# What is your "go to" measuring device



## W1ngnu7 (Sep 2, 2007)

I seem to always reach for my tape measure, not sure why. I know some of my squares only have 1/8", not 1/16". I feel like I'm missing a tool that would work best for making smallish layout lines. Combination square?


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

It all depends on the size I am trying to measure, but for the most part I have a Craftsman 25' tape measure that I bought brand spanking new in 1989 that suits me just fine.

For small parts however, I like having the accuracy of my digital caliper.


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## DaddyZ (Jan 28, 2010)

Starrett 4" Double Square


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

Komelan 12' tape measure.
It is small, light, and easy to read. It stays put in the extended position, and you push a button to retract the tape. They cost all of $4 at Lowe's.

I have several of them, and for furniture construction they are ideal.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Starrett 6" double.
Bill


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## W1ngnu7 (Sep 2, 2007)

Those Starrett squares are perfect, expensive, but perfect. Thanks!


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## jumbojack (Mar 20, 2011)

Box building demands the Incra rule. Set up, caliper.


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

A twelve inch steel rule which measures right off the end without an edge would work best .Why not go for an engineers rule can't be beaten and doesn't have to be too expensive too. Alistair


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

Starrett 6" and 12" combo squares, are my favorites


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

Calipers. Measures depth, width, thikness, shoulders, diameters and is also a quick marking guage.
I find that these have a good quality/prize ratio: http://ecatalog.mitutoyo.com/Vernier-Calipers-Series-530-Standard-Model-C1401.aspx


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## woodcox (Nov 21, 2012)

6" P. E. C. Double square is a more economical alternative choice to a Starrett.


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## Farrout (Oct 6, 2009)

My 'go to' is a digital caliper. 
I use it to set blade height, thin strip width, and a lot of other things.


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## brtech (May 26, 2010)

Under an inch - digital calipers
Under a foot - Starrett combo square, although I have a LV 4" double square in my pocket at all times
Over a foot - depends on the job. If 1/16" tolerance is okay, tape measure, otherwise I have a 4' rule that is dead on accurate


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

1 2 3 block

folding ruler with brass extension for inside measurements

4" double square

Done


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## barringerfurniture (Sep 17, 2013)

Starrett 6" combo for small stuff. Thinking about keeping it behind my ear along with a pencil. Stanley Fatmax 35' tape for long stuff.


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## JayT (May 6, 2012)

16' Komelon Tape for rough measuring.

6in General flexible stainless ruler for precision.










Doesn't cost a lot, but is very accurate and easy to use for small projects. I need to add a similar 12 incher.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Calipers,measuring tape.steel rules,if I'm desperate and don't have any of those I use a dollor bill aproxamently 3"x6" ,coins(a quarter is a little under and 1"),or even a couple router wrenches(two PC router wrenches 3/8") for an approximate measurements.


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## shawnmasterson (Jan 24, 2013)

16' fatmax.


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

a1Jim: I like your dollar bill/coin method. Newer thought about that..


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## hobby1 (Feb 10, 2012)

I like folding wood rules, for woodworking, I use tape measures for my quick lumber measure offs, but when it comes to accurate to the 1/16ths measurements, I like solid rulers, folding wood rules, or flat steel rulers.


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## tomd (Jan 29, 2008)

Digital calipers.


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## lepelerin (Jan 13, 2012)

Digital caliper for small parts, 10, 20, 40, 60 or 100 cm steel rulers for medium stuff, tape measure for long stuff where accuracy is not required.


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## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

Mitutoyo 6" digital calipers, Starrett 12" combination square, same Starrett with 24" rule, tape measure in that order.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Digital calipers (cost me less than $20) for short pieces and thicknesses

HD metal rulers (3ft, 4ft, 5ft) for longer pieces. I also use "stops" on my TS sled.

I NEVER trust tape measures except when rough cutting. That hook on the end will screw you up every time, by up to 1/16", so I don't use them!


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## shopdog (Nov 9, 2008)

Digital/fractional calipers can't be beat. Mine measures to 1/128" 
Story sticks for repetitive measurements

I have some great rulers…
veritas 6" hook 
starret 12" hook 
starret folding ruler with extender (great for inside measurements)
starret 12" square

The thing with rulers and tapes is that they're only as good as the person that's reading them


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

I'm with you W1ngnu7, I always grab for a Stanley 25'er. It's usually hooked to my belt any how. I agree the hook can get you by 1/16, so burn an inch or start at a foot.

once you learn the tricks, they are fast, compact and very accurate.


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## Farrout (Oct 6, 2009)

Also, digital allows me to get away from fractional measurements.
Like, what's a third of 4 1/4?
Much easier to do the math.
Should have gone metric long ago.


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## 111 (Sep 2, 2013)

I use calipers for measuring thickness to set up my edgebander. 
Just about everything else I use my tape measure.
I don't understand the "losing a 1/16" for the hook" 
I treat my tape measure as I would any other tool and *keep the tip tuned up*.


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## avra (Dec 25, 2013)

Of course I use tapes, rules, and calipers all the time. My favorite marking out tool is Veritas' sliding square.

But no one has mentioned the one tool you always have with that you can never lose: your body.

Ergonomics can be useful and, assuming you're fully grown, quite reliable. My ambling stride averages 2 feet, making it pretty easy to pace off long distances, like a 150 foot roof, for preliminary material estimates. My arm span, like many people's, is almost exactly my height. I can just touch a 7 ft ceiling with my fist. Elbow to fingertip is 19 inches on the money. Hand spread is exactly 9 inches for me. Across the palm = 3.5 inches. Of course some anatomical measurements are best not discussed in a public forum 

Obviously these provide only rough measurements and their utility is limited. But it's fun to know and you'll never wonder "Now where did I put my…?"


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## BArnold (May 20, 2013)

For the most part, I use a 12' Komelon Self-Lock Tape Measure. I have a couple of other tapes laying around, but it's the one in my shop apron. For small, detailed measurements I have a 6" metal ruler that has 1/32" and millimeter markings. I have an assortment of calipers I use when necessary, also.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

I use measures and tapes and rules and all manner of measuring devices.
Most of all I use a storey stick.

It doesn't matter the measurement, just that the measurements are equal.


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## TeamTurpin (Oct 3, 2012)

I have a 6", a 12" and an 18" metal rule within easy reach of my bench. I usually reach for one of them.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I agree with Team Turpin…................. Steel rules work well for me.


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## Vincent (Mar 10, 2009)

SS rulers for 12, 24 and 36 inch lengths (with ruler stops). Calipers (dial and digital) for thicknessing. Wixey digital gauges for TS and router bit height adjustment. Tape measures are for rough measurements. Starrett combination square for misc measurements.


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

A set of keyway stock, 1/8" thru 3/4" in 1/16" increments, a 123 block and, for inside measurements, a sliding story stick. 
The keyway stock+ the 123 block is great for fence to blade measurements. And the keyway stock is great for blade heights, too. 
A Wixey depth/height thingie, sometimes. A few steel rules marked in 1/10th inch. 
Tapes for gross measurements only.
For thicknesses out of the planer, I use open end wrenches. The digital calipers only when I really must know the thickness and the wrenches won't do it. (seldom)


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## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

As the official Mitutoyo digital caliper fan club president yesterday I needed a 3/4×3/4 strip of Poplar so the measuring device I used to set this up on the table saw was…wait for it…a 3/4 thick piece of Poplar scrap. Common sense is a must have tool in any shop. ;-)


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Way to go, darthford. 
Direct measurement (if you can call it that) is always the best. 
Trust nothing with numbers!
Someone above said that actual measurements don't matter as long as they are equal. 
Totally agree.


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## PaulDoug (Sep 26, 2013)

All depends on what I am building. Tape measure, steel rules, I love the Incra rules for small stuff. But again, it all depends on what is being built. I try to use the same measuring device throughout the build though. I think that is the most important.


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## shopdog (Nov 9, 2008)

Pauldoug makes some good points.
It really does depend on what I'm building.
If I'm making a built-in bookcase to fit in an alcove, I always measure the space with my tape measure. Rough measurements are good enough, because I'm going to built it about 1.5" less than the space, and scribe the faceframe to the walls and ceiling. Same with kitchen cabinets. In the shop, I always use the same tape for the build, along with a story stick.
PaulDoug…I have a couple of those Incra rules too, but it's rare when I need to measure 32nd or 64ths.

Wood is going to shrink and expand. It's good to strive for perfection, but you can usually settle for close enough.


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## lwllms (Jun 1, 2009)

Because this is in the joinery forum, I assume the question was about layout tools for joinery.

I don't do a lot of joinery any more but my work is very similar. In threads of this nature, I almost always see comments like, "What are you worrying about thousandths for? This is wood working and wood moves." Yes, wood does move but we're talking about joinery. In joinery, the mortise and tenon is where the rubber meets the proverbial road. Two thousandths can make or break a glued mortise and tenon joint. We're talking about comparative measurements of the same material and joinery that will be assembled very soon after it's cut. Even if you're making a 1 3/4" thick exterior door and opt for a relatively thick 3/4" tenon, the material movement of both pieces should be the same amount. You may be lucky enough to have an actual tenon machine but I've only seen them in large commercial shops. Tenon jigs most wood workers use actually double any set-up error because you cut from both sides of the stock. If one wants good, strong and long-lasting joints they need to be able to measure in thousandths.

I've had commercial cabinet shops justify inferior joinery like stub tenons, pocket screws, biscuits and loose tenons saying that kitchens are remodeled every five years or so and it's a waste of effort and money to do anything more. Well, are kitchens frequently remodeled because of fashion or because the life expectancy of the joinery so short? Maybe some of both but the kitchen remodels I've been involved in were because things were falling apart.

Here is a photo of the layout tools I use almost every day. I like SPI squares but one of the things that makes them inexpensive is limited finish work on the machined ways and adjustments. I don't mind doing that work and we're set up to do it. I didn't have my camera at work so it's just a phone photo.


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