Tape Measure Tips and Tricks - What is that marking? 

I made a mistake and didn’t catch it in editing. 8ft is 96 inches, not 144. Sorry about that.

My husband was a carpenter, he knew all of this, and he taught me because he said if anything should happen to him, I'd at least know some carpentry skills, he passed away in 2002 and I'm glad he taught me, and I taught the kids. He always used Stanley tools

22 years welding and I just learned 3 awesome things that I'll now never forget! Thanks!

This has to be one of the best RU-vid videos ever. I’m 44 and have been using tape measures whenever necessary and didn’t know all of these tips and tricks. Thank you!!

I'm a retired construction trades journeyman who made a living with my tape measure for decades, and you just taught me a thing or two I didn't know. Thanks.

Old dog, new tricks? I’m a 73 y/o amateur wood worker and I learned three things from this video. Thank you!!!

I'm 70 years old and I learned a boat load of tape stuff that I never knew! So useful is that info! I didn't know that they sold a tape with all the markings of the fraction of an inch on it.I need to find one of them to teach my grandyoungins how to read a tape, and they range from 9 to 23. Thanks so much for sharing this important information! Take care! And stay well. Oh yeah, you said your dad had a hardware store, I can tell you when I was a kid, I used to love to go into those old hardware stores, and if you think about it they would have to be old when I was going to them as a kid. But my point was, they had a certain unexplainable smell about them and I mean a good smell, ya just don't have good old hardware stores like that anymore! So sorry about the rambling on.

I'm a vet trying to learn some carpentry skills, very raw actually. I learned something new with your video. Thanks a lot!

I never knew that the black diamonds were for floor joist. We always ran them at 24” centers because then it didn’t matter which way you ran your decking. I have been a carpenter for over 50 years, let that one sink in. I can’t wait for you to teach about the framing square and the speed square. There is a whole world of information on those two, ie. To find pitch, angles, framing stairs etc. Thanks again for teaching an old dog new tricks.

Aaaahhh. I’ve spent years cursing poor manufacturing for the loose ends of a tape and you’ve just explained why they do it. Thanks.

It's always nice to find someone showing us something interesting and simple without making us feel like total morons for not knowing this 😆. Great video, thanks for sharing.

In a similar fashion to drawing the straight line, you can also use a nail for the tip and draw an arc or radius.

With thirty years experience, I'm considered a pro by many but I still learned something watching this. Cap off to you sir on a well done demonstration without the usual yap no tap on other channels.

As a European, I was expecting plenty of imperial-only stuff, but there were some gems in your vid that everyone can use. This is the reason why I watch US carpentry videos.

Now, I though 20+ minutes to explain a tape measure would have been overkill, but you taught me a lot. Thank you for the teaching and follow through with examples.

Another tip -- to find mid point of a board, use two tapes from opposite side. The mid point is where same marking from two tape meet!

Don't know why the algorithm threw this up but I'm glad it did. Thanks for this video!

You can hook on the right size nail head and draw a fairly accurate radius/circumference on something also👍

I've been in construction for 44 years and a builder for 30 years. We've always framed floor joists at 16" on Center, until they came out with engineered floor trusses which are sometimes 19.2" O. C., hence the black diamonds. Most traditional framed floors and walls are still framed at 16" on Center.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I was never really good at Math in my younger years & NOW that I'm older I can finally grasp it!!! Thank you so much for not making me feel stupid 🙂 💯

I just learned something?? Angle tape across to find centre at an easy divide number?? Would never have thought of that! 👍

I like the go a bit diagonally to get centre accurately... Going to do this at work and show the others. Genius move !! 👍

Mad respect sir I’ve learned so much from this video thank you.

Another tip: some tapes are marked on the bottom for the length of the tape "housing", for lack of better terms. This is useful for measuring between two permanent items without bending your tape in the corner and guessing. The tape reading and the quick addition of your housing length is your total distance.

You made the hard stuff I hated about tape measures really easy. I’m going to be practicing most of these tips to get the hang of them. Thank you 👍🏽🇻🇮

Great info, especially for people like me who enjoy small-project woodworking. This video was full of neat little hacks that will save time and brain cells. Thanks a bunch.

I'm a retired handyman. I knew almost all of this but still have to comment on how nicely made the video is. Direct to the point, all good facts, well and cleanly explained without any wasteful history lesson. Thank you excellent video.

You're a legend! My grandfather taught me a lot of this when I was too young to retain the information. Thank you for making this video 💚🙏

Grew up in a custom duct shop, still there 40years layer. All the old school guys used s tape rule. Did radius and strait fittings, beautiful stuff. Well setup. Best demo I’ve seen using a tape as a slide rule. 👍

I’m almost 77 and after years of tape work, I learnt a few tips here. Well presented.

I didn't know most of those tips and tricks - and I've been using a tape measure for around the house jobs for 30 plus years. Thanks for sharing!

A very interesting video. As I grew up in the UK in the 50s and 60s, I started with feet and inches before we switched to metric. Our tapes for DIY ers still have inches on one edge and metric on the other but all industrial and professional tapes are pure metric because that's all they use. I still find myself using inches occasionally but if there is any calculation needed, metric is way easier to do. Many people still use the old units for measurements of themselves, such as height and weight and our road speeds are still MPH. But going back to the tape, it's interesting to see the features that are common to all.

You can also divide your material into equal parts by angling the tape until a whole number lines up with the edge... i.e. A piece of timber sheet is 9 inches long and you want to divide it into 5 equal spaces. Hook the tape on one edge and pull it to the other edge diagonally until 10 inches lines up with that edge. Now mark at 2 inch intervals.

I taught my son fractions with a tape measure after my wife threw her hands up and said(I give up). He got an A+ in fractions at school.

Another good reason for marking a position with a 'V' instead of just a line, is that when you draw the line on wood, your pencil easily gets caught up in a line of the grain and wiggles about. But if you make a V, then it doesn't matter if the lines of the V are wiggly, as long as the point of the V is in the right place :-)

I learnt more in watching this video, in the 12 minutes it took that I had at any point and total on in my life. Thank you. This was a lot of fun for me to learn.

Thanks for the upload. 66 years young wrinkly coffin dodger pensioner, started my electrical apprenticeship aged 16 using a folding wooden 3ft measure. Know a few tweaks with tapes but didn't know half what you taught me. Have subscribed and will look for more videos. 5 stars not enough......thank you kind sir from sunny Ireland 🤓

The floor joist black diamond was new info for me, thanks!

My deceased spouse was a carpenter. He taught me quite a lot of skills and hands on working with him. He gave me a Dewalt tape for easier measurement readings. However he never explained the additional markings on the tape. What they were used for or meant. And many of your usage tips I never knew either. Thank you very much. I’ve always enjoyed carpentry and welcome being taught new things too improve my own abilities and knowledge. Thank you.

This is so enlightening. Simple but very effective tips. This is my first time watching your videos but I will watch them all as a new subscriber. Can’t wait to see what else I can learn!!

My Fat Max Stanley 25' reaches out to 12' before breaking over. Had this tape for 8 yrs or so. Still works great.

Of all the years I've used a tape I thought I knew or thought of everything until the split tape add or subtract idea to get the measurement. JUST BRILLIANT! Thankyou for sharing! And yep...I subscribed .

Thanks a lot for your great info. I've been cutting wood and measuring for a long time and I didn't know some of these things. Never too old to learn.

Very good video. I used a tape for the last 60 years and you teach me some stuff I did not know. Thank you for taking the time to do this usefull video. I'm glad I learn something while watching your video.

Always good to learn something new, Thank You.

As a licenced carpenter I knew most of these tips but not the one about angling the tape to find the halfway point in an irregular length board. Another quick trick: when measuring between two flat 90° surfaces, i.e the height of a doorway from floor to top of opening, you need to fold your tape at the top or bottom to get a reading. A simple more accurate way to get this measurement is to measure down exactly 10" from the top of the door opening, mark it, and then measure up from the floor to the 10" mark. Let's say that measurement was 68 and 3/4". Now add the 10" to it and get a final and exact measurement of 78 and 3/4 inches. Hope that helps 👍

Great video. I was looking for something like this to pass on to my grandkids. I think you hit on all the high points! I learned some things too! Thank you much!

Excellent your information. Key to understanding and optimizing the use of this valuable tool. Unbelievably his focus is on the building system in the US, mostly stud-based and 16-inch spread. In the Latin American approach it is a bit different, based on the decimal metric system. Very thankful. I learned a lot.

Thank you so much! I was never good with math or fractions in school. I'm 60 now. Could never read a tape measure till my mom bought me a readable one . Love these tricks you just showed! Will be using them👍

I carried many tape measures for 40 yrs as an insurance adjuster. I learned a lot here that I wish I knew then!! Thanks!!

Great video! I knew nothing about these tips...so helpful as a new homeowner. Thanks!

Caution: This video contains information on how to divide fractions! Stay calm, you'll get through it. -- great video. Thanks.

Fascinating video on very mundane subject, well done. Also a bit of a history lesson, being from the UK. I learned metric when in infants school 65 years ago. They also taught feet and inches so we could communicate with our grand parents.

In the early 80's the Field Engineer on our job asked the Carpenters to bring our tape rules out for calibration. He had his 'chain' pulled out along a beam explaining that at this temperature it was at zero- being metal it grew longer when hotter and shorter when colder, and he showed us the chart he used to apply a correction percentage for the temperature so that his measurements would always match regardless of conditions. Then we pulled our tapes alongside the 'chain'. All manner of tape rules were involved in the testing, but only Stanley and Lufkin tapes consistently matched the 'chain' at 20 ft distance. I had a Craftsman and it was 1/8" shorter at 20ft. One cheap tape was 3/8" off. That was an eye-opener and since then I've only used Stanley tape rules.

You never stop learning!!! Thanks a lot.

Who knew there was so much to learn about a measuring tape. Thank you for the information.

I’m British and a lot of this doesn’t apply over here but......I found this very, very interesting!

IMMEASURABLE value, great Tips to avoid frustration. Always MEASURE twice CUT once. Thanks.

Good info for many people. I'm not a professional carpenter, but most I knew, and I am a Dewalt fan; tools as well as my go to is one of my two 25' tapes. I purchased due to the 1/8 inch markings.

now I love the metric system even more.

Even as a fairly experienced DIYer and family/friend handyman, a few new tape measure tricks! Thanks. Fun.

A really good video. I will need to watch it several times with a tape measure to remember fully.

I'm a vet and fortunate enough to have some time on my hands. Taking up wood working/carpentry for some extra money. Definitely picked up a couple of short cuts here. Thanks for the video and you picked up another subscriber!

Thank You so much I work at Home Depot Hardware Dept and this video will definitely help me at work!!

Finding the centre is a great tip! Never ever thought of that! In the UK our tapes are both metric and imperial. When describing something I will say something like that's 8ft or 2ft 6 cos it feels right. But when working I use metric, so much easier with the maths :)

Thank you so much for your video. I've learnt so much about understanding how to use tape measures and using them for maths! Absolutely brilliant.

I'm glad I stumbed upon your video 👍🏼 These are very useful tips. I'm looking forward to using a tape measure when teaching my granddaughter division and math with fractions.

Thank you for the very practical presentation. Loved it. The matematics part is just awsome. :)

One thing I learned about tape measure.. You can never find one when you need it, like a pencil.

Thanks for this information. It can be a great help to others, ‘cuz it was a refresher course to me. I had left the healthcare line of work, & went to work in a factory a few years back. I’m now retired, & have used my learned skills so many times, & was so happy to have retained what I learned. Chances are you’ll never forget either. Since being @ home more, I’m now more of a daily seamstress, & will take the time to teach my grandchildren all they my need to know. So, Thank You, for any helpful hints that I can pass on to them…all 5 are boys, & girls 😉💕🇺🇸

Thank you for such a great video! One interesting fact I learned that I could share is that on the back of a tape measure there is a marking that states (for example) + 3in/76mm..The 3 inches is actually the length of the tape measure itself. So instead of breaking the tape at the surface of whatever you're measuring, place whole tape measure up against it and add the 3 inches (or whatever your tape measure says....Ex: 3in; 4in, etc.) to the measurement. I hope this makes sense!

Came to see if you talked about the black diamonds. Glad you did. Thanks!

A tape measurer can be used as radio antenna! The length of the antenna can be trimmed to match the length of the frequency, half-length, etc.

WOW, Thank You !!!! So many hidden markings and things I never even wondered about . NOW I know.

Thank you,! I learned so much in your video, I’ve used a tape measure, but never understood it. Thanks for the confidence,!

Hey! Look at me! I learned something new today. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I have this saved in my Playlist. 👍

Awsome explanation, thanks.

Dude. I love you. I’m stupid. So I’ve had teachers explain how to read a ruler and it’s always been a horrible experience. I don’t know if it was they’re patience, ability to teach, or my ability to want to learn this at that moment. But surely did the best job explaining the ruler to me today. This is what this measures at and this I how the ruler is broken down. Sounds easy enough but the world of difference when you’re anticipating the answer and other person has somewhere to be. Thank You.

Thank You so much!!! I learned a lot!! Over the MANY years since leaving school, you lose some of this ( especially when you're not using it frequently). This will be my go to video to freshen up those number skills when I pull out that measuring tape!!

A very good video, thanks. The "V" you mention for marking a measure, in my part of the country, we would call that a Crow's foot 😀

Your video was a HUGE help! You provided lots of good, time saving tips that were also very interesting and fun. I look forward to watching and learning more from your guides. Thanks a million!

Thank you for taking the time for the tips very much appreciated

Great tips! I learned 2 new things and was reminded of a third I could have used dozens of times last week. My current favorite tape is a Milwaukee 25' that has stadia rod markings on the back. Really handy when working with a laser level or doing landscaping work.

Really fascinating. Never thought I would say that about a tape-measure instructional video. LOL!

Wow, I wish I had seen this when I bought my house over 35 years ago. It would have saved a lot of material 🤪. Thanks for a great video 👍👍👍👍👍

It is a very useful tip and tricks Video so far about tape measure greatly appreciated! you taught me a lot about the tape measure. I teach myself to do a lot of renovations around the house you make it easy for me thank you!

All GREAT tips! Thank you for sharing!

Many of the tips here I never knew. It is good to know. Thanks

What a good video! I’m from the UK and can’t wrap my head around using inches even though I spent my childhood with imperial measurements. The tips, of course, transfer to metric and there are some here which I haven’t thought of. Thanks.

I did not know how read a tape measure as well, my husband was also a carpenter and he taught me as well, thank goodness! I greatly appreciate your video, because it refreshed my memory

Thanks man that was really helpful My dad taught me a lot an I just learned so much more that I can show him keep the good work up

HOW COULD YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN?! -to mention that the case will also have an edge-to-edge dimension on it... enabling one to conveniently do internal measurements. Fantastic video! As an old, retired Union carpenter I watched to see what I might learn [new]. Darned if there weren't a coupla tricks I'd not run across before.

I really learned a lot , great tips. Mahalo from hawaii🤙🏽

Thank you soooo much! That was awesome for many reasons. Very very helpful and informative. Again, thank you!

This was great. Thanks for sharing. Think I will read my tape measure more carefully from now.

Not a carpenter but have been using a tape measure for 40+ years and I never paid any attention to some of the features on the tape. Also some very good tips for the math challenged in subtracting with fractions and finding the halfway point. Good information for everyone.

I'm left-handed and realized the other day that I've somehow subconsciously adapted to reading all the tape measure numbers upside down. My natural preference would be to hold the tape measure in my left hand and pull from right to left or toward me to the left side. On reflection, I realized that there might be a reverse grip left-handed solution to pull left to right. I'm sure I'm not the only lefty navigating a world of right-handed tools. At least a tape measure is unlikely to cut off any body parts on accident...

Great video and as a Contractor and lifetime construction dork, I always watch to see if I can learn something new that I had not yet. You would be surprised how many of our youth do NOT know anything about a tape measure.........

Hmmm you never stop learning... wonderful video thanks a million

I had never thought to double the tape back on itself to find half of a measurement. Or to use it that way to subtract. Also finding the center of a board was a great tip thanks!