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Overheard a guy at the lumber yard say his tape measure hook was "loose by design"... blew my mind
I always thought my tape measure was just getting worn out, you know? The hook would wiggle a little and I assumed it was time for a new one. But this old timer at the yard explained it's supposed to move the thickness of the hook so you get accurate inside and outside measurements. I honestly never put that together in 8 years of doing this. Has anyone else had that "oh duh" moment with a basic tool?
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blairc901mo ago
Loose by design"... sure, old timer. Next you'll tell me my hammer is supposed to bounce off nails and my level has a built-in wobble for "adjustment." I'm pretty sure mine is just loose because I dropped it off a ladder and it landed on concrete. But hey, I'll take any excuse not to buy a new one for another 5 years.
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emery2901mo ago
Ha, I felt the same way when I learned that trick - I'd been throwing perfectly good tape measures in the trash for years. Guess that explains why my wife says I'm always tossing stuff before it's broken.
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