Is there some sort of standard for how inaccurate woodworking
measurements can be?
I have been working on a fairly large and complex project and discovered
that my depth gauge was 0.02" to 0.03" off, the square disagrees ever so
slightly with the tape measure. This doesn't sound like much, but some of
my cuts have to be very close to spec and I'm using two different machines
(and measurements) to make the cuts.
Everything has been fine up until now because I haven't had to measure
the same thing with two instruments. I had always used only one tape
measure and regarded its measure as "truth". On this project I broke out
the B&S electronic caliper, and a few other measurement tools. I'd put
them away and stop all the trouble, but I have to make sure that some pretty
tight clearances are met properly without a trial assembly.
Michael
On Tue, 20 Apr 2004 00:06:57 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Heck, you could end up cutting a
>54 degree angle when you really need a 36 degree.
>Then you end up with a 7-1/2 sided box.
Ah, the old 7-1/2 sided box...
Otherwise known as "the 108-by-540".
Michael "Who needs metric?" Baglio
"Herman Family" <[email protected]/without_any_s/> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Is there some sort of standard for how inaccurate woodworking
> measurements can be?
>
> I have been working on a fairly large and complex project and
discovered
> that my depth gauge was 0.02" to 0.03" off, the square disagrees ever so
> slightly with the tape measure. This doesn't sound like much, but some of
> my cuts have to be very close to spec and I'm using two different machines
> (and measurements) to make the cuts.
Depends on the cuts. if you are making a box that is 24 x 48 and the ruler
is off (and you use the same one every time) you could end up with a box
that is 23 1/2 x 47 1/2 and it will look and work just fine. If you have
two pieces of wood 3" apart and have to fit a filler between, you better be
pretty damned accurate.
Best to minimize the measuring tools and check one against the other to be
sore they repeat. If all are off the same amount they will all work
together. Squares are a different story. Heck, you could end up cutting a
54 degree angle when you really need a 36 degree. Then you end up with a 7
1/2 sided box.
Ed
[email protected]
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome
Ed
Ed,
You just HAD to get that 36/54 degree zinger in, didn't you!
:-)
Jack
"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> "Herman Family" <[email protected]/without_any_s/> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Is there some sort of standard for how inaccurate woodworking
> > measurements can be?
> >
> > I have been working on a fairly large and complex project and
> discovered
> > that my depth gauge was 0.02" to 0.03" off, the square disagrees ever so
> > slightly with the tape measure. This doesn't sound like much, but some
of
> > my cuts have to be very close to spec and I'm using two different
machines
> > (and measurements) to make the cuts.
>
> Depends on the cuts. if you are making a box that is 24 x 48 and the
ruler
> is off (and you use the same one every time) you could end up with a box
> that is 23 1/2 x 47 1/2 and it will look and work just fine. If you have
> two pieces of wood 3" apart and have to fit a filler between, you better
be
> pretty damned accurate.
>
> Best to minimize the measuring tools and check one against the other to be
> sore they repeat. If all are off the same amount they will all work
> together. Squares are a different story. Heck, you could end up cutting
a
> 54 degree angle when you really need a 36 degree. Then you end up with a 7
> 1/2 sided box.
> Ed
> [email protected]
> http://pages.cthome.net/edhome
>
> Ed
>
>