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Switched from a 6ft to a 12ft straight edge and it cut my seam time in half

I was struggling with seams looking wavy on a big commercial job outside Chicago last month. Kept adjusting and re-stretching. My old coworker Henry stopped by and watched me for like 2 minutes, then told me to just buy a longer straight edge. Honestly, $45 for a 12ft aluminum one at the supply house. First seam I did with it was dead straight. No more guessing where the dip is. Anyone else upgrade a basic tool and wish you'd done it sooner?

3 comments

3 Comments

adamthompson2d ago

Hold up, so you were fighting wavy seams with a 6ft straight edge this whole time? That sounds like a nightmare, man. I feel for you, I really do. It's brutal when you're on a big job and you're literally fighting your tools. That 12 footer is a total game changer, I bet the first cut felt like a hot knife through butter. Glad your buddy Henry set you straight, those little tips from old timers are worth their weight in gold.

young.kim2d ago

My buddy Phil tried a 4 footer on a commercial floor once, swore he almost quit the trade that day.

seanjackson2d ago

Gotta side with Phil on that one, @young.kim. I tried a 4 footer on a bathroom floor back in my early days and ended up with seams so wavy they looked like a topo map. My wife walked in, took one look, and asked if I was trying to tile a roller coaster. I told her it was a new style called "abstract chaos." She was not impressed. Honestly, I think half the battle is just having the right tools so you aren't fighting your own work the whole time. A bad straight edge will make you question every life choice you've made up to that point.