Old timer showed me a trick for measuring inside cabinets

I was working on a kitchen remodel in Portland last month and this guy in his 70s walked up to my truck. He saw me struggling with a tape measure on an inside corner cabinet and said 'son, just use a scrap piece of plywood and a pencil.' He showed me how to mark the wood, cut it, and boom perfect fit every time. Has anyone else picked up a simple trick like that from an older cabinetmaker?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordanblack7d ago

Three times out of four that trick works fine... but I've seen guys cut too far and ruin the whole piece. Really depends on how steady your hand is and if the cabinet walls are even close to square. It's a good trick but not exactly life changing.

xenaf517d ago

That "three times out of four" part really got me. I used to think that trick was basically foolproof, but you're right, @jordanblack. Last week I tried it on a birch ply cabinet that was way out of square and ended up with a jagged edge I had to sand for twenty minutes. I've also noticed my hand shakes a little after a long day, which definitely doesn't help. Kinda makes me rethink how much I lean on shortcuts instead of just measuring twice.

phoenixb347d ago

The "jagged edge I had to sand for twenty minutes" part hits close to home man. @jordanblack is probably right that it works most of the time but the risk isn't worth it when you're dealing with expensive material. I've been bit by that same shaky hand thing after a long day too, especially when I'm rushing to finish. Honestly I think the real value of that trick is knowing when to use it and when to just pull out the tape measure instead. Some shortcuts save time and some just create more work later.