Shopsmith Forums

Many years back, Murphy came along to remind and humble me in the ways of measuring tapes. Rather than let carpenters use their own, I ended up buying tapes for each project that I tested in the stores, and yes I looked real silly stretching them out in the aisles. I still remember one tape that was a full inch shorter in the first 15 feet and by 50 was nearly three inches different!!
A man that taught me more than I could ever remember talked about building using a single tape measure. Even with the rough jobs I do for myself, I've ignored that advice at my own peril.
Under a foot I use my INCRA ruler. Up to three feet, the folding ruler. Over three feet I try and stick with a single tape, but unless I hide the others, I just grab what ever happens to be close. . On stuff for the table saw I often use a piece of 1/4" dowel as a pseudo story stick. Lots of indents where I used a thumb nail to make a mark.
I guess what ever works for the project and your demands (or lack there of )

Be well,
Ben

Apparently I spoke backwards. What I meant was that if you hold the hook to the fence and pull back, as opposed to simply pushing the hook to the fence, your measurement will be off. For what it's worth, I never use a tape for this. I use eithe a folding rule or steel rule.

ChrisNeilan wrote:Apparently I spoke backwards. What I meant was that if you hold the hook to the fence and pull back, as opposed to simply pushing the hook to the fence, your measurement will be off. For what it's worth, I never use a tape for this. I use eithe a folding rule or steel rule.

No it won't as long as you do your measurements that way ALL the time but, why would you do that??

So please tell us how you hold the hook on the fence and pull backwards as opposed to pushing it against the fence and how do you do that and adjust the fence with only two hands and still holding the tape pulled "back" for an accurate measurement. ??????? It is an INSIDE measurement. You put the end of the tape against the fence, NOT hook onto it, and measure to the inside of the blade. The side towards the fence.

If you measure the resulting stock after the cut (outside measurement) and it is not the same then the tape is at fault

I am sorry Chris I don't have a clue what you are talking about.

ChrisNeilan wrote:Apparently I spoke backwards. What I meant was that if you hold the hook to the fence and pull back, as opposed to simply pushing the hook to the fence, your measurement will be off. For what it's worth, I never use a tape for this. I use eithe a folding rule or steel rule.

Makes since you could do it that way, you would push the tape into the fence then hold it with say your thumb and then pull it away from the fence.... The result would be that you are off by the thickness of the end piece (disregarding any extra due to a worn tape).

Ed

reible wrote:

ChrisNeilan wrote:Apparently I spoke backwards. What I meant was that if you hold the hook to the fence and pull back, as opposed to simply pushing the hook to the fence, your measurement will be off. For what it's worth, I never use a tape for this. I use eithe a folding rule or steel rule.

Makes since you could do it that way, you would push the tape into the fence then hold it with say your thumb and then pull it away from the fence.... The result would be that you are off by the thickness of the end piece (disregarding any extra due to a worn tape).

Ed

Of curse you could but why would you do it that way?????

First of all ChrisNeilan is wrong and I would like to hear from anyone that thinks he is correct.

One thing I never use a tape measure for is setting my rip fence.

My method is a thin metal rule slipped under the fence and against a tooth aka the "$3 self-zeroing 36 inch direct reading rip scale."
http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/viewt ... post138615

If for some reason I need to get even greater accuracy, I'll clamp a dial indicator to the fence rail and fine tune things. http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/viewt ... 85#p152985

jsburger wrote: Does ANYONE out there set a table saw fence by measuring from the blade to the fence? If so how do you do it?

Yes, I do, John! But not with a tape. I use my sliding try square steel blade. measuring both the front tooth and same tooth at the rear.
If, later on I have to rip the same width on another board, if possible, I will use the first board for the fence setting.

Like you, tapes are only used for longer measurements.

jsburger wrote:

reible wrote:

ChrisNeilan wrote:Apparently I spoke backwards. What I meant was that if you hold the hook to the fence and pull back, as opposed to simply pushing the hook to the fence, your measurement will be off. For what it's worth, I never use a tape for this. I use eithe a folding rule or steel rule.

Makes since you could do it that way, you would push the tape into the fence then hold it with say your thumb and then pull it away from the fence.... The result would be that you are off by the thickness of the end piece (disregarding any extra due to a worn tape).

Ed

Of curse you could but why would you do it that way?????

First of all ChrisNeilan is wrong and I would like to hear from anyone that thinks he is correct.

I DIDN'T say I did, John, but someone could. It's called a mistake. Take a chill pill.

Sorry if that sounded harsh, not my intent...

jsburger wrote:

dusty wrote:I use a tape measure for all but the most critical of tasks. But I, like forrest, have learned to check the accuracy of my measuring tools periodically. I learned this simple lesson in much the same way as did forrest except my measurements were off.

When I must make an accurate measurement with a tape measure, I do not use the hook. Instead, I measure from the 1" mark and adjust the result by 1".

I do that too.

I usually go with 10".