The $9 level I trusted for 4 years was off by a 16th across 6 feet

Found out when I put a new 8-foot level next to it on a door frame in Nashville and could see the bubble sitting different. Made me wonder how many frames I hung slightly off in all that time. Anyone else had a favorite tool fail them quietly like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_craig72d ago

You ever notice how door frames in old houses are never actually square, so you just get used to trusting the level more than your eyes? I had a tape measure that was stretched about an eighth of an inch over the first foot, and I hung a whole closet shelf system with it before I caught it. The shelves still look fine to me, but now every time I open that closet I wonder if my brain is just ignoring it out of spite.

the_felix2d ago

That bubble lies are the worst kind, you trust them like a friend and then find out they been judging everything crooked for years. My dad had a square that was off a hair and never noticed until he built a whole shed with it, still stands though so maybe it worked out.

mason_murray82d ago

Funny thing is, most framing lumber stays twisted no matter how square your tools are, so half the time you're just picking which corner to trust and praying the drywall covers the rest.