The metal tip at the end of your tape measure is a little bit loose for a reason.
The first inch of the tape is short by 1/16 of an inch.
This isn’t an error -- it’s meant to provide you with accurate readings whether you’re measuring the inside or outside edge of a surface.
This feature is known as “true zero”.
The metal tip is exactly 1/16 of an inch thick.
If you’re measuring the outside of a surface and hook your metal end on the edge, that metal piece will shift out and create a gap, so that you aren’t counting it in your measurement.
And if you need to measure the inside of a surface – like in a window frame, you want to count the thickness of the metal piece in your calculations.
Thus, the metal piece will shift back to fill the gap.
Always take care to pull or push your tape so that it’s taut to take advantage of the true zero feature.
https://social.vmbrasseur.com/@vmbrasseur/113460358497602611
Chuck Darwin /
npub19n…xt4wf
2024-11-10 20:54:07
Author Public Key
npub19ncnrqv5jlr30yecrmz2q8vkazglh6gemx8qsmcd78hh5pdstnysrxt4wfPublished at
2024-11-10 20:54:07Event JSON
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"content": "The metal tip at the end of your tape measure is a little bit loose for a reason. \nThe first inch of the tape is short by 1/16 of an inch. \nThis isn’t an error -- it’s meant to provide you with accurate readings whether you’re measuring the inside or outside edge of a surface. \nThis feature is known as “true zero”.\n\nThe metal tip is exactly 1/16 of an inch thick. \nIf you’re measuring the outside of a surface and hook your metal end on the edge, that metal piece will shift out and create a gap, so that you aren’t counting it in your measurement.\n\nAnd if you need to measure the inside of a surface – like in a window frame, you want to count the thickness of the metal piece in your calculations. \nThus, the metal piece will shift back to fill the gap. \nAlways take care to pull or push your tape so that it’s taut to take advantage of the true zero feature.\n\nhttps://social.vmbrasseur.com/@vmbrasseur/113460358497602611",
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