1.  It can be hard to measure a door opening or other inside dimension accurately. Instead of using your tape measure, find a couple of sticks that are shorter than the space and clamp or tape them together so that their ends touch the sides of the opening. Then go find your tape and measure the length of the joined sticks.

2.  Accurately measuring the length of a curved surface can be tricky as well. An easy way is to apply masking tape to the edge of the curve and then cut the ends to fit. Pull the tape off and lay it flat to measure the length.

3.  To measure the angle of any sloped edge (a roof or ramp for example), use a rafter square and a level. Hold the square against the edge and level one leg. Then, note the lengths on the legs of the square where the slope intersects them. You can recreate the angle with the square and a straight edge that passes through the identical points on the legs. Got a calculator with trig functions? The angle is the arc-tan of the vertical length divided by the horizontal length.

4.  If you’re using a level and things still look cockeyed, maybe your level is out of whack. Test it by laying it on a horizontal surface and shimming one end until the bubble is centered. Then turn the level end for end. If the bubble is off center, plan a trip to your favorite tool store.

5. If you’re marking in the shop and you want to create a smooth curve, a trick is to use a length of light-gauge copper wire. Strip the plastic sheathing and straighten the wire by clamping one end in a vise and stretching the other end with pliers. Then, gently bend it to the desired curve, holding it down at points with masking tape. —Tom Klenck

EARLIER: 4 Better Ways to Measure: Skill Set