line.
We always used the words light or heavy to communicate the 16ths, but seems a bit more confusing to start .essing with other numbers that are easily seen on a tape.
Seems very complicated to me. In Australia we have been fortunate enough to have changed to metric which takes all of the trouble with fractions out of the equation. When I started my trade we were using imperial and it was difficult to change to metric initially but once you start using it, it is much easier than the imperial system.
meh
Working with the same crew for an extended time frame, would make this a big time saver. I'm not a carpenter. I have remodeled a fair number of houses, and tend to work like this in my head. I also "leave the line" and "take the line". My only disaster over the years was ruining a set of stringers. My framing square is marked in eighths. I was thinking in sixteenths. My own house so it only hurt my pride and my wallet!
When they built the Channel Tunnel, the Brits used Imperial, having Invented it, the French used metric, being stoically European. Upon meeting in the middle, they were 1/8th of an inch, or 3 millimeters out!
I’ve been in construction for over 20 years and have worked with a bridge company, a commercial building company, a general construction company that mainly kept me on concrete construction, and now a dot bridge and structure crew. The closest I’ve seen to that is someone would say something like “ cut one 23 and 9/16’s heavy.” Or it could be “light cut”.
Been in the trades 40+ years and this just sounds like a good way to confuse the Mexican laborers.
I suppose if you needed 32nds this could be a good system to learn. Reading comments, most people seem to use a similar system as what I came up with as self taught carpenter. Unless you are building furniture or something, 16ths are the smallest I ever need, so just use a + after the 1/8” fraction. 1/2+, 7/8+. Easy to read, no conversions.
I’m good with fractions but I use metric system.
growing up in a carpenter family when framing 1/8 inch was smallest fraction used but would many times tell saw man to leave the line or take line
Hydraulic hoses and fittings are in 16th’s of an inch also, but for the diameter instead of length.
If you’re talking about blocks in a wall for rough framing, I don’t think you need to worry about a 32nd of an inch. Even finish work, cut a bit long and trim to fit. In rough framing, 2x4’s and such, I just wrote down st or sh after the measurements. If it was 16 9/16” I wrote 16 1/2 st, for strong and knew that was meant to add a 1/16”. And in your example I believe your measurements varied by about 3/4”. If these were to go in between 2 studs, then one or both are bowed, or if a consistent widening, then one of them probably wasn’t nailed in the right spot on one end. Another thing is that it really doesn’t matter how precise the measurements are if the person doing the cutting hasn’t figured out which side of his cut line to cut on, or uses a dull carpenters pencil to mark it and marks a line an 1/8” wide.
Leave the line or take the line.
What a great video. I've always wondered which side of the line does the measurement start at? Like you get right down to the whatever inch, and wammo there's that | mark. And then I wonder, hmm is it the left side or the right side.... Or the middle. That's a good solid 32nd inch error built right into every measurement and I never in my life heard anyone even mention it...
I retired in the shipbuilding trades. if any fitter cut something that was not exact I would reject it . We have codes too and they are to be adhered to, per the welding code. Gaps are critical. As a CWI I had to inspect all fitups before signing off to the welding dept. Then I inspect the welds. Big gaps in steel increases the probably of weak welds. I could tell someone who was in woodworking real quick. It gets worse when you switch to pressure vessels. Different code than the structial code . I have worked with wood as a hobbie but I still measure to the 16th. LOL
I worked in machining for years, using microns, but I still think this is a very clever code. All he's doing is calling everything out in whole inches, and 16ths, so you're not being any more accurate than he is.
It's just like how some of us don't call out feet or meters. I use metric, and call out only cents and mills, never meters.
I've run into this a few times (midwest). Always on a crew that were all family, or had been working together for a long time. If you constantly have new guys in and out, it doesn't really work. Most guys don't do it. Or are just too dumb to learn it.
I framed and formed for 40+ yrs and never heard of the Code!
What if you needed a block 14 9-1/32. Would you write it 14 9-?
In my 67 years I have never heard of this.
In rough carpentry we always used measurements in the "eighth" of an inch and would mark it "L", for long in adding a "sixteenth" of an inch, or mark it "S", for short, to subtract a "sixteenth" of an inch.
For example, if someone called out 7 and 3/8 inch LONG, the measurement was 7-7/16".
I use this, instead of +, or -, we say "strong", or "weak" after the inch measurement to denote the 32nds.
Would this work if i got some work in Liberia or Myanmar?
After learning this code, don't you still have to look at your tape measure and use the same markings as always to come up with a board length?
I asked a helper to cut a 3 foot board for me while I was in the air . He cut it wrong .
Then I asked him to cut a 36 inch board for me . He cut it wrong .
Then I asked him again to cut a 3 foot board for me and it was wrong too .
I asked him why he couldn't cut a 36 inch board for me ?
He said , I can but you keep changing the numbers on me !
i'm just wondering why metric is not used. it's more straightforward and more precise, isn't it?
If your wall studs are that far out, you'd need to fix them with 14.5 blocks. You'll need blocks for things like cabinet backers, and wet walls.
If you dont use the proper spacings, drywallers will have a hell of time, and probably never mud for you again.
I learned this as a kid when I was making trusses. it's a good system, but I now use decimal points. .25 .5 .75 .12 etc.. In the digital age, it's still difficult to type out ³over, try typing out 15 over ---
In some places fire blocking in framed walls is required by code
As a drywaller I've always used this with just 8ths. So much sumpler to communicate than calling out fractions. We dont use 16ths. They are our plus or minus.
When using a measuring tape marked in 16th’s, are you making a guess that it’s a 32nd? Is this about the same as saying “take a saw blade width off”?
Or a strong 14 1/2, weak 15 or 15-, as we never used anything but an 8th unless it is cabinetry. 16ths and 32nds are red or dark C-hairs.
Why is there not a double header over the two windows iin the background?? The window on the side has it. Its the gable end of the building but still... Thanks for the "code" and your other videos..
That is absolutely genius
In my high school building trades class my teacher would give us a dimension with a " right on, leave the line or take the line" for a good fit. We didn't have "the code"
Ive always said "5 and 9" meaning 5 and 9/16. When doing mechanical work "5 OR 9" meant 9/16 or 5/8 socket.
I do something similar with eighths. For example 14 and 3/8 plus or minus a 16th. Who needs 32nds? Maybe if you were doing something more precise like cabinets but not for decks.
100% Excellent!!!
If someone told me they needed a 14 11/32 and we aren't building cabinets I would laugh my butt off.
The only problem I ever had with fractions was sometimes I would read the fraction on the wrong side of the inch. eg. when I was an apprentice I was told to cut a 10x10 at 65 1/2" but cut at 64 1/2 due to reading the wrong side of the inch. And just my luck it was a 10x10 rather than a 2x4! 😀
Did they send you to get the board stretcher?
Ive done that very thing. And cut angles, notches and such backwards.
We should change to metric so much easier
This was good knowledge, but you should have explained how you arrived at the top 16th of an inch number.
14 9/16 : 16 is a whole 16th, so you multiply 9 ❌ 1 to get 9.
14 7/8 : 8 is 1 of 2 halves of a 16th, so you multiply 7 ❌ 2 halves to get 14.
13 3/4 : Here, 4 is 1 of four quarters of a 16th, so you multiply 3 ❌ 4 quarters to get 12.
14 3/8 : Once again, 8 is 1 of 2 halves of a 16th, so you multiply 3 ❌ 2 halves to get 6.
Over thirty years in construction and never heard of this code.
As a retired finish carpenter I think we would all be better off using the metric system that they told us we were switching to in the 70s. Wonder what happened there?
I've decided not to wait for the rest of the US to switch. I've just ordered a new 5 meter Fat Max from the UK.
I've already made the switch this year. Just built a large pet shelter using nothing but metric, and I'll never go back to Imperial.
I love metric now, even though I've been using nothing but Imperial for over 50 years.
I use to work in the mobile home industry.....Most employee were taught too use little and big marks.... There was also a saying if something was outta plumb...they would simply say you can't see it from my house....My job was vinyl siding and painting, sorta like putting lipstick on a pig... AIN'T IT JUST AIN'T IT 😜 lols
"Close enough for government work."
Thank you!
Never used this we used round up or down so 14 and 9/16 becomes 14 and 1/2 heavy meaning heavy is a tick up or down with light. If I asked anyone to give me 14 and 6 I would a 20 in cut or a look like I was crazy