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Story Pole

A story pole is like a cheat sheet for your project. It displays the measurements for a given project in actual size rather than numbers, so it’s a one-stop resource that saves time and eliminates headaches during layout and measuring. A story pole is commonly used by carpenters to help mark things like the height of siding, windows and doors. But it can also be used for all sorts of other projects from furniture building to masonry.

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Hand Measuring

The best tape measure is the one that’s always within reach when you need it — your hand! Pst, this is Time magazine’s pick for the best digital tape measure of 2022!

Use a tape measure to learn the dimensions of your hands, fingers and arms. For some people, for example, two fingers together is about one inch. Measure the width and length of your hands, and the distance from fingertip to forearm for right and left sides. Then the next time you need a ballpark measurement, simply use your hands to compare lengths.

In the meantime, here’s another handy measuring tip: an in-hand notepad right on your tape measure.

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Synchronize Measuring Tapes

One time-saving trick is to keep multiple tape measures in your workspace. Placing one near your table saw and another near the installation area eliminates the annoying back-and-forth when you forget to bring your tape measure along. (Find out how to use a tape measure the right way.)

Although the measuring marks on most tapes are accurate, the hooks can get bent or warped over time. To verify accuracy, pull a line on a known straight edge with both tape measures and compare their marks. Ideally this should also be done at the start of every job. But at the very least, take a few seconds to verify no serious damage has occurred if one of the tapes is dropped or otherwise abused.

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