Easy Half-Length Answer from Tape Measure

If you’re a maker of any kind, you’re gonna need to quickly and accurately determine half lengths of pieces of material stock. If the length is an odd or mixed number, you don’t want to reach for a calculator or your smartphone every time it’s time to noodle the half-length solution.

In this episode, DirtFarmer Jay shows you his favorite method for dividing stock in half - using only a single tape measure (for long stock) or a ruler/yardstick (for shorter pieces).

It’s easy, fast, accurate, convenient, and uses what you have handy as a maker all the time anyways - a tape measure.

Just to give you a sample, let’s try this. QUICK, in your head, what’s half of 29-5/8”? That’s what we thought. If you think about it long enough, you’ll probably get it, but there’s an easier way.

After doing the entire length measure, go to the approximate halfway point and do this, adding up your answers as you go, right alongside the tape. So, half of 20” is 10”. Put your finger or pencil point there. Next, half of 9” is 4-½”. Now move 4-½” to the right from 10”. You are now at 14-½”. Lastly, ½ of ⅝” is 5/16”, so move 5/16” more to the right of 14-½”. You will land on 14-13/16”, and that’s your answer. Place a mark there. To double-check, measure back from the right-hand end to see that you get the same answer. Spiffy, huh?

Watch the episode to see this in action! Why reach for a calculator when with this simple trick, you can JUST DO IT YOURSELF?