Reliability of measuring tools?

Worth mentioning but don't fit in other categories.
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LesForgue
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Reliability of measuring tools?

Post by LesForgue »

I got a big aluminum square from Menard's or Home Depot (forget which), and while I was working on drawing panel cut lines onto my plywood, I realized that so and so many inches on that thing does not match that measurement on my old steel square and several other rulers.
I had a bit of erasing to do becasue of the inconsistency.

If you can't trust a ruler, well, I don't know,
Anybody else experienced such?

Or, Maybe the square that seems off is actually a state of the art instrument, adjusted for the curvature of the earth?
Les Richard Forgue
tx river rat
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Re: Reliability of measuring tools?

Post by tx river rat »

An old timer taught me the first thing you did with a new framing
was to square it, he did the squaring with a center punch .
not sure about the markings maybe its in tenths or mm
Ron
neon14
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Re: Reliability of measuring tools?

Post by neon14 »

Had that problem before. I have came to the conclusion that nothing is square.
lilmoe
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Re: Reliability of measuring tools?

Post by lilmoe »

I was taught to always check a new square by putting against a straight edge, mark along the edge, then flop it side to side, and check your mark. Most of them will not be perfect, but can be adjusted with a punch to be the same. A level should also be checked, but sometomes you just have to go with It looks right.
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