Can we talk about how nobody knows how to read a tape measure anymore?

I been doing this for 25 years and I swear every new guy I work with cant figure out 16ths without counting on their fingers. Last week I had a kid tell me 3/16 plus 3/16 equals 6/32. I just stared at him for a good 10 seconds. Its not even hard stuff, we all learned it in high school shop class or on the job. But now everyone reaches for their phone calculator to add fractions and it slows everything down. I get it, tech is useful, but when youre on a ladder holding a board and the nail gun is in your other hand you need to know in your head. Any of you older guys notice this getting worse or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

janab821d ago

Oh man, 3/16 plus 3/16 is 6/16 not 6/32. That kid was off on the denominator too. But yeah, I get your point, fraction math is dying on job sites.

juliahall2d ago

Yeah I had the same thing with a guy who kept asking me to convert eighths to decimals on every cut. I told him just think of it like money, quarters and halves. Once I showed him 4/8 is half an inch like 50 cents is half a dollar it clicked. I still keep a cheap plastic fraction to decimal chart taped inside my tool box lid for quick reference, saved me a ton of headaches.