Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Carpentry measurement

Do carpenters really use 32nds measurements regularly?

I mean, I do high precision measurements for compressor work down to the tenths of thousandths for bearings and such.

But doing fabrication, piping etc. all I ever measured to was 16ths.

My Son is starting a summer job after he graduates from high school before starting college this fall. He's pumped because we don't do much woodworking and he's wanting to learn. 32nds are no big deal and he's good to go but, when I taught him measurements, we only memorized the 16th scale. His future boss asked him if he could read a tape measure, response was Yes Sir, his boss then asked down to the 32nds. In my mind I'm thinking the first time he calls out a 32nd on a measurement whoever he tells is going to have to think about it, I know I would. I mean I can do the math but it won't be automatic like 16ths.

Anyway, just curious about what ya'll think. Guess they must do sure enough precision work or he is just challenging him, I do good to cut to an eighth of an inch

I worked wood construction for a long time and never used a 32nd measurement. Cabinet building, some trim work uses 32nds. Call out a 32nd meaurement to a saw man on a framing crew and see what ya get....

A circular saw is way thicker than 1/32. You’re just fooling yourself if you’re trying to be that accurate.

I have been around carpentry most of my life and I don't remember anyone ever using 32nds., most people these days that we hire have trouble with 1/4" measurements, most of the time when they call out a measurement it sounds like 2" and 3 ticks.....

NO! Tapes that carpenters use are only graduated to the 1/16th. The first 12" may be in 1/32 but past that is 1/16.

One of the worst experiences I had was putting windows in a house a machinist friend of mine built. He framed window openings in tenths. Didn't need any shims. Sanded casings and openings for hours.

General carpetentry/ framing - 1/16
Finish carpentry/trim - 1/32

I’ve been a finish carpenter half my life. Never heard a 32nd called out. Lots of 16ths heavy, or take the lines. Seen many a foolish things done by people that can’t read a tape.

Yep, Something like "light 1/2" could be construed as 15/32 I suppose . Granted , I haven't done a lot of it , but I've been around some fine framers and trim carpenters all my life, never heard anything called out in 32nds.

done interior trim and cabinets for a few years when i was in my 20s never used anything but 16ths. you know what they say about putty and paint makes the carpenter what he aint. probably just seeing if the kid even knows what a 32nd of an inch is. we used to get guys all the time call out stuff like " 56 inches and 5 little lines" what? you mean 56 and 5/16 "uhh yeah i guess"

Usually heard my trim guys say "leave the line" or " cut the line"

Exactly what I was thinking,

That's funny, where I come from they are either machinist or betweenist, I'm making a guess which one he is.

cut it proud

I’ve never used 32’s. But I’ve noticed in my construction life that most folks don’t know that there is 32 thirty seconds in a inch.

I've been to a couple of county fairs and Jackson county but, I can't say that I knew that there was 32 thirty seconds in a inch either

A very good friend of mine is a cabinet maker. I asked him what the difference in a carpenter and him was. He said a 1/32" of an inch. His work is awesome. You cannot find the seams. He has gotten old and cannot find anyone who is willing to put the effort in to make things to his standards.

“Cabinet” guys are rarely carpenters now days. If it doesn’t get delivered in a box prefabbed they don’t know what to do with it. I can’t get anyone to work, especially young people. Show up looking for job, without any skills and are too good to start at $10/hour. If they have any ability whatsoever, they turn their nose up at $25/hr.

Doing framing and trim work, 1/16th.
Doing cabinets, 1/32th.
Machining usually 1/1,000ths, sometimes 1/10,000ths, on a rare occasion it needs to be closer than that. Then you can run into calibration issues though.

I should have added. I use a 2mm mechanical pencil when doing general stuff and switch to a .07mm for trim. If I am doing stain grade trim I use a razor blade to make my marks.

The guy was prob just giving him a hard time , I’m in steel fabrication work and we try and hit everything on the money but 1/8” is tolerance in quality control. Anything more than that and you’ll be doing some cutting

If they do any panel sun rooms. Yeah he will need to know. Lucky me got out of sun room gazebo that had glass panels on top. 16 panels with 1/32 tolerance. It took my uncle and helper a while to get it.