Johnson Level Stud Square Measuring Tape Preview

Dan (host):  Hey guys its Dan with tools in action.  We are at the national hardware show 2011 hardware show and were here with one of our favorite level makers Johnson.  We are here with Amanda and Jim and Jim is going to walk you through some of the new products that they have this year for us.

Jim (Johnson rep):  one of the new things is a new tape.  Although it does not look like a new tape, it’s called the stud squared.  If you were to take a 2X4, and cut it off, this is the same dimension, same height same width as a 2X4.  And we did it because it’s made for the contractor who can do a variety of different things without having two tools.  We have a rafter square, and what we did is we took a rafter square, and a regular conventional tape and we put them together and we call it the stud squared.  The reason being, when you tape and you’re laying out a framers floor plate, he’ll mark on residential sixteen inches on center for his studs.  He’ll put his tape back into his pouch, pull out his rafter square, and mark where his 2X4 is going to go.  With this tape, you can mark your 16 on center, lay the tape down, there’s a center right here and all you do is mark it because it’s the same width of a 2X4 it eliminates using the rafter square or speed square.  Also, I have a door jam, and it’s a double studded frame, so its 2 2X4s.  this is the same width as a double 2X4, lay it down, I got my double 2X4 so I can just lay my framework for a window or a door jam.  I’m doing circumferences or radiuses, ten penny nail can go on the one inch mark.  I have a 25 inch radius, there is a one inch redial, from the front to the back of this tape.  This is also, the nail is on the one inch; so all I can do is I take and I can do my pivot and get my radius of 25 inches exact. 

I’m doing a 2X6 and I have to cut it.  The traditional way I make my mark 23 inches, put my tape back, take my rafter square, and make a line and do my saw cut.  Here I can make my mark, 25 inches, I have a slide out, and it pivots out and I can actually mark it, put it back in and I’m using one tool. 

I’m doing a micro beam.  All micro beams are marked on blueprints for the center because of the different widths.  You can take this tape, you will notice that there is an exact middle of this right here, on that notch, and I can mark my middle point of my micro beam.  Put it right there, put my mark, I’ve got 3 ½ inches and I can sit there and put my micro beam right over the top.  That is your stud square from Johnson level and tool.