Pro tip: Keep a second tape measure just for rough cuts

I was framing out a basement in Denver last week and kept having to walk back and forth to grab my main tape from the tool belt. Finally just pulled out a cheap 25-footer from my bag for all the measurement markings and saved at least 20 minutes of walking. Anyone else keep a spare tape for stuff like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

betty_reed6114d agoProlific Poster

Oh man, that's genius. I've got a beat-up old Stanley that I use for marking studs and drywall cuts. Saves my good tape from getting all dusty and bent up. Plus I can just leave it lying on the floor without worrying about losing it. Simple hack but it really does speed things up.

harper_murphy13d ago

Huh, that's a solid approach. So do you ever actually rely on that beater for measuring, or is it purely a marking tool you don't care about? I know some guys keep an old tape just for scribing lines and literally never trust it for real numbers again. Curious where you draw that line.