rayy83•1mo ago

That drafting scale trick I always doubted actually saved my butt on a big project

I had this older guy at my last job who kept telling me to switch from decimal to fractional scales for site plans. For like 6 months I ignored him, thought it was outdated thinking. Then I messed up a grading plan for a warehouse job in Columbus because I misread a 0.1 increment. Grabbed his scale out of frustration and everything lined up perfect. Now I can't believe I fought it for so long. Anybody else have a tool tip they were dead wrong about?

2 comments

2 Comments

williamt441mo ago

Same here, I was all about digital tools until my old man boss at the shop made me use a manual scale for layouts. Now I keep both in the truck, but I reach for the old one first every time. Something about that real weight and feel stops you from making dumb mistakes like squinting at a tiny screen. @samw47 I get the caliper thing, dropped my first digital one off a ladder once and that was the end of that. I'd rather trust a tool that doesn't need batteries or a dry spot to work right.

samw471mo ago

I once swore by digital calipers until I dropped mine in a drain and had to eyeball a brake job.