In article ,
charlie b wrote:

Actual "measured" lengths aren't that important (unless you're
doing built ins. Its far more important that all parts that
are supposed to be the same length are in fact the same
length.

This is true, unless you have to send your measurements to someone else.

I found that out the hard way once when I ordered a glass table top
based on a tape measure measurement. Unfortunately, my tape and their
measurement device did not agree. (I suspect theirs was probably the
accurate one.)

I checked by tapes and rulers. The straight-edge rulers were very
accurate. However the tapes were all over the place. After all, they're
made for construction work, usually for fairly long lengths, and a
tolerance of plus or minus 1/16 is acceptable (except for finish work).

My newest tape, a Stanley "MaxSteel Contractor Grade", 3m/10ft, is off
3/32 in the first 24 inches, resulting in a short cut. My Craftsman 16ft
tape is off 1/32 in the first 24, but cuts long, so if the error causes
a problem, I can trim the piece to the correct length.

My next purchase will be a steel hook-end ruler from Lee Valley.

--
Regards,

Benoit Evans