Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?
Cheers!
Dominick
--
Dominick Fiumare Email:
Facilities & Services Voice: 505-646-2529
New Mexico State Univ., Box 30001, MSC 3545 Fax: 505-646-1269
Las Cruces, NM 88003

On 13 Oct 2003, Dominick Fiumara spake unto rec.woodworking:

Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?

How far apart are they? If 16", they're for laying out studs. If
not, then I don't know either.

They are typically 16' on center for laying out studs in wood frame
construction.

-Jack

"Dominick Fiumara" wrote in message
...
Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?
Cheers!
Dominick
--
Dominick Fiumare Email:
Facilities & Services Voice: 505-646-2529
New Mexico State Univ., Box 30001, MSC 3545 Fax: 505-646-1269
Las Cruces, NM 88003

Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?

If they're 19.2 inches apart - truss layout.
http://www.asktooltalk.com/home/qand...apemeasure.htm

I was told many years ago by an old craftsman that the diamonds were for
gauging wallpaper as each mark represented a rolls width. This was back it
the days before the wallpaper came pre-trim to width.

Dominick Fiumara writes:
Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?

They're for spacing things five to the 8' panel. Usually, studs are
16" on center (the red marks), or 6 per 8'. The black diamonds are 5
per 8', and every two feet makes 4 per 8'.

The down side of 5 per 8' is that you don't have anything at the 4'
mark so you can't alternate your 4x8 panels like you do with 16"
spacing. You'd have to use a different pattern.

Yes they are at approc 19-3/16" a little heavy
"mttt" wrote in message
...
Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?

If they're 19.2 inches apart - truss layout.
http://www.asktooltalk.com/home/qand...apemeasure.htm

Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones.


That's the woman's version. Some have rubies.

In general, the red diamonds are 16" apart, allowing 4 studs (and
three spaces) to support a 4' sheet of ply or drywall.

And the black ones are about 19.2", allowing six studs (five spaces)
to support an 8' sheet. (This is primarily used in commercial work,
where steel studs are used to hold long sheets -- 12' and longer -- of
drywall.)



Dominick Fiumara wrote in message ...
Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?
Cheers!
Dominick

I just love to hear the replies when someone asks this question. Everyone
has a different opinion. And it's interesting to see the uses by the guys
who didn't have a clue and came up with their own uses.
It is a framing mark, and it is used as a layout for certain trussing, I
used them in school for Truss-joist systems.

--
Young Carpenter

"Violin playing and Woodworking are similar, it takes plenty of money,
plenty of practice, and you usually make way more noise than intended"

{Put the fiddler back "on" the roof to reply}
"Dominick Fiumara" wrote in message
...
Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?
Cheers!
Dominick
--
Dominick Fiumare Email:
Facilities & Services Voice: 505-646-2529
New Mexico State Univ., Box 30001, MSC 3545 Fax: 505-646-1269
Las Cruces, NM 88003




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On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 14:10:43 GMT, Scott Cramer
pixelated:

On 13 Oct 2003, Dominick Fiumara spake unto rec.woodworking:

Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?

How far apart are they? If 16", they're for laying out studs. If
not, then I don't know either.

Ayup. Constructioncritters use 'em for laying out tubafores.

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 14:10:43 GMT, Scott Cramer
pixelated:


On 13 Oct 2003, Dominick Fiumara spake unto rec.woodworking:


Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?

How far apart are they? If 16", they're for laying out studs. If
not, then I don't know either.


Ayup. Constructioncritters use 'em for laying out tubafores.

Wussa tubafore? Sumfin ya play ina marchin band?

In article ,
Grandpa jsdebooATcomcast.net wrote:


Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 14:10:43 GMT, Scott Cramer
pixelated:


On 13 Oct 2003, Dominick Fiumara spake unto rec.woodworking:


Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?

How far apart are they? If 16", they're for laying out studs. If
not, then I don't know either.


Ayup. Constructioncritters use 'em for laying out tubafores.

Wussa tubafore? Sumfin ya play ina marchin band?


Nah! but it's been known to be wrapped in a marichino band

it's the appitizer you have, before the tuba-ate.

"YesMaam27577" wrote om...
In general, the red diamonds are 16" apart, allowing 4 studs (and
three spaces) to support a 4' sheet of ply or drywall.

And the black ones are about 19.2", allowing six studs (five spaces)
to support an 8' sheet. (This is primarily used in commercial work,
where steel studs are used to hold long sheets -- 12' and longer -- of
drywall.)

It's also the spacing on the pre-fab wood trusses holding up
the roof of my addition, because the engineer at the truss plant
said we needed that _or_ 2x6 top chords to make the trusses
stiff enough that the ceiling drywall wouldn't crack, so I said
"Do both."

"Over-built" (like "over-kill") is an oxymoron. :-)
--
Dennis M. O'Connor

On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 22:54:55 -0600, Grandpa jsdebooATcomcast.net
Crawled out of the shop and said. . .:

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 14:10:43 GMT, Scott Cramer
pixelated:


On 13 Oct 2003, Dominick Fiumara spake unto rec.woodworking:


Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?

How far apart are they? If 16", they're for laying out studs. If
not, then I don't know either.


Ayup. Constructioncritters use 'em for laying out tubafores.

Wussa tubafore? Sumfin ya play ina marchin band?

Its kinda like a dickiefore

Traves

qwarta a forebyate

On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 22:54:55 -0600, Grandpa jsdebooATcomcast.net
wrote:

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 14:10:43 GMT, Scott Cramer
pixelated:


On 13 Oct 2003, Dominick Fiumara spake unto rec.woodworking:


Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?

How far apart are they? If 16", they're for laying out studs. If
not, then I don't know either.


Ayup. Constructioncritters use 'em for laying out tubafores.

Wussa tubafore? Sumfin ya play ina marchin band?

Why are there diamonds on a tape measure. You know....the little black
ones. What do they indicate?

How far apart are they? If 16", they're for laying out studs. If
not, then I don't know either.

They are 19.2 inches apart and they are used for setting wood ibeam floor
joist.They are much stronger than
2x.Ofcourse much more costly too.