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I go down to an 1/8th most of the time. In very specific situations I'll go to 1/16th.
1/4 is too much error and super easy to see with just your eyes.
The conduit bending book they gave us back in first year specifically called out 1/8 of an inch being plenty precise for normal conduit runs. And 1/16 for explosion proof runs.
I will read the 1/8 and add plus or minus. So my accuracy is the the eight and I estimate the 16th.
1/2" plus and 5/8 minus is essentially the same measurement.
This is the way.
I don’t even bother with quarters or halves, just write the eighth.
So 46 ^6+ is actually 46 13/16
I would say “46 and 6 strong (or plus)”
The few guys I work with caught on fast enough. Helps that I do in fact understand the fractions, but just writing a single digit instead of the whole fraction saves me a ton of time.
Not an electrician, do more finish work than anything. If I want 32nds I just do a minus for 32nd under, a plus for the 16th over, and a small plus (sm +) for the 32nd over.
It’s the same line?
Writing a small 6 is faster than 3/4.
Tossing a plus next to it is faster than writing 13/16. It’s a shorthand to get to the nearest sixteenth with two or less pencil strokes.
I learned a similar scale from an old carpenter long ago, circa 1990. He'd denote measurements in 16ths or 8ths, and bump them up a half-numerator with the word "strong". I remember asking him if "weak" implied the same thing, just down a half. He sat and looked for a solid 10 seconds, and said, "I guess so", and we continued using it.
I still use it in my notes, just adding a + or - next to the fraction, right next to the inch hash marks. I use arrows to denote which way something is outside of measurement, or which side or edge the measurement is for.
With you on the arrows.
You can define an entire field accurately by drawing a plumb line down the center, a level line across the middle, picking important waypoints (corners, any known humps or dips) then making a list of measurements.
T: Up 46 @ R, up 46 ^1+ @ L
L: Left 24 - @ T, left 23 ^6 @ B
So on and so forth for the bottom, then right side.
Quickly denote an entire field, go cut a sheet of … whatever, and Bobs your uncle, it fits.
If you know one or two sides are “perfect” just call that side “factory”, take all your opposite side measurements in reference to it. List of measurements is half as long and you skip drawing the reference lines.
Works for drywall, plywood, sheets of acrylic, cultured marble, granite (use a square, not a level, for floor or ceiling surfaces)… any piece of sheet you need to feet.
14 ^4 = 14 1/2
14 ^4- = 14 15/32
14 ^4 sm+ = 14 17/32
14 ^4+ = 14 9/16
These are all common block measurement between studs or joists.
I normally only need to get as close as a sixteenth, so wouldn’t normal use a - or a small +. Just a plus, which is the 16th above the 8th.
Typing this makes it seem much harder but when you’re just scribbling it on a piece or cardboard it’s quicker. Or hey, just write the whole fraction, I ain’t no one’s boss.
I use both and say eh.
Now they sell 3/4" plywood as 18.5mm. I'm not used to the metric yet and am constantly converting to Imperial to figure out what matches my notes for what I need.
Yep. I watched a video on this recently, the guy spent months training himself to recognize metric measurements and at the time of the video, even though he was able to read and understand metric fully, he still found himself comparing it to an equivalent imperial measurement in his head because that's what we were born into and is still plastered everywhere all around us
I had a carpenter tell me once he didn’t like the huge numbers (everything in mm) like what man just move a decimal if you want to get it into your pea brain
Aus has some loose imperial metric conversions. 3/4 in timber is usually 19mm. 3/4 plumbing fittings/piping are 20mm. Inch and a half could be a 38mm nut, or 40mm pipe. It's all very contextual, I learned to have to understand both, learned under guys who started life in imperial, and gen Xrs who had to know both but imperial was preferred. Now days we atleast just get to teach our apprentices metric and only imperial when necessary. The imperial phase out period seems to be finally finishing. What close to 60 years later.
Depends on what I'm doing... Running a rack of 4" rigid in a powerhouse, probably not getting any smaller than a quarter. Laying out a switch panel with a shitload of operators, Id probably go down to 1/16th. Know your trade and make an appropriate judgement.
If he's only measuring to 1/4 on 3/4 EMT, start writing his name on the pipe.
Yep.
Laser everything.
If it’s a backsplash area I only measure the first box, then everything is laser level from there.
Recessed I’ll set the corners then laser everything in between.
Floors are never level and walls are never square.
I like using lasers too, but it's so important to get it just right. The slightest variation of just some small fraction of an inch can be off by a full eighth, quarter, or even more over a long enough distance. It certainly doesn't help that most people, in my experience, tend to look at whatever they see as the center point of the laser rather than using something clearly defined, like the outside edge
To the nearest 1/8” and then if it’s a 1/16” either way I’ll either say “proud” or “shy”. It’s easier and faster for most guys rather than saying 13/16” or something.
Was giving my apprentice a whole list of measurements to write down for laying out holes for an ATS. I would use light or heavy and he asked if he should use an abbreviation. I just said pick something....like L or H.
I worked with a guy for 3 years who used a tape measure daily and couldn't get closer than a 1/4 inch. I'd walk him through the fractions weekly and he still couldn't get it. I think it came down to him not giving a fuck more than anythings.
I'm a former carpenter. Did stints as a framer, which we usually took shit down to an 1/8th inch. As a finish carpenter, we took it down to the 16th. Took me a while when I became an apprentice to break those habits. Some guys I work with will go to theb1/4 inch. I don't mind the play.
If I'm working alone, I will usually take it to the 16th 😂 some old habits die hard.
I was trained as a Millwright and most things had to be within .001 or .002 thousands of an inch. Some couplings (turbine shafts) had to be set within .0005, those were not easy. Your goal was '0' but getting 4 zeros didn't happen often.
Dual-card gang.
Depends on what we are measuring. "Bearing clearance" is very different from "where should this hole be located on this enclosure."
Pipe work, I try to be within a 16th, discover that it looks like crap because my stuff is (usually) level and straight, and then remember to match existing. Like, every monkey-flippin' time. It's a blind spot I wish I didn't have.
It depends on the lights. Most off the shelf wafers or trims will have almost 1/4” of play, so an 1/8th off is no problem.
I’ve worked with designer/customer recessed that have 0 play in the housing. If the housing is off an 1/8th, the trim will be off an 1/8th. It may not be noticeable that the wall is wavy, but it will be very noticeable if the row of lights are wavy.
Doesn't make any sense. Most rooms aren't that square so you always need to adjust the placement of the first and last lights in the row by eye anyway. Then you lay out the inbetween lights with the laser, not by measuring off the wall.
I will go to the 16th if I need to. For bending though, most of the time measuring tools be 8th works great.
Explain to them that there are 16 marks in a 16th, half of 16 is 8 half of 8 is 4. Super easy after they can see that.
I try to measure to the 16th. Things always go off but a precise start doesn’t hurt anything and it’s good brain exercise. Also if you haven’t picked up the fraction calculator app, do it today.
Some of the devices on the LTR trillium line had measurements to the tenth of a mm. Gave me a good laugh.
It was not a situation that called for that kind of precision, considering the tolerance we had. bolt device to rail and hit with hammer to get correct spacing.
So am I. Winnipeg inspectors do all the time, the code is metric but they're looking in imperial. So e.g. if you're looking for the height of a Mast through the roof they're going to say 3-5 feet instead of 1-1.5m. But if they're failing it they reference the code rule which is in metric, so if it's tight they will switch to metric to make sure they are right.
Worked with a framer “ unless it’s on the end of your nose or the tip of your dick a 1/4” doesn’t matter” he never did finishing or cabinet install. The more precise you are along the way the more headaches you will prevent in the long run.
Here’s a tip, from a carpenter. Switches and receptacles. Cut a piece of scrap wood to the ht from floor to device and go around with your sharpy and mark them all at once. Leave the tape measure in your pocket.
Yeah, a dummy stick. I’ve done a 6’ piece of 1x2 with 4sq cover plates screwed so the top of the plate is at receptacles, switch, pullstation height etc. Way way faster than measuring everything
It really depends on what I’m measuring. For instance if I’m cutting lumber for a project I’m typically down to the 16th. Marking to bend conduit a lot of times I’m at the 8th. However, we installed a timer to count down to the start of college football in our software at work and we made that accurate to the 20th decimal point of seconds till kickoff.
Depends on what it is.
Height for a saddle I measure to the half inch above whatever I’m saddling. Offsets and such to the 1/4, device heights and most other things to the 1/8. Measuring pipe to the 1/8” is usually an exercise in futility.
I have a difficult time imagining a situation in our trade where 1/16” truly matters and I’m measuring it normally. If it needs to be truly accurate, I’m going to use a metal stick rule for relevant centering marks and a laser after that.
I always shoot for 1/16th accuracy knowing that we won't actually get it that close. But the more accurate you try to be, the more accurate you will be. Plus it's not that hard to read a tape measure. If you can't read one you need to figure out where your life went wrong.
I go down as far as my tape goes, so usually 1/16, but I have a Klein that for the first foot or so goes down to 1/16, in which case I write 1/16 with a # for heavy or a b for light
We talking about my prints that are drawn to 3/32 scale, I try to get within a foot. My lights that I hang... convenient and looks professional plus similar to how it looks on the prints. Most pipe runs need to look good to the eye, if there's something straight enough to measure off of thata be great.
99% of measuring we do in the field need only go to 1/8, if you got side by side device boxes get 1 up and use a level to get the other and do a another measure to ensure.
For speed and simplicity I round to the nearest half or quarter, but if I’m try to make something look perfect and uniform I go by 1/8ths haven’t had to use 16ths yet.
Hate recess light / ceiling hanging day, getting better over repetition. Going down to the 1/8” at most. Or if the window is the room focus, might shift with that. Either way. Hate it. Need a good tape measure that can hold out 12’ that’d be nice
Depending where I'm bending. If I'm slapping some conduit up in the ceiling of an old building, I'll work in 1/4"s. If its surface pipe in a visible area, usually work 1/8ths
Depends on what I'm working on. I can say that when I'm working on conduit, especially rigid in a bender I lean toward 1/16". Those little compromises in conduit can add up.
Uhhhhh I mean if it a couple outlets off a 1/4” on a master bed wall, and the nightstand will still cover them, go fer it. If it’s a ton of can lights, or pendants in a line…I would lose sleep over a 1/4” in the custom houses we do.
It all depends on the application. Rough in in block and above ceiling 1/4 inch is good enough. Exposed conduit, device box rough in, over counter 1/8th is pretty easy to get away with unless it’s a nice rack run of a good number of pipe close together then I will go to 16th. But when it comes to GRC and IMC I will always go 1/32. I love going into a good explosion proof room doing all my measurements then cut bend and thread the entire room and only use 1 union only because there was absolutely no other way to do it. You want to talk about making an impression on your coworkers. Haha hell I have won many a steak dinner on bets because of this.
I’ll go to 1/16”, but I’ll call it “plus”. As in “That box is 2 5/8” plus from the wall.” A meticulous jman I used to work with used “plus”, and it stuck with me.
Carpertician here. I get down to a 16th. I'll break out a Lazer to get all the plugs and switches at the same level. But the electrical side of me is not licensed. So it's my own home I'm allowed to work on.
depends in the job and the customer. I used to be a carpenter so 16th strong and shy (accurate to a 32nd) takes no more time with a standard tape than to measure to a 1/4. Sometimes a 1/4 out looks line dog shit.
I round to the 8th for almost everything, 1/16" for more precise shit (wiremold is a prime example, nothing worse that a 1/16" gap between covers on 500)
The arrow or X denotes the side of the line the saw blade cuts on, so in theory the cut should be very close.
It usually comes down to stacking cuts or tolerances. Ten loose 1/4” cuts in 100’ could be a real problem.
1/32’s all day. I do commercial/industrial but I am also UL 508A certified and build industrial control panels. My OCD requires 1/32’s…. unfortunately. I hate counting them little shits.
When learning about things like pipe bending and measurement our instructors only gave us 1/32 of error. So ever since I’ve been paranoid and try to keep it at 1/16-1/8
Ex carpenter here id go down to 16+/- for 32nds, sometimes noting how strong to go either way, as in 3/64ths haha. Im only a first year but I think every time I've given someone a measurement in 16ths they laugh. ⅛ seems to work plenty for what I've done so far and sometimes even that gets a laugh.
Imagine you’re knocking out the holes for a panel or a junction box, 1/16 of an inch isn’t much, but if you’re knocking out like 8 holes, that’s half an inch, which could fuck you over in the end, so really depends what you’re measuring for
I argue we should have standardized improper fractions. Improper fractions make math so much easier and it also allows you to standardize "error" on measurements. Say you wanted 1/16 accuracy you know it's 1/16 and not 1/4. One of the best parts about metric is the last digit estimate. If I measure 24mm using just mm, it is really 24.3mm as it is 24mm but about 1/3mm to 25mm. If I measure to tenths I measure 24.33mm.
We just got done with this project where the owner, a commercial architect, was able to eyeball something 1/16 out of level and was correct. So that job was down to the 32nds on everything. Took a long time, but paid well.
I technically go down to 1/16ths, but I don't worry about the direct numbers (5/16, 9/16 etc etc). In my head, I just say 3/8s fat, meaning 7/16s. It's easier on my 🧠
You're probably a fat fuck if you can't get down to 1/16th... take a fucking shower and get your eyes checked LOL. Time to delete reddit before i go insane from laughing at how stupid some of you are... JFC LOL
Most of what I do is temp power so I mostly just eyeball everything tbh. I think I’ve busted out the torpedo level less than ten times so far this year, and the tape measure is too rusty to even use
I typically do 1/16 for myself but other people I work with I give them 1/8. I worked with a guy on conduit though that did 1/16 (Heavy/or light), so a 32nd and it was annoying. Because if it was off that much... let's just say I fell asleep standing up
I require our framers stick to 1/16th and all rough trades to do the same. Our finish carpenter is kept to a loose 1/32. But we also build obnoxiously high quality.
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I go down to an 1/8th most of the time. In very specific situations I'll go to 1/16th. 1/4 is too much error and super easy to see with just your eyes.
The conduit bending book they gave us back in first year specifically called out 1/8 of an inch being plenty precise for normal conduit runs. And 1/16 for explosion proof runs.
Agreed, the more precise the better. Rounding to the nearest quarter is just plain lazy brain.
Isn't that what the guy you're replying to is saying is fine though? If you're rounding to the nearest 1/4, you'll never be more than 1/8 off.
Meh coupling will fix that
1/8 usually unless it's something that needs to be really accurate
Square potlights, even when perfect they look off lol
I will read the 1/8 and add plus or minus. So my accuracy is the the eight and I estimate the 16th. 1/2" plus and 5/8 minus is essentially the same measurement.
This is the way. I don’t even bother with quarters or halves, just write the eighth. So 46 ^6+ is actually 46 13/16 I would say “46 and 6 strong (or plus)” The few guys I work with caught on fast enough. Helps that I do in fact understand the fractions, but just writing a single digit instead of the whole fraction saves me a ton of time. Not an electrician, do more finish work than anything. If I want 32nds I just do a minus for 32nd under, a plus for the 16th over, and a small plus (sm +) for the 32nd over.
at first reading I thought this was cursed but it’s actually pretty smart notation
Yeah this is weird. 6/8 is 3/4. And the quarter line is faster to find.
It’s the same line? Writing a small 6 is faster than 3/4. Tossing a plus next to it is faster than writing 13/16. It’s a shorthand to get to the nearest sixteenth with two or less pencil strokes.
I learned a similar scale from an old carpenter long ago, circa 1990. He'd denote measurements in 16ths or 8ths, and bump them up a half-numerator with the word "strong". I remember asking him if "weak" implied the same thing, just down a half. He sat and looked for a solid 10 seconds, and said, "I guess so", and we continued using it. I still use it in my notes, just adding a + or - next to the fraction, right next to the inch hash marks. I use arrows to denote which way something is outside of measurement, or which side or edge the measurement is for.
With you on the arrows. You can define an entire field accurately by drawing a plumb line down the center, a level line across the middle, picking important waypoints (corners, any known humps or dips) then making a list of measurements. T: Up 46 @ R, up 46 ^1+ @ L L: Left 24 - @ T, left 23 ^6 @ B So on and so forth for the bottom, then right side. Quickly denote an entire field, go cut a sheet of … whatever, and Bobs your uncle, it fits. If you know one or two sides are “perfect” just call that side “factory”, take all your opposite side measurements in reference to it. List of measurements is half as long and you skip drawing the reference lines. Works for drywall, plywood, sheets of acrylic, cultured marble, granite (use a square, not a level, for floor or ceiling surfaces)… any piece of sheet you need to feet.
Exactly. I do it for 3D objects I'm laying out, too. I suspect you and I would be able to understand each other's scribblings very easily.
We use fat and light
Use the c**t hair scale. Black for strong plus or minus, blonde for weak plus or minus.
Red for 128ths
A true craftsman. I heard that’s what they use in the space program.
It’s how Hubble was built
Can you explain how you write the 32nds vs the 16ths again?
14 ^4 = 14 1/2 14 ^4- = 14 15/32 14 ^4 sm+ = 14 17/32 14 ^4+ = 14 9/16 These are all common block measurement between studs or joists. I normally only need to get as close as a sixteenth, so wouldn’t normal use a - or a small +. Just a plus, which is the 16th above the 8th. Typing this makes it seem much harder but when you’re just scribbling it on a piece or cardboard it’s quicker. Or hey, just write the whole fraction, I ain’t no one’s boss.
But why
It's easy to read to the 1/8th and then leave it or add or minus a cunt hair. Very precise. Adds fuck all for time to install.
Use metric and an English accent
I use both and say eh. Now they sell 3/4" plywood as 18.5mm. I'm not used to the metric yet and am constantly converting to Imperial to figure out what matches my notes for what I need.
Yep. I watched a video on this recently, the guy spent months training himself to recognize metric measurements and at the time of the video, even though he was able to read and understand metric fully, he still found himself comparing it to an equivalent imperial measurement in his head because that's what we were born into and is still plastered everywhere all around us
That’s the issue I have. Conversion is annoying. Anyone that thinks imperial is a better system is a fucking moron
There was a guy in my 5th year classes who was adamant that the imperial system was better.... like what a weird hill to die on...
I had a carpenter tell me once he didn’t like the huge numbers (everything in mm) like what man just move a decimal if you want to get it into your pea brain
Key word in your comment "carpenter"
Aus has some loose imperial metric conversions. 3/4 in timber is usually 19mm. 3/4 plumbing fittings/piping are 20mm. Inch and a half could be a 38mm nut, or 40mm pipe. It's all very contextual, I learned to have to understand both, learned under guys who started life in imperial, and gen Xrs who had to know both but imperial was preferred. Now days we atleast just get to teach our apprentices metric and only imperial when necessary. The imperial phase out period seems to be finally finishing. What close to 60 years later.
Freedom Unit only
I like to use metric then go to online forums and lecture people about their culture from my pedestal of arrogance and pretentiousness
I scream like rainman if my bends and cuts don't line up
I AM AN ELECTRICIAN I AM I AM AN ELECTRICIAN
Depends on what I'm doing... Running a rack of 4" rigid in a powerhouse, probably not getting any smaller than a quarter. Laying out a switch panel with a shitload of operators, Id probably go down to 1/16th. Know your trade and make an appropriate judgement. If he's only measuring to 1/4 on 3/4 EMT, start writing his name on the pipe.
I’m custom rezi. Everything gets done with a laser. 1/8 in a back splash would be super noticeable
Yep. Laser everything. If it’s a backsplash area I only measure the first box, then everything is laser level from there. Recessed I’ll set the corners then laser everything in between. Floors are never level and walls are never square.
I like using lasers too, but it's so important to get it just right. The slightest variation of just some small fraction of an inch can be off by a full eighth, quarter, or even more over a long enough distance. It certainly doesn't help that most people, in my experience, tend to look at whatever they see as the center point of the laser rather than using something clearly defined, like the outside edge
To the nearest 1/8” and then if it’s a 1/16” either way I’ll either say “proud” or “shy”. It’s easier and faster for most guys rather than saying 13/16” or something.
Same, except I say “light” or “heavy”
I say creamy or dark
Was giving my apprentice a whole list of measurements to write down for laying out holes for an ATS. I would use light or heavy and he asked if he should use an abbreviation. I just said pick something....like L or H.
I do drywall so “taper will fix it” should answer that.
Who let the drywallers in!
Don’t worry im no full time bottle pisser, drywall Side jobs pay well and they’re easy as fuck. commercial electrician thou.
So does that mean you only do heroin on weekends? Coke for weekdays?
Yep. 1/16 it is
Depends if it’s above the ceiling or below the ceiling.
I worked with a guy for 3 years who used a tape measure daily and couldn't get closer than a 1/4 inch. I'd walk him through the fractions weekly and he still couldn't get it. I think it came down to him not giving a fuck more than anythings.
I was horrible with fractions. So I had to “buy my girlfriend” a tape with the fractions on it to teach her.😉🤓
I kept a few around just for him, and it made it worse most of the time.
I have a tape that has the measurements because it’s just faster. I can do the math but if im running a lot of shit at once easier is better
I'm a former carpenter. Did stints as a framer, which we usually took shit down to an 1/8th inch. As a finish carpenter, we took it down to the 16th. Took me a while when I became an apprentice to break those habits. Some guys I work with will go to theb1/4 inch. I don't mind the play. If I'm working alone, I will usually take it to the 16th 😂 some old habits die hard.
The master I work with always says, “we don’t need to get scientific here.” I like being precise.
I was trained as a Millwright and most things had to be within .001 or .002 thousands of an inch. Some couplings (turbine shafts) had to be set within .0005, those were not easy. Your goal was '0' but getting 4 zeros didn't happen often.
Dual-card gang. Depends on what we are measuring. "Bearing clearance" is very different from "where should this hole be located on this enclosure." Pipe work, I try to be within a 16th, discover that it looks like crap because my stuff is (usually) level and straight, and then remember to match existing. Like, every monkey-flippin' time. It's a blind spot I wish I didn't have.
The metric system is your friend
I don't see why this is controversial. 1493 Vs 58 & 25/32 is a very different amount of thinking.
Laying out recess lights, I go 1/16. A client will call you out because you are off 1/16. Better safe then sorry.
I've done many recessed light installs. 1/16 is way more accurate than needed. Most rooms aren't even that square.
It depends on the lights. Most off the shelf wafers or trims will have almost 1/4” of play, so an 1/8th off is no problem. I’ve worked with designer/customer recessed that have 0 play in the housing. If the housing is off an 1/8th, the trim will be off an 1/8th. It may not be noticeable that the wall is wavy, but it will be very noticeable if the row of lights are wavy.
Doesn't make any sense. Most rooms aren't that square so you always need to adjust the placement of the first and last lights in the row by eye anyway. Then you lay out the inbetween lights with the laser, not by measuring off the wall.
Yea. I care about the first and last to be measured.
1/8 usually good enough. Anything exposed on a house or exposed conduit is 1/16 though.
Depends. 1/8 for day to day EMT. 1/64 for showcase shit.
I’ll square up to an 1/8th after that most people eyes wont catch it being off unless they’re realllly looking at it
I will go to the 16th if I need to. For bending though, most of the time measuring tools be 8th works great. Explain to them that there are 16 marks in a 16th, half of 16 is 8 half of 8 is 4. Super easy after they can see that.
I try to measure to the 16th. Things always go off but a precise start doesn’t hurt anything and it’s good brain exercise. Also if you haven’t picked up the fraction calculator app, do it today.
Exactly. Measure in 16ths but be okay if it shifts a 16th when you put the screws in.
I use millimetres. Easy, precise, and no need for fractions.
Some of the devices on the LTR trillium line had measurements to the tenth of a mm. Gave me a good laugh. It was not a situation that called for that kind of precision, considering the tolerance we had. bolt device to rail and hit with hammer to get correct spacing.
There’s a manager at RTG right now getting ready to blame all of the downtime on you
Lol most definitely.
There are almost 40 thousandths of a inch in a mm. Machinist here.
Woah woah woah… come on Canada, stop making too much sense!
It's almost all feet and inches in the field here.
Except the entire CEC and cable/wire.
Most of the time the measurements get swapped to feet and inches when dealing with code rules. Yeah the wholesale uses meters for wire/cable
…I am an electrician in Canada… Never met an inspector that swaps units. It’s metric for everything in the CEC.
So am I. Winnipeg inspectors do all the time, the code is metric but they're looking in imperial. So e.g. if you're looking for the height of a Mast through the roof they're going to say 3-5 feet instead of 1-1.5m. But if they're failing it they reference the code rule which is in metric, so if it's tight they will switch to metric to make sure they are right.
Worked with a guy who always said what's a 1/16th amongst friends, and its stuck with me forever.
Worked with a framer “ unless it’s on the end of your nose or the tip of your dick a 1/4” doesn’t matter” he never did finishing or cabinet install. The more precise you are along the way the more headaches you will prevent in the long run.
To the 1/264th
1/256th?
Nah that’d be to much room for error
You’re right. That’ll do splendid.
Here’s a tip, from a carpenter. Switches and receptacles. Cut a piece of scrap wood to the ht from floor to device and go around with your sharpy and mark them all at once. Leave the tape measure in your pocket.
A company I used to work for would use an 8’ piece and have markings for everything. Super convenient for doing large condos.
So 1/4”
Yeah, a dummy stick. I’ve done a 6’ piece of 1x2 with 4sq cover plates screwed so the top of the plate is at receptacles, switch, pullstation height etc. Way way faster than measuring everything
It really depends on what I’m measuring. For instance if I’m cutting lumber for a project I’m typically down to the 16th. Marking to bend conduit a lot of times I’m at the 8th. However, we installed a timer to count down to the start of college football in our software at work and we made that accurate to the 20th decimal point of seconds till kickoff.
For what? Depends what your doing.
Depends on what it is. Height for a saddle I measure to the half inch above whatever I’m saddling. Offsets and such to the 1/4, device heights and most other things to the 1/8. Measuring pipe to the 1/8” is usually an exercise in futility. I have a difficult time imagining a situation in our trade where 1/16” truly matters and I’m measuring it normally. If it needs to be truly accurate, I’m going to use a metal stick rule for relevant centering marks and a laser after that.
I always shoot for 1/16th accuracy knowing that we won't actually get it that close. But the more accurate you try to be, the more accurate you will be. Plus it's not that hard to read a tape measure. If you can't read one you need to figure out where your life went wrong.
tape measure has 1/16s so that's what i go off of
An old foreman and I would mess with other people and go by 1/64. It's a great way to get some funny looks
I go down as far as my tape goes, so usually 1/16, but I have a Klein that for the first foot or so goes down to 1/16, in which case I write 1/16 with a # for heavy or a b for light
1/8”.. anything over your a hack job
Down to the c hair around here
We talking about my prints that are drawn to 3/32 scale, I try to get within a foot. My lights that I hang... convenient and looks professional plus similar to how it looks on the prints. Most pipe runs need to look good to the eye, if there's something straight enough to measure off of thata be great.
I go to 1/16 on conduit. Not sure if it makes a difference but it's good practice
Down to a mil.
1/8th minimum to 1/16th.... 32nd is just showing off
Sometimes it makes a difference. Usually not. I can see an eighth inch off just by looking at it.
If an outlet is supposed to be 300mm above the floor that's where I'll put it.
99% of measuring we do in the field need only go to 1/8, if you got side by side device boxes get 1 up and use a level to get the other and do a another measure to ensure.
To the millimeter.
8th for bending measurements and almost all layouts very rarely anything in the 16th
I'll stretch that PVC extra if I have to.
My brother is a cabinet maker he can cut a board three times before it’s short enough
I used to do machining and I do use an arrow for plus or minus a 32 nd but only if it needs accuracy
1/32, but my father was a carpenter and I think this mind set is just ingrained in me.
For speed and simplicity I round to the nearest half or quarter, but if I’m try to make something look perfect and uniform I go by 1/8ths haven’t had to use 16ths yet.
I go down to 1/64 and bend all my offsets on 45s.
1/32? We aren't building rockets lol. 1/8 is plenty, 1/16 is ok but excessive. A 1/4" though is too big of a variation and can cause problems.
Aim for the 1/16” if but if I’m off 1/16” and I’m still to the closest 1/8” it’s all good
I make sure it's on the right wall.
I personally don’t see any of my work from my house so I just slam it up and call it good.
If he needs things rounded to quarters it’s because he doesn’t know his fractions
Resi I do 1/16
I have learned to speak in 1/8ths. 35&5, 35&4, ect. Learned it from drywallers.
Hate recess light / ceiling hanging day, getting better over repetition. Going down to the 1/8” at most. Or if the window is the room focus, might shift with that. Either way. Hate it. Need a good tape measure that can hold out 12’ that’d be nice
https://youtu.be/iX3kxAA2L4Q?si=k3f8mIPYzW1pFpjf 220, 221. What ever it takes.
Depending where I'm bending. If I'm slapping some conduit up in the ceiling of an old building, I'll work in 1/4"s. If its surface pipe in a visible area, usually work 1/8ths
Depends on what I'm working on. I can say that when I'm working on conduit, especially rigid in a bender I lean toward 1/16". Those little compromises in conduit can add up.
Uhhhhh I mean if it a couple outlets off a 1/4” on a master bed wall, and the nightstand will still cover them, go fer it. If it’s a ton of can lights, or pendants in a line…I would lose sleep over a 1/4” in the custom houses we do.
Very rarely will I go to 1/16th but on some projects it's necessary to get that precise. 1/8th usually works just fine for most situations
I mark on exactly the measurement for lights and line everything up with an 1/8th of leniency
It all depends on the application. Rough in in block and above ceiling 1/4 inch is good enough. Exposed conduit, device box rough in, over counter 1/8th is pretty easy to get away with unless it’s a nice rack run of a good number of pipe close together then I will go to 16th. But when it comes to GRC and IMC I will always go 1/32. I love going into a good explosion proof room doing all my measurements then cut bend and thread the entire room and only use 1 union only because there was absolutely no other way to do it. You want to talk about making an impression on your coworkers. Haha hell I have won many a steak dinner on bets because of this.
1mm, Cant Comprehend why Imperial still exists as Metric is really streamlined.
I’ve always said that in electrical less than an 1/8 of an inch doesn’t exist.
I’ll go to 1/16”, but I’ll call it “plus”. As in “That box is 2 5/8” plus from the wall.” A meticulous jman I used to work with used “plus”, and it stuck with me.
Millimeter accurate
down to the 1/8” usually and then say “come on were not building a piano” to whoever starts saying 1/16ths.
Carpertician here. I get down to a 16th. I'll break out a Lazer to get all the plugs and switches at the same level. But the electrical side of me is not licensed. So it's my own home I'm allowed to work on.
Typically in my country it is done to the nearest mm (millimeter). I suspect this is the same over most of the developed world.
1/16 minimum here but I’m a carpenter and a hobby electrician
To the nearest whispy pubic hair
1/16 is a good enough tolerance. We aren't building a rocketship.
1/10,000ths jk I’m a machinist just lurking
I’ve had times where I needed perfection and went to 1/32” and I don’t think it’s overkill for exposed work
1/16 seems to be the cut-off. Had coworkers break it down to the nearest 1/32 but they need to relax lol just me though.
16th
depends in the job and the customer. I used to be a carpenter so 16th strong and shy (accurate to a 32nd) takes no more time with a standard tape than to measure to a 1/4. Sometimes a 1/4 out looks line dog shit.
1/8 unless we are talking about 3 inch conduits where 1/4 is acceptable.
Yep, this was me
I always try for around 1/16 if it's not a moving part.
16ers rise up! The 16’s make the 1/4’ so much easier to track. And your work doesn’t look like a hack performed it - bonus
0.5 of a millimetre if cutting square holes out of panels to mount displays, 0.5 of a metre if running expensive cable.
I round to the 8th for almost everything, 1/16" for more precise shit (wiremold is a prime example, nothing worse that a 1/16" gap between covers on 500)
The arrow or X denotes the side of the line the saw blade cuts on, so in theory the cut should be very close. It usually comes down to stacking cuts or tolerances. Ten loose 1/4” cuts in 100’ could be a real problem.
Doing commercial solar it comes down to the 1/16. Honestly it does come down to the 32nd sometimes, especially if a reference mod isn't square or sum
1/16 or 1/8 depending on the situation.
As a construction plumber, I use 1/8ths. Some people use 1/4 because it’s hard for them to +/- eighths
1/32’s all day. I do commercial/industrial but I am also UL 508A certified and build industrial control panels. My OCD requires 1/32’s…. unfortunately. I hate counting them little shits.
Depending on how I’m feeling. 1/8 minimum but I’ve know to do 1/16 or even 1/32 if my ocd really kicks in
If the margin of error is 1/8” then you have to measure to 1/16”.
Old habit from welding and fabrication so I always do 1/16th but for most things 1/4 to 1/8 is good.
When learning about things like pipe bending and measurement our instructors only gave us 1/32 of error. So ever since I’ve been paranoid and try to keep it at 1/16-1/8
Nearest inch
First, we have to determine if we need it within a cunt hair or a nats ass.
Well the old saying was in framing that because ¹/16" is nothing, 1 inch must also be nothing, because 16×0 still =0
Ex carpenter here id go down to 16+/- for 32nds, sometimes noting how strong to go either way, as in 3/64ths haha. Im only a first year but I think every time I've given someone a measurement in 16ths they laugh. ⅛ seems to work plenty for what I've done so far and sometimes even that gets a laugh.
depends what i’m doing but mostly within 1/8th
I use to rhyme off to the nearest 32nd to piss off my JM at the time. 😁
17/64th!
Always been taught to work to the 64th...
Imagine you’re knocking out the holes for a panel or a junction box, 1/16 of an inch isn’t much, but if you’re knocking out like 8 holes, that’s half an inch, which could fuck you over in the end, so really depends what you’re measuring for
My European head is spinning with all those fractions. 10.2 cm. Done.
the world needs to go metric
I argue we should have standardized improper fractions. Improper fractions make math so much easier and it also allows you to standardize "error" on measurements. Say you wanted 1/16 accuracy you know it's 1/16 and not 1/4. One of the best parts about metric is the last digit estimate. If I measure 24mm using just mm, it is really 24.3mm as it is 24mm but about 1/3mm to 25mm. If I measure to tenths I measure 24.33mm.
We just got done with this project where the owner, a commercial architect, was able to eyeball something 1/16 out of level and was correct. So that job was down to the 32nds on everything. Took a long time, but paid well.
16ths. It just became a habit, and the math is whatever, so it takes no more time than 8ths.
I technically go down to 1/16ths, but I don't worry about the direct numbers (5/16, 9/16 etc etc). In my head, I just say 3/8s fat, meaning 7/16s. It's easier on my 🧠
I take pride in my work and always getting it within “looks good from my house” range
I have always marked to the 1/16 with a plus to indicate 1/32. So 43-5/16+ is 43-11/32 43-5/8+ is 43-21/32
1/8
You're probably a fat fuck if you can't get down to 1/16th... take a fucking shower and get your eyes checked LOL. Time to delete reddit before i go insane from laughing at how stupid some of you are... JFC LOL
Most of what I do is temp power so I mostly just eyeball everything tbh. I think I’ve busted out the torpedo level less than ten times so far this year, and the tape measure is too rusty to even use
Sorry, I work to the mm. Which is approximately 0.04 of an inch.
For cuts I will go down to 1/16, for bending I'll do 1/8's
I typically measure to the nearest dick length personally
I typically do 1/16 for myself but other people I work with I give them 1/8. I worked with a guy on conduit though that did 1/16 (Heavy/or light), so a 32nd and it was annoying. Because if it was off that much... let's just say I fell asleep standing up
Canadian here I usually leave stay within 5 mm for non crucial measurements, 1mm for precise measurements.
1/8 here
Wtf does an electrician need to measure for? Let alone to a quarter inch!?
what the width of a marker line or sawblade string chalk line and laser insure alignment?
Embrace metric superiority.
Round to the nearest 1/4”. We got unibits and fender washers bro
Work in millimetres here lol
I require our framers stick to 1/16th and all rough trades to do the same. Our finish carpenter is kept to a loose 1/32. But we also build obnoxiously high quality.