www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

dewaltdisney wrote:I am glad I am not the only one who still reads off in Imperial.

DWD

I use both Imperial and Metric depending on the situation, as a f'rinstance, metric is far simpler for both roofing and balustrading calculations.

It can also depend on who I'm working with at the time, some of the youngsters haven't a clue about Imperial.

It's all in the past now anyway I'm pleased to say.

Very frustrating.

I made a kids bed to fit in a box room recently, it was fitted wall to wall so needed to be the right size.

I measured twice to be sure, made sure walls were square, marked the length on a piece of wood, cut it to size, marked the next length based on this one (I know, poor form). I made the bed, prepared the room and dragged the bed up the stairs only for it to be 20cm too long

After much head scratching, measuring and swearing it turns out I cut on a different pencil mark, one that I didn't know was there. Wood was collected from the merchant that morning and I had not drawn it so no idea where it came from.

Back down the stairs, taking half the landing plaster and paint with me before fixing my mistake. Only small mercy was that it was too big and not too small.

dewaltdisney wrote:I am glad I am not the only one who still reads off in Imperial.

DWD

on my plans i do both usually inches with[ mm ]in brackets
this does 2 things it allows almost instant conversions in your head without thinking and iff it looks wrong you check both mm and inches agree

lake wrote:Thanks guys....just needed to vent, in some way!

I cant make it right, in my mind, by adding some thing or adapting some thing else.... I will have to re-make the doors.

I am waiting on the clients call back after speaking to them and telling them that it is wrong and it is my fault. (they did notice it and chatted about it)
They are nice folk....and may 'live' with the 8mm motorway between their doors?
Not sure I can though??

I don't like "bodging" myself but a well made repair, or a "get around" is fair enough in the real commercial world where time and materials are money.
As already said by several here, I'd find a way to either hide a fix properly, or make a feature of it. No shame in that to my way of thinking.

ayjay wrote:

Grendel wrote:Most of my mistakes come from reading the tape or rule upside down

I've been known have a little knobhead moment every now and again when a tape is upside down: say I want a measurement of 54-5/8", I'll go to 54" and instead of then moving on another 5/8 and marking it, I go backwards instead and end up with 53- 3/8".

Other than that I'm perfect of course.

Yeah , got that tee shirt

ayjay wrote:

dewaltdisney wrote:I am glad I am not the only one who still reads off in Imperial.

DWD

I use both Imperial and Metric depending on the situation,

Yep do that too , sometimes even mixing the measurements to what fits best so I may cut something say 15 1/2, x 650mm . I'd use cubits if I had a tape marked with them.
Always remember one incident where a site agent asked me to go and measure something for him. Went back to the office and told him it was such and such in inches.
"Inchs?" he said "what size is it in metric?"
I looked at him , paused a little , and said "the same" .

Dave54 wrote:I don't like "bodging" myself but a well made repair, or a "get around" is fair enough in the real commercial world where time and materials are money.

My old man, bless him, used to say that the real difference between an amateur and a professional is that a pro knows how to work around his mistakes - whilst getting paid from them. I always reckon that a few "corrected oversights" add a bit of character to a piece In fact I have a whole house full of hand-crafted character pieces (or as 'er indoors' cousin, a 'murrican, would say - my house is furnished in early dog)

Job and Knock wrote:

Dave54 wrote:I don't like "bodging" myself but a well made repair, or a "get around" is fair enough in the real commercial world where time and materials are money.

My old man, bless him, used to say that the real difference between an amateur and a professional is that a pro knows how to work around his mistakes - whilst getting paid from them. I always reckon that a few "corrected oversights" add a bit of character to a piece In fact I have a whole house full of hand-crafted character pieces (or as 'er indoors' cousin, a 'murrican, would say - my house is furnished in early dog)

And wood in particular, being an organic material, always likes to store up one or two little "surprises" on a job.
And always with the bit that you're stretched to match.
And that's aside from measuring "backwards" when working with the measuring stick upside down.
Which of course I've never done! No Sir! Not ever!

Grendel wrote:Most of my mistakes come from reading the tape or rule upside down

You want one of these https://www.toolstation.com/search?search=advent a vice-versa tape. I got one but I had to google the name of it Fecking dementia.

Ooh that's so simple it's brilliant.
Now then , once upon a time I worked with a guy who had an accident with his tape and lost something like the first seventeen inches off his tape. Ok so he got a new one the following week but for that week he had to manage or we had to manage . Only the odd mistake but if there was a tape which started at 17" ....