WEBVTT

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Hi, I'm Steve Smith with Camper Van

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Freedom. Today I'm going through three measuring

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tools from my van build: the Komelon

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Self-Lock tape measure, the IRWIN carpenter square,

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and the seven-inch SWANSON Speed Square.

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The tape did the measuring I needed,

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with a drawback on longer runs.

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Both squares worked well for me.

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The Komelon tape was an inexpensive option

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that worked during the build.

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It felt less substantial than more expensive

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tapes, and the blade did not stay

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stiff on longer runs.

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That was the limitation I noticed.

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Its compact case, retractable blade and self-locking

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format are different things to compare from

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how rigid the blade feels when extended.

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The IRWIN carpenter square gave me a

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reference for corners and measurements on wood

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and other materials. I used it,

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it worked well, and I recommend it.

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The matching picture shows the two straight

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legs of this steel carpenter-square format.

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That shape gives a different reference-edge arrangement

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from a compact triangular square.

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The SWANSON Speed Square also worked well

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for accurate corners and measurements on wood

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and other materials. I recommend this one

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too. Its seven-inch triangular body and board-edge

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fence make it a different shape to

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handle and place against a workpiece.

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These are two actual tools in my

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review, even though their product pages also

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compare them as alternatives to each other.

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Distance and corner layout are related,

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but separate jobs. A tape establishes a

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distance between points. A square provides a

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reference for a perpendicular line or corner.

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The diagram shows that relationship without turning

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it into a measurement of a particular

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van part. This workshop footage illustrates measuring

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and a workbench setup,

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alongside the exact tools from my kit.

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My drawer photographs show why the layout

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stage mattered in the build.

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The project moved from a measured timber

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frame to an assembled drawer with a

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base and rubber lining.

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Those stages changed the access around the

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frame. The open-frame and lined-drawer pictures are

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my actual project context,

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rather than a claim that every measurement

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in the pictures was made with one

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particular tool. The Komelon page compares DEWALT

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ToughSeries and STANLEY PowerLock tapes.

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Their pictures show two other retractable-tape formats,

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with different case and blade-lock arrangements.

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They are buying alternatives here,

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not tapes I am adding a firsthand

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performance review for. The square pages also

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include a Klein seven-inch rafter square.

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It keeps the compact triangular format,

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while the IRWIN carpenter square uses the

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longer two-leg arrangement. Klein is the additional

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alternative. My actual recommendations in this group

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are the IRWIN and SWANSON squares I

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used. Thanks for watching.

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I'm Steve Smith with Camper Van Freedom.

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The three product pages,

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matching pictures and current Amazon buying options

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are linked below. My takeaway: the inexpensive

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Komelon worked for my measuring needs but

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lost blade stiffness over longer runs,

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and both the IRWIN and SWANSON squares

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worked well for me.

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Until next time.