Postby Charles T. McCullough » Tue Apr 09, 2019 12:18 pm
Well... you can't say I didn't warn you that I'd expound on my cogitations later. It do seem to be later now.
As I stated earlier, "Measure twice, cut once" as an adage is somewhat incomplete in actual practice. Thus I found it necessary to make an addition to it... "Then buy another board."
My firm belief is that the original adage means, "Know how to measure."
My usage has always been in relation to trim carpentry. You measure twice and cut once. The first of the 'twice' measurements is when you determine how long a piece of trim is to be, by measuring where it is to go. The second of the 'twice' measurements is when you mark the trim board for cutting. Then you cut the board... assuming you know how to measure, there should be no need to measure more than twice.
Besides, when I measure more than once to determine the length of a board... I never get the same value in any pair of tries to measure. I, quite frankly, don't know HOW to measure. My mentor (father) in these endeavors would ask me how long a trim piece was needed and I'd get up on the ladder and measure the place... say I'd get 37&1/4 inches. I'd get down off the ladder and tell him what I got. He'd say, "Are you sure?" I'd get back up the ladder and measure again. Maybe this time I'd get 37&1/8 inches. I'd take my tape measure down. then put it back in place and measure again. 37&3/8 inches. Try it again and get 37&3/16, or 37 even, or 37&7/16. Dad would stare at me. I'd get down and he would pull out his folding rule, step up on the ladder and measure. Then he'd get down, mark the board, cut it and hand it to me. I'd get up on the ladder and nail the board in place and there would be no gap at either end, nor any bowing as I put it in place. PERFECT length.
I am now 73 and my mentor has been gone a long time. But I now only measure twice... I measure where the board is to go, add one inch, cut the board once, try it in place, cut the board again, try it again, cut it again, try it again, cut it once more, and then go buy another board.
I did learn a new trick, though, that has saved me a lot of money. Once the board is too short to fit, I cut it in half, nail up the two sections hard against the outer ends of where it goes, then cover the gap in the middle with some decorative plaque or keystone. Yes sir! Those little decorative elements are often a wee bit cheaper than a whole 'nother board!
Semper Vaporo,
Charles T. McCullough
Pkgs.