MPABE

• Layout tools


  Tools used for planning and guiding construction projects
• Layout tools


  • Help workers visualize and mark their work before cutting, shaping, or assembling
• Workers use layout tools

  To create a "map" on their materials for accurate construction
• Professionals who use layout tools


  • Plumbers
  • Electricians
  • Designers
  • Engineers
  • Builders
• Importance of layout tools


  Careful use leads to accurate and efficient construction
• Materials used for measuring devices


  • Steel (durable, resists wear and tear)
  • Aluminum (lightweight, strong)
  • Wood (cheap, comfortable handles)
  • Plastic (affordable, lightweight)
• Gradation


  Numbers and lines stamped into steel tools
• Scale


  Numbers and gradations on measuring tools
• Steel is the first choice of material for calipers, dividers, and other slender tools that must measure very accurately and not bend easily
• Aluminum is the second choice of material for use in many layout tools. It is used extensively in levels and squares
• Wood is a cheap, relatively soft, and light material. Wood is not used extensively in tools because it breaks easily and does not wear well. Also, wood may absorb moisture and expand and contract when it dries out
• Any distortion of layout tools can be a problem
• The wooden folding rule is an exception as it is compact, useful, and popular, but it is very easily broken if not handled correctly
• Plastic


  A group of materials made from chemicals and molded into objects. Some plastics are tough and light and can be made into useful layout tools
• Advantage of plastic layout tools

  They are cheap and light and easy to use
• Cheap tools are seldom a bargain. Good tools may seem expensive but they last a lifetime if used properly. High-quality tools are an excellent investment
• Even skilled workers cannot do good work with poor tools
• U.S. customary system


  Traditional system of measurement in the US, based on familiar objects like foot, hand
• Metric system


  Used for scientific work in the US, units based on the meter and relate to each other by multiples of ten
• U.S. customary system remains dominant in the US, but metric system is gaining traction
• Many layout tools now incorporate both systems for convenience
• Tapes


  Flexible measuring devices that roll into a case, come in various lengths and materials
• Tapes


  • Some self-retract, have locks to hold the tape, or buttons to control movement
  • Most have a hook that slides its own thickness for accurate measurements when hooked or pushed against an object
• Folding rules


  Rigid measuring tools that range from 2 to 8 feet long and fold for storage
• Quality folding rules


  • Good wooden ones have spring-loaded buttons to stay open (spring-joint rules)
  • They are made from tough wood and have clear markings
  • Some have a sliding metal insert for accurate inside and depth measurements
• Calipers


  Instruments for diameter or thickness measurement, come in two types: inside calipers to measure interior distances, and outside calipers to measure the exterior of round objects
• Calipers

  • Basic calipers might require a separate ruler to measure their settings
  • Some have built-in dimension scales
  • Vernier calipers provide very precise measurements
• Gauges


  Devices used to determine thickness, gap in space, diameter of materials, or pressure of flow
• Framing square


  Most common square, used for drawing and checking 90-degree cuts (also called carpenter's square or steel square)
• Framing square


  • Made of steel with a body (24 inches) and a tongue (16 inches) forming a 90-degree angle at the heel
  • Has various scales for inside and outside measurements along the body and tongue
• Try square


  Used for checking cut accuracy and marking lines before cutting
• Combination square


  Multi-purpose tool combining several functions including a bubble level, steel ruler, depth gauge, and 45-degree miter square
• Sliding T bevel


  Used for laying out angles, allows adjusting the blade to the desired angle and length for marking bevels and other angles
• Using a square to mark a board

  Measure and mark the length of board desired

  2. Place the handle of the square firmly against the edge of the board

  3. Move the square until the blade is against the mark

  4. Hold a sharp pencil or knife against the blade and draw a line through the mark and across the board
• 6-8-10 method


  Practical method using a framing square and measurements for establishing precise 90-degree corners in large area projects
• 3-4-5 triangle method


  Method utilizing a right triangle with sides in the ratio of 3:4:5 for creating a 90-degree corner
• Dividers


  Used for marking circles and transferring measurements, have two sharp steel legs
• Scribers


  Used for marking circles and transferring measurements, have one steel leg and a pencil
• Spirit level


  Uses a bubble in a sealed tube to indicate level
• Line level


  Attached to a string to check level between distant points