A client's simple question about my tape measure made me stop and think.

3 comments

3 Comments

Had a guy ask me once why my framing square had all those little numbers on the inside corner. Spent twenty minutes showing him how to use it for rafter cuts. He just needed to check if a board was square. Sometimes the tools we use every day have these hidden layers we forget are even there.

the_ben24d agoTop Commenter

Wait, you spent twenty minutes on rafter cuts? @ray_burns, that's wild. I've seen guys use those numbers for stair stringers or even just finding the center of a board. It's crazy how one simple tool has a whole secret manual baked into it. My old boss used his to figure out octagon layouts, and I just stood there with my mouth open. You forget it's not just a right angle.

simonlee24d ago

Remember when you thought a speed square was just for marking a straight line? I used mine for years before a carpenter showed me it could do roof pitches and stair stringers too. It felt like unlocking a cheat code on a tool I already owned.