Workshop Tips - Measuring, Marking & Math

[@laurakampf]

Sorry for the Audio...my Lav mic broke and i had to use the sound from the camera... hope you still enjoyed the video

[@samseddie01]

I thought that's what happened. It was a great video thank you Laura!

[@Lepinkainen_]

The background music is a wee bit overpowering without the lav mic, but otherwise just fine =)

[@WarriusZ3r0]

Like the great philosopher Forrest Gump used to say : "Sometimes, shit happens".

[@gucu]

Lav in Britain can mean lavatory which makes the shit happens very appropriate!

[@macexpert7247]

Perhaps you can do something about Melanies audio in the podcast. The echo in her audio makes it really hard to listen.

[@mediter123]

Math teacher here! (Specifically Geometry) these are awesome tips, but secretly it's still math! You're avoiding arithmetic mainly, and doing what humans have done long before numbers became a part of Mathematics! Classic constructions don't use numbers at all, and they look really similar to the things you were doing!! Just spreading the geometric love 😊 if you like this stuff then you might secretly love math after all! (Just ditch the numbers...)

[@bob-ny6kn]

@Daniel Adkins - Why did Mrs. Reorden (my geometry teacher, circa 1979) fail me for suggesting the Angle Side Side postulate for proving congruent triangles? NancyPi did it in a video (Law of Sines) on her channel. (choosing to call it Side Side Angle - maybe she knows Mrs. Reorden is watching). I also want my hours of detention back.

[@zachary3352]

I loved geometry, especially because of my teacher! He always knew how to make geometry fun. I was lucky enough to have him again for calculus senior year, and I love calculus now too! Thanks for sharing your wisdom with your students.

[@stewartstewartstewart]

Maths

[@jessemountjoy]

I’m a math teacher too and I came to comment the exact same thing!

[@mvcapice]

@@bob-ny6kn well, www.mathwarehouse.com/geometry/congruent_triangles/angle-side-side-postulate.php

[@jcsackett]

This video was awesome-I would love more tips & tricks vids!

[@kelidungan1052]

Great video! As an elementary math specialist, I try to get the students to reason through problems and then help them find the math (calculations). Students are often afraid to make mistakes, so much that they don't know where to start. I will be using your videos and have the students find the hidden math in your short cuts.

[@ThedwarfsizedWorkshop]

When you drew out that banana, I legit thought this would end with a "banana for scale" joke, because that would have totally played into the "use natural proportions instead of math" theme. :D

[@jonathanlynch9587]

You should have started this message with “Just some food for thought” lol

[@GrahamDallas]

Some great tips in there, I love the post-it note mitres, this I will use. One of my favourites is probably the oldest, the 3-4-5 rule for working out right angles.

[@FigmentsMade]

There are some fantastic tips here! I love the tip about using post-it notes to determine the miter cut for a random angle. One tip I use to figure out how to divide up something evenly is to cut a piece of paper the same size and then fold the paper however many times you need to.

[@AndrewReuter]

Great trick here! Squirreling that one away...

[@Chiselsplay]

Yup!!!! I can totally relate on eyeballing the proportions instead of measuring everything thoroughly. There's almost no round numbers in nature, everything is just proportions in between the objects. Why should furniture and building stuff be any different. Precise numbers are for machines, proportional and aesthetic view at the project are for humans. Great content, Laura!

[@valulea]

Unbelievable ! I'm not bad at math and still I think your tips are so helpful to gain time and avoid unsolicited calculations !! Thanks :)

[@macexpert7247]

One thing that helped me a lot was by getting rid of the stupid “imperial system” of inches and feet and use METRIC tape measure and rulers👍

[@wvwombat4866]

Mac Expert she’s out of Germany. It’s all metric.

[@jonq8714]

I'm making the switch myself. I am tired of 1/8ths and 1/16ths, I spend more time thinking, measuring, remeasuring, marking, remeasuring, recalculating, checking again... then cutting. I waste so much time.

[@EddyW01]

I work in both :)

[@s3anmorrow]

I would love to do this - Canada is metric, but all our building supplies are still imperial so they don't translate well to metric :(

[@wbfaulk]

I personally find 1⁄16 easier to deal with than 0.0625, but you do you.

[@gardenfork]

Laura It’s good to see that in both our worlds gut feeling rules the day - Vielen Dank, Eric

[@MorleyKert]

Love this style of tips video, would definitely watch more! This isn't really a way to avoid math, but if I need to know the exact thickness of something (veneer, leather, plywood), I stack up a few layers, measure it and divide by the number of layers. Way easier than trying to read tiny increments on a ruler or caliper, and it averages out inconsistent thicknesses!

[@ElizabethFranquiEsq]

Wow. It's a relief to know that a maker as expert as you also tries to avoid math. My math skills are awful, but I can let it go. Thanks!

[@nixhixx]

That washer to expand the circle is BRILLIANT!

[@RobertMilesAI]

It's worth learning a few compass and straight edge construction tricks to avoid math. Like, you can cut lines or angles in half, make perpendicular lines, construct equilateral triangles or hexagons etc, just with compass and ruler. Also with two pins and a piece of string you can draw a perfect ellipse!

[@carlbeeth]

I love the small Talmeter tape measures. They are locked by default so they are excellent for transferring measurements without ever having to read the scale, or if you need to transfer a specific a measurements you just first set the measurement and then bring the tape measure to the piece. The scratch marking is a nice added bonus as then no pen is needed in many cases. It's one of those little tools that actually change your workflow. BTW lovely tips

[@ughtentide]

Awesome video! My favorite measuring trick is to use two compass arcs from two parallel and square endpoints to find the exact center of anything. If you have a board with one factory edge, draw a perpendicular line across it with a framing square, set the compass on each endpoint, draw a nice big arc in the "middle-ish" area from both endpoints, then connect the two points where the arcs intersect with a straight edge to get a perfect center line. (It takes longer to explain it than to do it!) Banana trick: when they get to the perfect ripeness, peel them, cut them into slices, dump them on a wax paper lined tray, freeze them, then bag them. They don't turn brown, and they'll last a month or two that way, and won't get overripe. Also, frozen bananas are nice in the summer! (Grapes will freeze well, too, as will oranges, if you peel them.)

[@davidroessler2328]

Thanks Laura, I just learned more in the last nine minutes watching your video than I had in 20 years of messing around in the shop. I can’t believe it, I’ve got to share this one with my friends. Great work! Keep the videos coming. 👍

[@danielmaertsching735]

Great video Laura, thanks! Another favourite of mine is "tick sticking" which is a very easy way of copying odd shapes without taking measurements or calculating.

[@davebauerart]

Great tips! I haven't seen some of these before, and I really enjoyed your demonstrations, very helpful! These should be the first things woodworkers, etc learn. When you are making your own stuff, it just needs to fit. Cut to fits, and relative measurements are what all the cool folks use!

[@ragnkja]

It’s what the best builders have been doing since prehistoric times. Fun fact: medieval building sites that needed measuring units generally defined their own: the “foot” used at that specific site may very well be the length of the master mason’s foot.

[@scott35118]

Thanks Laura I’m an experienced carpenter and the diagonal measuring/dividing tip is great. Will improve my working speed greatly!

[@larry400]

Watching and learning from you is the reason I keep watching everything you publish. Will also rewatch to make sure I get the tiny details that you take so much time to record. Your ability to present everything with precision, clarity, and beauty is just amazing

[@laurakampf]

❤️

[@charlier7711]

The audio was fine and the tips were great! Any help to work smarter and more efficient is tremendous! Thank you!

[@mattmiller07]

Laura, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE videos like this. Please do more. You are the best

[@ADBBuild]

The trick for dividing something into 3 or more pieces by rotating the tape measure is BRILLIANT! Will definitely use this in the future.

[@samuelbrisseau2694]

It's Thales' theorem. So still math!

[@marieokamoto8791]

Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes! I sew and while I try to be precise the numbers can trick me so easily. I love your little tips for those of us that feel Mathematically challenged.

[@PeregrineHawthorn]

I'm now learning to be a welder/fabricator, and I'm definitely going to use these to the best of my ability. I have to make things to print, so I can't avoid measuring entirely, but maximizing use of templates is a big time saver and error reducer.

[@phbrinsden]

Really useful tips. I’ve been doing remodels at home as well a building additions for a long time and I also build fine furniture but i will definitely use these. Thanks Laura.

[@jonasholzem2909]

As a math teacher wo makes things I understand both sides... Those tricks that you use to divide something into equal parts are deeply rooted in geometric tradition since ancient greece. It is not necessary to understand the underlying principle to use that trick, but understanding geometry helps you come up with new tricks. On the other hand you are absolutely right in that not everything needs to be measured to a tenth of a degree, in shop context the Mk. 1 eyeball might just be fine and gets you there a lot quicker. I just vote for not dissing math too hard, everything you might need in a shop can be learned and understood and is as much of a useful tool as your hammer or screwdriver. If there is anyone who wants to know something specific, just send me a message, that could be my tiny part of educating people...

[@dolphin64575]

As someone who works with American measurements and HATES fraction math, this video is great! I learned that banana trick as a teenager, it works great to get teenage boys to not stare and make crude jokes when you just snap a banana in half :D

[@laurakampf]

Hahaha

[@furionese]

Thanks for amazing DIY hacks & tips. As you said, without having to measure dead accurate became able to design more intuitively and things flowed naturally - sounds like veteran Ferrari engine designer, some of them were cast out of sand mold and that mold was fine tuned by files and hand tools. Some of the best V12 engines were made by "eye balling" and "touch and feel"

[@pteddie6965]

What a useful and well thought out group of tips. I am wild about the tips re: making the lids. This weekend, I need to make a lid for my great grandmother's antique butter churn and I have been struggling with a technique to help me. The design of the churn makes it difficult accurately trace the outline of the churn's top onto a piece of wood. I think that you have given me a fantastic place to begin on my churn's lid. Thanks. Stay safe.

[@WeekendWorkshopAustralia]

I particularly like the diagonal method of dividing into random sections. As always, practical and real-world!

[@stephanievaldez5680]

As someone who as also struggled with math my entire life, these are great tips! Keep up your creative creations!

[@lauraferriss1600]

I have been woodworker for about year and a half doing pallet projects and have been quite frustrated so I now wanting to get into furniture making but I'm really bad at math and I have struggled alot with it knowing how you struggle with math despite your amazing projects and how great they turn out I'm going to be using these methods thank you it's very hard to find furniture makers on KZbin that have problems with math, they make it look so easy but yeah anyways thank you inspiring video

[@s3anmorrow]

Love the angle with the Postit notes trick - brilliant!

[@ralphwilkin1904]

Love this Laura. If you measure something then transfer that measurement to another piece, you increase the amount of error at each step. Much better to skip the ruler and get the dimension directly from the original piece when you can. Just as you do. Hope this makes sense.

[@skewedmaker]

Excellent! Keep the tip videos coming. The tape over the top of the cup is my favorite.

[@BenzoHarris]

Holy cow! That trick for finding three points on a piece of stock blew my mind! Genius!!! Love anything that keeps me away from math!

[@angeliquerider-mitchell2538]

Great video. My husband used to be the one I'd turn to for advice. He knew all the tricks. But he's no longer with us, so I've just had to figure stuff out on my own. Somehow your video leaves me feeling empowered. Thank you.

[@laurakampf]

❤️❤️❤️

[@nixhixx]

I love this approach. Perfect often stands in the way of good enough.

[@edshelden7590]

Superb presentation. Both of my grandfathers and my father would have been very proud to see what you have done here in this presentation. This is something that is not taught in most American schools (maybe none). Only one college course that I ever took came close to what you just presented. More tips please. Maybe something along the lines of templates are cutting jigs? something simple like a picket fence template that could be cut with a router.

[@joshgreer7196]

This tips are going to help me out tremendously in the shop. Thank you for this video.

[@chrismarquardt]

Das ist ja wohl mal das nützlichste und beste Video zu dem Thema, das ich seit langem gesehen habe. Bin jetzt noch mehr Fan als eh schon.

[@noobhunter3000]

All these great tips aside - You totally rock the little quarantine ponytail :)

[@AndrewReuter]

This video is awesome! Love these tricks. On the dividing things in half by making two marks by gut, then marking the center is that: Even if it’s not the center to the atom, it’s still more than close enough. Feels like the essence of “if it looks straight, it is straight,” put into action. My tip would be relatively precisely dividing small things in half with a caliper. Measure the item, split that number in half with a calculator, then set the caliper to that half number and mark away. Still fast but avoids real math...

[@ragnkja]

Even professional mathematicians use a calculator to avoid doing arithmetic themselves.

[@kerchuansoong]

That washer trick is what got me subscribing to you years ago. So awesome :)

[@ceriedwards3]

FABULOUS. My wife and I cant measure for toffee, very encouraging. I did not know the wobbly end of the tape measure was on purpose THANKYOU. That will help. Yes please some of these interspersed with your usual fare would be much appreciated.

[@slang3310]

Great video! And great tips! Love the pace, visuals and tips. I’m a hobbyist woodworker and maker, and always looking to learn and try new things. Thanks for sharing!

[@lasbarrancasacb2206]

I'm good at math but over the years I've adopted all the shop practices you mentioned. Great video, Laura.

[@januarytimberlake9629]

Thank you so much for creating this video. It is always so inspirational to watch you create, but this video is so freeing.THANK YOU

[@ianwilliams8234]

I've been building stuff for years, but every one of these tips are super helpful to me, thank you Laura. I would love to see more videos like this one!

[@peternicholsonu6090]

Love it. I used to build modular suspended ceilings to fit rooms which were not square. Therefore the inverted T bar going into the wall would vary to suit the uneven wall. We learned to not measure each T space and transfer measurement to T bar but place the full length T bar against the uneven wall and make the cut according to the string line (or laser) then reverse to fit. Did it many thousands of times and had straight square ceilings every time. Also BANANAS don’t peel from stalk end. Peel from blunt end you will see why.....

[@ilovebananashake]

Genial, 1.000 Dank Laura! Der Angle-Trick, der Proportionen-Trick...you blowed my mind! Will defenitely share it with my tiny house community 👌

[@Leo99929]

Measuring is a great way to make four mistakes: You can position it wrong, read the scale wrong, and similarly when you transfer the measurement with positioning and marking. Measurements are best avoided unless working with a remote collaborator. In which case use SI units and triple check.

[@deelirious]

wow, the level of inteligence invested to avoid math is astounding and very much apreciated, thanks for sharing

[@jkw9373]

I'm a maker _and_ good at math, and I LOVE your techniques! Beeing a math/computer science person has led me to overengineering and overthinking projekts to the point where I did't get to actually make them. Last week I built a wooden guide for sharpening plane blades on an angle, and I think it was the first time without measuring anything, and it felt so good! Thanks so much for this video!

[@stevejobx]

Great, useful tips! I think this demystifies the whole process and will be empowering for a lot of people

[@aaronjohnson9439]

Keep the tips and tricks coming! Can’t wait to incorporate these when making projects!

[@richardcooper]

I never understand how such informative awesome videos like this get dislikes. Super informative and awesome tips. Thanks endlessly ;)

[@HeyTonAshCat]

I'm constantly using string to find the middle of things. Measure, cut, fold it in half. Your way looks better though. I will try it out!

[@gilllauder757]

These tips are brilliant - we had a nightmare cutting angles to make large wooden stars at Christmas - if only we had known your post-it note trick. Really love your videos - your horse box conversion looks amazing.

[@danieljason8257]

that banana "split" was amazing! think i might need a tutorial....love the avoiding measuring tips! thanks!

[@MyNorthernStory]

This is one of the most useful videos I've watched! Right in time for my construction project. More of this please! :-)

[@stephane4487]

Awesome tips! The mitre post-it tip is 🤘. Genuinely interested in getting more of those tips. Thanks for sharing

[@RogueAPBT]

Best tips and tricks video I've seen. Quite a few tricks there that I've never seen before, thank you!

[@johanflodkvist80]

Great tips! My tip would be to get a hultafors talmeter. No need for pencils, measure withou numbers, inner measures, girths lots of great stuff.

[@deadtech]

This is so great! I just sent this video to my fairy goddaughter who is having fun making things and also having fun in high school geometry class! Thanks so much!

[@grokkingstuff7578]

Totally imagining a really cool fairy in a workshop now. :D Say hi to your goddaughter from us at KZbin!

[@rainerl-h259]

Neues Format? Gefällt mir! Mein Trick für große rechte Winkel: Auf den Schenkel 3 und 4 messen (oder ein Vielfaches davon) und wenn die Diagonale 5 ist , dann sind es 90 Grad. Und für den Story-stick klebe ich mir Tape auf den Zimmermannswinkel. Da kann man dann drauf markieren (und er blendet nicht mehr in der Sonne).

[@ZBebbelbrox]

An den 3-4-5 Trick musste ich auch denken. Habe ich das erste mal beim Aufstellen eines Carports genutz. So große Winkel hat sonst ja niemand.

[@rainerl-h259]

@@ZBebbelbrox Tja. Man muss sich eben nur zu helfen wissen!

[@shrevem]

As an American, I started thinking in /16ths for all of my measurements. It makes adding/dividing so much easier. 3/8 + 1/2 takes more mental real estate than 6/16 + 8/16. Half of 5/8ths? A lot easier to find half of 10/16ths. And for all you metric users out there, I’m jealous!

[@Jeppe.P.Bjerget]

Hi Laura. Wow, even in my age i learned a lot today. Thank you for all of the tips, without Math. I am not to happy to do the math, but no i can do the "Laura" :) . Have a great weekend. Best wishes from Jan in Norway

[@mitchese1]

Wow I've been hobby working for years and always struggled with the 1/3 of odd sizes. That triangle round up trick is great!

[@balasar9753]

Great tips! i'll be using these for sure. I'm a bit concerned about trying to snap my lunch in half but i'm so intrigued to try right now

[@moonwolf7135]

I enjoy tips, have you tried a marking knife it gives an even more exact line. It has helped me be more accurate with my cuts. And when it comes to math haven't found a way around it, but I keep little 6 in. rulers around with decimals converted to fractions so my math is made easier.

[@ETOE]

Tape is also my best friend. I do the same trick for measuring round objects when painting logos on cycle frames. @Laura Kampf I like to listen to makers when building / doing things more than only non verbal videos. A good mix in talking and non talking would be the style of video I prefer.

[@2nuts4cars]

My father is a math savant, I am not, he made me memorize 8x8=64, he said it was the most important equation. I can't say how many times I needed to know this fast and how helpful it has been...

[@elizabethswing3281]

Really loved this! Your intuition is pretty genius. Thanks for sharing!

[@Makebuildmodify]

Great video Laura! I like the tape on the cup trick! New to me.

[@michelevitarelli]

This is one of the best videos I have seen. Thanks for sharing these tips.

[@JoseRDominguezVic]

This have to be one of the best video content I have found here in KZbin, so usefull. Thanks!

[@pettigrewwoodworks]

Great video. I'm actually quite good at "math" but use most of the techniques you discussed. Sometimes numbers just get in the way. Thanks for sharing.

[@samseddie01]

super cool laura! I'm glad you talked about using stop blocks. that's my favorite workaround. I'll try the post-it note mitres too!

[@jtkennefick]

Fantastic tips, have you ever heard of a talmeter. They are my favourite, not expensive but absolutely amazing how brilliant they are and am amazed how many people dont use them.

[@zahrafayyaz9539]

Great tips. I also like to add one more tip on how to find center of a circle. Put an object with a right angle on the circle edge such the the right angle faces toward the inside of the circle, and mark where the two sides of the angle cross two other parts of the circle. Draw a line two connect those marks this line is bound to be a circle diameter. Do the same thing again on another spot on the circle and draw another diameter for the circle. The cross point of the two diameters is the center. I hope I could have explained it well.

[@WuschelofDespair]

I like math and numbers but these Tipps are awesome. Speeding up the process is always a great thing. If you build picture frames I‘m afraid it’s impossible to get around the numbers

[@maxbur6366]

This is pure gold and your explanation is amazing as your work :) I am good at math but I will definitely use the tricks because it is simply easier and especially faster

[@theneves60]

Wow, this video is excellent! The tip dividing the circle in five equal parts is awesome! Thank you!

[@MiguelOcampo]

Oh my god! This video is like going to university!! I have never been so excited to go back to the shop

[@deeranfoxworthy6069]

So simple!! Having your mind blown multiple times by the simplest, smallest tricks. Thanks so much for sharing!

[@NicoleHerrickDIY]

Some awesome tips in there, thanks Laura

[@dylanrice4126]

If you ever find your self needing to get more precise hole placement you can print off a 2D cad drawing (make sure it's 1:1 scale!) tape it over the work piece and mark the hole locations with a center punch. Fun little trick I used when I didn't have access to NC machinery.

[@PastorChanceH]

Didn’t even notice the lower quality in audio because the info was so useful! I love your channel. I just started trying to make stuff from wood and am horrible at math! Thanks for these tips!

[@TheGrantAlexander]

Love that tip about the washer. I know when I first saw you use it I was amazed! Thanks for sharing these tips.

[@eddyyu7091]

That's what 'pracice makes perfect'. Nice experience !

[@nat7278]

Fantastic. I’d love more. Intuitive design is my fav

[@annarossi5294]

Esse vídeo me deu um boom! Thanks Laura! Greetings from Brasil!

[@Rsama60]

Nice video, constructing without calculating. Applied practical math. Brilliant.

[@angelofuchs1249]

I very much like this tips style video as it will improve my work in the shop

[@jensaarnaes150]

These tips are fantastic. Thank you for sharing them. No longer will I stress about dividing a length in thirds - Yay!

[@uatu3021]

As a recipient of an American public education and someone completely lost when it comes to the absurdities of the Imperial measuring system, I feel your pain. My career path has been such that very accurate measurements and cuts are just a reality of a days work. Fortunately for me my industry uses metric and always has, this in my experience allows for more accuracy and fewer mistakes. So by adopting it in my personal life I find my projects are better for it, and I get the added bonus of confusing employees of the local hardware store.