Ivan
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 07:57 AM |
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Any others out there suffer from "Measureitis"
I have come to the conclusion that I have a severe case of measureitis - every time I measure something the result is different - measure twice and
cut once definitely doesn't work for me  Its more a case of measure five times cut oversize then sand and grind until it fits and then it
still ends up wrong
And as for drilling matching holes - no chance unless I make them slightly over size.
I'm glad I never chose to be a precision machinist - I'd still be restricted to collecting the swarf for others.
And now another problem - I can't read verniers any more without a magnifying glass - guess I will have to invest in some digital measuring
instruments even if their ownership won't help my problem.
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 08:22 AM |
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Yeah I think I've measured one thing in my life that's been right when I cut it
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femster87
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 08:22 AM |
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Thats definitely me. I can seem to get a cut right at the first go. So i end up cutting it bigger and trimming as I go along with several trips
between the worktop and trial fitting the item am cutting
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dhutch
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 08:32 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Ivan Its more a case of measure five times cut oversize then sand and grind until it fits ....
I've
been fighting this a lot recently, i can cut things right, but have a massive urge to measure it all really carfully and the cut it oversize and spend
the next 20minutes reducing it to the origanal measurment. Not so much on the car, but on bits on the house. Grrrr!
Daniel
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probablyleon
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 08:52 AM |
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Fantastic... Me too. There should be more posts like this. Most of the time I spend on this forum is spent feeling slightly inadequate, everyone else
on here always seem so knowledgable, confident and competent 
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Irony
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 09:19 AM |
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I struggle constantly with this. Nothing I cut seems straight - either in wood or metal. I am just plain rubbish with hand tools full stop. The
only way I have found to overcome the problem is to use mitre saws or cross cut saws.
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TimEllershaw
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 09:37 AM |
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While I can happily measure stuff, I can only remember the size while I'm still holding the tape measure. As soon as I put the tape down or turn
away from the piece, I will instantly forget what I've just measured.
quote:
Originally posted by probablyleon
...Most of the time I spend on this forum is spent feeling slightly inadequate, everyone else on here always seem so knowledgable, confident and
competent
I completely agree - the skill levels of others on here always amaze me.
http://www.teenagecancertrust.org/
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Ivan
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 09:54 AM |
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I'm sure we won't find the likes of Fred WB experiencing these problems 
And yes Tim - my memory is also incredibly short for things like this - that's why a pencil & paper is always at hand.
[Edited on 23/3/12 by Ivan]
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splitrivet
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 10:09 AM |
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This is a well known disease and can lead to metricimperialitis where you take measurements in both formats ie its 567mm wide, 48 inches long then you
mix the two up. Best to dose yourself up with 3 pints of Pedigree and a couple of vodka tonics and sit on a step outside the garage till it passes.
Cheers,
Bob
I used to be a Werewolf but I'm alright nowwoooooooooooooo
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TimEllershaw
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 10:30 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Ivan
- that's why a pencil & paper is always at hand.
[Edited on 23/3/12 by Ivan]
I moved house in October and my new garage walls are peppered with dimensions, sketches and cryptic notes from the previous owner. I'd love to
know what they are for !
[Edited on 23/3/2012 by TimEllershaw]
http://www.teenagecancertrust.org/
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Fred W B
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 11:20 AM |
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quote:
I'm sure we won't find the likes of Fred WB experiencing these problems
Thanks for the credit Ivan but we all have these problems. I've also got to the stage where I cant read the mm scale on a steel rule without
glasses.
I managed to make a cabinet to fit into a space in my moms kitchen 300 mm too narrow. When measuring up I read the tape upside down so wrote 600
instead of 900 on the sketch.
Went away, had the boards and top cut, made up the whole thing and found a big gap when I went to fit it.....
But I was able to save the suituation as a friend had an offcut of counter top that was 900 long so put that on offset to one side and the gap between
the cupboards was just a nice size to store her vacuum so it looked like I'd planned it that way.
Cheers
Fred W B
[Edited on 23/3/12 by Fred W B]
You can do it quickly. You can do it cheap. You can do it right. – Pick any two.
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Ivan
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 11:33 AM |
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^^^^ Even the best go wrong
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avagolen
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 11:35 AM |
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Quote
I managed to make a cabinet to fit into a space in my moms kitchen 300 mm too narrow. When measuring up I read the tape upside down so wrote 600
instead of 900 on the sketch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That is awesome - I still cannot see clearly through the tears....
I am so glad it is not a unique problem, but a very selective form of confidence reduction.
It gets everyone who likes to try and do a great job.
I definitly cut long and them trim to get a good fit. Lots of trips to the vice, workbench etc and the car.
Measure 3 or more times, change from metric to imperial and back again to get closer to the larger graticule lines on the rule, cut once, trim lots
and lots of times. - then start again......
Len.
[Edited on 23/3/12 by avagolen]
The Answer for everything, but never the last word....
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MikeR
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 12:04 PM |
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On the days I'm allowed into the garage I get frustrated when cutting things at an angle.
If its a straight 90 cut its not too bad - i do what others do, but i invariable struggle when cutting something that has an angle on each end. I
aways seem to end up with a part that has the right angle on each end but is 10mm too short. Frustrates the heck out of me and I can't see what
I'm doing wrong. I'm almost tempted to get some form of dual ruler so it takes each measurement at the same time.
Love to know what i'm doing wrong.
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GeoffT
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 01:01 PM |
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I always figure that if NASA can get it wrong with the Hubble telescope, then mere mortals like ourselves are allowed the odd mistake or two......or
several....
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JeffHs
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 01:50 PM |
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Glad I'm not alone. I now wear pound shop glasses to see the tape measure but if I walk across the garage with the glasses on I can't see
where I'm going so I take them off then lose them. As my recently departed father-in-law said
'There's no future in getting old.'
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Stott
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 02:05 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by TimEllershaw
I moved house in October and my new garage walls are peppered with dimensions, sketches and cryptic notes from the previous owner. I'd love to
know what they are for !
[Edited on 23/3/2012 by TimEllershaw]
The secret basement under your house that he now lives in
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bartonp
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 02:15 PM |
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TIP: Never trust the 'hook' end of a retractable tape measure.....
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scudderfish
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 02:17 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by GeoffT
I always figure that if NASA can get it wrong with the Hubble telescope, then mere mortals like ourselves are allowed the odd mistake or two......or
several....
Their error was 0.0022mm. I'd be happy with errors 1000x greater than that
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TimEllershaw
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 02:32 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by scudderfish
quote:
Originally posted by GeoffT
I always figure that if NASA can get it wrong with the Hubble telescope, then mere mortals like ourselves are allowed the odd mistake or two......or
several....
Their error was 0.0022mm. I'd be happy with errors 1000x greater than that
Geoff may have been thinking of the Mars Orbiter, where NASA used imperial and a subcontractor used metric measurements and it crashed :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter
[Edited on 23/3/2012 by TimEllershaw]
http://www.teenagecancertrust.org/
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GeoffT
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 02:42 PM |
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quote:
Geoff may have been thinking of the Mars Orbiter, where NASA used imperial and a subcontractor used metric measurements and it crashed
.....was really referring to the grinding error on the Hubble mirror, (0.0022mm..! downright sloppy if you ask me) but your example will do just as
well.....
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blakep82
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 03:12 PM |
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i measure out to drill a hole, pick up drill, hold it to the piece, remember measure twice, cut ones, drill down, measure again, same result, check
everything, all looks good, pick up drill, drill correctly, stand back, and its wrong... how does that work?!
 
Description
you wouldn't beleive how many times i checked, double checked and triple checked before drilling the holes for the side lights and indicators (i
know they're tiny, but very bright) and they don't look symetrical...
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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owelly
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| posted on 23/3/12 at 03:15 PM |
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I get really annoyed when I take a measurement, remember it, transfer it to whatever I'm cutting, suare it with the set square, cut it then it
doesn't fit. Then I notice that the mark I'd squared isn't the correct one.......
And I'm having major problems with my memory. I can measure summat under the car, get up to write it down and think "that doesn't
look right". So meadure again. So then I get up again but now I have two sets of numbers in my head so have to climb back under the car with a
bit of chalk and write it on the floor as I always lose pens, pencils and paper!
I now struggle to see vernier scales so bought some £6 digi calipers from Aldi. Then I bought some more because I've forgotten where I put the
first set.
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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Fred W B
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| posted on 24/3/12 at 08:36 AM |
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quote:
If its a straight 90 cut its not too bad - i do what others do, but i invariable struggle when cutting something that has an angle on each end. I
aways seem to end up with a part that has the right angle on each end but is 10mm too short. Frustrates the heck out of me and I can't see what
I'm doing wrong. I'm almost tempted to get some form of dual ruler so it takes each measurement at the same time.
Assumming you are working in square tube what you can do is:
Find an offcut of material a bit shorter than the part needs to be.
Fold up some thin card to the box shape and tape it to both ends of the material to make a longer "dummy" tube.
Fit up this dummy tube using scissors.
If you make a mistake you can move the card up the tube or tape a bit more on.
Once the dummy tube fits well transfer the shape of each side to a new piece of material and cut carefully just outside your lines, finishing with a
file.
Cheers
Fred W B
You can do it quickly. You can do it cheap. You can do it right. – Pick any two.
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