Painted numbers:
Have you noticed that the numbers and graduation marks etched in metal measuring tools become hard to read after a while? You don’t need to replace the tool when that happens. Instead, paint them white and wipe off the excess paint while it is wet, The numbers and marks will be easy to read again. On aluminum tools, use blick paint.

For good measure:
Rather than discard an old tape measure, snip off a 6″ (150 mm) section and keep it in your wallet. This portable ruler is handy for checking the size of small items in hardware stores.

Oversize ruler:
Cutting timber to size is much easier if you have an oversize ruler painted on your workshop floor and wall. Scribe the lines at convenient intervals, depending on the sorts of measurements you are most often likely to need, and then label them. When you’re ready to measure, butt the timber against the wall. If you need to find intermediate lengths, use a foot-long (300 mm) ruler. To protect the marks from foot traffic, coat them with a clear sealer.

Mounted rule:
For quick and easy measuring, tack a 3′ long stick or glue a metal rule to your work-bench. If you glue a smaller rule to your tool box, you’ll find that measuring on the run is easy.

Make a transfer:
Because an incorrect measurement can ruin a project, transferring it accurately is critical. If you don’t have the right measuring tool handy, slip a thin rubber band around a straight stick. This way. you’ll have a sliding marker that will preserve your last measurement. For best results, don’t use a rubber band that is so large you have to double it over to make it snug.

Magnetic measurer:
You can also use a scrap piece of steel to transfer a measurement. Mark the place with a small rectangular or square magnet. It will clamp onto the metal and stay there as long as needed.

Sliding track:
If you don’t have the right tools to measure an inside dimension, press a sliding curtain track into service. Cut off the elbows of the track, stretch it to fit the space, wrap tape around the point where the sections of the track overlap to keep them from sliding out of position, then remove the track and measure it. To measure smaller- dimensions, cut the track down.

Dip straw:
Would you like a simple, accurate, and spill-proof way to measure out a small amount of stain or other liquids? Dip one end of a plastic straw in the liquid just deep enough to get the amount needed. Then
place a finger on the other end to hold the liquid in the straw. Keep your finger on the straw while you take it to its new destination. For greater accuracy, mark often-used measures on the straw.

Hammer gauge:
If one hand holds the hammer and the second hand holds the nail, how do you gauge the distance between nails without using a third hand to measure? Easy! Let your hammer be a measuring tool.

Tape tricks

Wax tape:
Professionals use a steel tape because it gives an accurate measurement and retracts at the touch of a button. To protect the numbers and keep the action smooth, coat the tape with a little wax: then buff it thoroughly with a cloth.

Taking notes:
You’ll always have a place to jot down measurements if you stick a self-adhesive label to the side of your tape measure. Either replace the label when you’re done or erase the marks and use it.

Easy subtraction:
The hook of a metal tape — so handy when measuring from one edge — gets in the way of a measurement that starts in the middle of a surface. To obtain an accurcite measurement in this case, begin your measurement at the 4″ (100 mm) mark. Just remember to subtract the amount later on.