Found out my tape measure was lying to me for months

I was laying out a set of kitchen cabinets last week and something just felt off. Measurements I checked twice were still not matching up when I went to cut. Turns out the end hook on my Stanley tape was bent about 1/16th of an inch from when I dropped it off a ladder last fall. Every single measurement since then was off by that tiny bit. I read online that the little rivets on the hook are supposed to move a little to account for its own thickness, but once it bends, it's toast. Threw that thing in the trash and grabbed a new one for 12 bucks at the hardware store. Has anyone else ever noticed their tape getting wonky after a drop?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_claire1mo ago

Ugh that sucks, been there with a wonky tape and it drives you nuts.

laura_schmidt821mo ago

Dropped mine off a ladder once onto concrete and @the_claire is right, it messes with everything. Spent a whole afternoon re-marking studs before I finally figured out what was wrong.

the_anthony1mo ago

Used to think tapes were pretty much indestructible. Dropped mine a few times and never checked it. Then I was framing a wall and had to recut three studs before I realized the hook was slightly torqued. That little 1/16th threw off every single layout measurement. Total pain in the ass. Now I check the hook first thing after any drop.