Handy tips to increase the level of accuracy when measuring up

They say measure twice cut once, but that only works when your measurements are accurate

Accuracy is so important in so many things, not least when you are creating neat and precise joinery on a piece of fine furniture. For various reasons this became the topic of conversation in the Highwood Furniture workshop recently.

When planning and designing a piece of bespoke furniture we will visit your home wherever possible, and will certainly visit to measure up ahead of building anything that will be fitted (i.e. wardrobes, kitchens, window seats, shelving, etc). While it is not totally crucial, having an idea of size from the start can help with those early conversations. Rough measurements are all that are needed at this stage.

However, if you are wanting to measure more accurately there are a few things to take into consideration. , For example, do you know why the “hook” at the end of your tape measure moves a little? Exactly the thickness of the hook to be precise. The reason for this is to allow the measurement to be accurate whether you are measuring from the inside of a piece, or outside.

For example - when measuring the length of, say the inside of a drawer, where the full length of what you want to measure in your cabinet or other item is contained, the hook will contract into the tape to ensure that you aren’t adding any extra onto your measurement because of the thickness of hook.

Where you are measuring something that calls for hooking the tape measure over the edge; i.e. the top of your cabinet (or table, shelf, or plank of wood, etc) the hook extends. This compensates for the hooks own thickness that is overhanging the edge of the length you are measuring.

Genius eh?

And one of those pieces of information that is common sense obvious to those of you who know, but you don’t know what you don’t know until you find out!

Some other tips for accurate measurement:

Keep your measuring tape straight and tight. For longer lengths having two people definitely helps.
Ensure your tape measure is in good condition; consider if you have an older tape measure could it be stretched or bent, or the hook at the end worn?
Read the measurement at eye level, in line with the point you are measuring to.
Check your unit of measurement - I have yet to actually compare, but I imagine a 190cm long bed is much comfier than a 190mm one!

Picture of tape measure on wooden surface with small amount of measure tape showing

Welcome to our blog, where we will share our latest projects, as well as handy tips and tricks to help you with your projects.

Our business values are rooted in local, sustainable, high quality, and we feel lucky to be part of the vibrant rural community in and around the village of Alyth in Perthshire where we live and work.

The products that come out of Highwood Furniture are born out of a love for the craft and the wood that we create them from. An unanticipated pleasure that we discovered when we started taking our products out to local markets in 2023 was the many conversations we have had with local woodworkers and enthusiasts from every level. Starting this blog we hope will offer a way to continue that throughout the year.

There is no doubt that some of the items we produce could not happen without the many hours of practice, study, trial, error, learning, and tears that have gone before we even start planning. However, there are some simple hints and tips that are at the core of everything, and we love to share these where we can. We also love to share some of the techniques and materials that go into some of our more complex projects. We don’t claim to be anywhere close to knowing all there is to know. We are learning all the time, and the nature of what we do means that we are constantly developing and changing how we work to embrace and explore new design and construction possibilities.

We invite you to join us on our journey. Learning comes from every question we are asked, as well as from shared experience or design/technical ideas. We know that those of you who love the products that we make are people who understand and are interested in quality and craftmanship. Which gives us very little place to hide! So it is good for us that we want to share it with you. If our clients and community aren’t part of the process that is involved in making our furniture then we aren’t making it in the way that we aspire to.

Picture of Hannah (on left) and Colin (on right) in Highwood Furniture workshop, showing timber racked in the background and tools on the wall. Both have safety glasses on head, and ear protection (Colin round his neck, and Hannah in her hands).