Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

MoSChuin t1_jecc429 wrote

Fellas, this is half inch rock. The tape hook isn't static, and moves a little. Push it in like this and it measures too long. In this case, by less than a 16th. The 5/8ths line is very far away. If you'd measure it by hooking on the back, it would measure a perfect half.

−1

dcarwin t1_jecetwz wrote

The slop in the tape hook is designed to be the thickness of the hook, so it can be accurate for both push and pull measurements.

45

phalangepatella t1_jecjckj wrote

I’m not going to say that I was “today years old” when I learned why the end of the tape moves like that, but I will admit that I was “embarrassingly old and should have known better” years old when I did.

17

gcg2016 t1_jed3xo3 wrote

Learned it from Tom Silva! In my 40s…

4

nvncblshdw t1_jecf4fq wrote

The end of a tape measure is supposed to move. It is designed to move exactly the thickness of the tab so that you can measure from either side of it.

26

ThisSubHasNoMods t1_jecjfz5 wrote

The end moves to compensate for the thickness of the metal hook at the end. Op measured correctly.

6

shotsallover t1_jecz2vi wrote

Kind of. He measured against the stud and you can see a small gap. If he hooks the back of the drywall with the tape it'll likely land on the 1/2" mark pretty cleanly.

1

jet_heller t1_jecskuj wrote

Yea. You can see the sheet isn't entirely against the stud and it could be hooked. That's the correct way to measure it in this instance.

1

New2ThisThrowaway t1_jecjmm1 wrote

This isn't true for all tapes. It should measure correct when used this way, but the ends are notorious for being inaccurate.

You can see the inaccuracy in the photo. Use a photo editor or a post-it on your screen and grab 1/2 inch from further down the tape. Move it down to the end and you'll see your 1/2 inch reference line up with 9/16th.

Summary: it's 1/2 inch board. The tape measure is off by a 16th, like you said.

0

huzzam t1_jedn17c wrote

That’s called perspective. Things closer look bigger… welcome to the Renaissance!

−1

RogerRabbit1234 t1_jechxeh wrote

Right? I’m looking at this like, are we all looking at the same tape measure? It’s 1/2” rock.

Call off the detectives. It’s 1/2” rock.

Hook the tape on the back of the sheet and pull it towards you, and it will measure 1/2”.

−6