Objectives After studying this chapter, you should be able to: • Distinguish between measuring, marking, and layout tools. • Lay out lines and geometric shapes. • Transfer shapes to working material. • Maintain measurement and layout tools. Technical Terms Accurate measurement and layout is essential for high quality cabinetmaking. You must be able to transfer the shapes of your design onto your materi- als. With skillful measuring, you can mark, cut, and assemble parts with precision. Much of cabinetmaking relies on square edges and joints. Squareness simply means that all corners angle divider arcs bench square brace measure table caliper centering rule combination square detail pattern flexible rule framing square half pattern hermaphrodite caliper inside caliper layout rod layout tools marking gauge measuring tools octagon scale outside caliper profile gauge rigid folding rule shop measurement standard slide caliper sliding T-bevel square square grid pattern squareness story pole tape measure template trammel points try square join at a 90° angle. See Figure 12-1. When a piece is not cut square, or two pieces are not assembled square, the entire cabinet is affected. This chapter describes how to mark accurate geometric shapes on your materials. A number of tools are used by cabinetmakers to complete layouts. These include marking, measuring, and layout tools. 12.1 Marking Tools Most cabinetmakers mark with pencil. A sharp pencil will make an accurate line. Remove pencil marks with an eraser before sanding. A knife or Photo courtesy of Crown Point Cabinetry Figure 12-1. The manufacture of high quality products requires materials that are accurately measured, laid out, and cut. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 149 Measuring, Marking, and Laying Out Materials CHAPTER 12