For anyone who has created wood projects has come face to face with the “padding” in measurements of common wood stock. There is a well-known saying, measure twice cut once, but there is another one that is lesser known that is Measure Accurately, Buy Once. All that means is be sure to know the actual measurements of the wood you are buying, before going out and buying it so you can gather the correct amount of materials needed the first time.

It would be nice to have 2x4 be actually 2x4 but it's 1.5 x 3.5 and everyone knows round numbers are easier to use, but making a bench, cabinets or a desk that need to fit exactly in a spot, you are going to need exact measurements.

When you are studding out a wall, it doesn't really matter a great deal, but when you are building more precise projects, those .5”'s can add up quickly. Thanks to Lee Wallender at The Spruce for putting together an article that explains this is great detail, but here is a cheat sheet that will cover the most common pieces. This should help ensure that your pieces are going to fit and measure up to what you think they should.

Everyone knows or should know of WD-40, mainly because it’s great for squeaks and bikes, and commonly known applications, but there are many, many more. There’s 1001 uses that WD40 gets used for other than lubricating spray. Personally, have used it mainly for tools and keeping my bike and equipment running smoothly, but there are all kinds of uses and they keep coming. The latest use I have found was removing Flex Seal from a metal gear.