A tile square includes a right isosceles triangular substantially rigid transparent sheet with ruler indicia adjacent to the hypotenuse and one of the equal sides. A fence is provided along the other equal side. A plurality of templates are formed in the sheet between the sides and hypotenuse. The templates include a plurality of holes for a range of pipe sizes and a series of arcs defining peripheral boundaries of a closet or toilet flange. The equal sides of the tool are at least 18 inches in length.

A tile square includes a right isosceles triangular substantially rigid transparent sheet with ruler indicia adjacent to the hypotenuse and one of the equal sides. A fence is provided along the other equal side. A plurality of templates are formed in the sheet between the sides and hypotenuse. The templates include a plurality of holes for a range of pipe sizes and a series of arcs defining peripheral boundaries of a closet or toilet flange. The equal sides of the tool are at least 18 inches in length.

A layout tool is provided for use in marking a work piece to be cut. The layout tool includes a generally flat body having an even surface, a linear edge, locating indicia adjacent the linear edge, and a gripper attached to the flat body. The gripper is movable from an initial position. In the initial position, the gripper is generally aligned with the even surface of the flat body. The gripper can be moved toward the work piece from the initial position to engage the work piece when the flat body overlies the work piece.

A layout tool is provided for use in marking a work piece to be cut. The layout tool includes a generally flat body having an even surface, a linear edge, locating indicia adjacent the linear edge, and a gripper attached to the flat body. The gripper is movable from an initial position. In the initial position, the gripper is generally aligned with the even surface of the flat body. The gripper can be moved toward the work piece from the initial position to engage the work piece when the flat body overlies the work piece.

A hardboard installation support apparatus for mounting hardboard for board and batten siding installations includes a support bracket having a bracket front side, a bracket back side, a bracket top edge, a bracket bottom edge, a bracket left edge, and a bracket right edge. The supper bracket has a pair of mounting apertures extending from the bracket front side through the bracket back side. The pair of mounting apertures receives hardware to engage a building. A measurement indicator is coupled to the bracket front side and indicates a vertical distance from the bracket bottom edge. A support lip is coupled to the support bracket. The support lip is coupled to the bracket bottom edge and extends away from the bracket front side. The support lip and the bracket front side form an angle between 90° and 100°.

A hardboard installation support apparatus for mounting hardboard for board and batten siding installations includes a support bracket having a bracket front side, a bracket back side, a bracket top edge, a bracket bottom edge, a bracket left edge, and a bracket right edge. The supper bracket has a pair of mounting apertures extending from the bracket front side through the bracket back side. The pair of mounting apertures receives hardware to engage a building. A measurement indicator is coupled to the bracket front side and indicates a vertical distance from the bracket bottom edge. A support lip is coupled to the support bracket. The support lip is coupled to the bracket bottom edge and extends away from the bracket front side. The support lip and the bracket front side form an angle between 90° and 100°.

The template-marking tool for installing conduit may comprise a template for locating the center of a new conduit aperture on a junction box. The template may be pressed against a wall of the junction box and may slide along the junction box until a first mark shows at one of a plurality of alignment slots. A second mark may be made on the junction box at one of a plurality of centering apertures. The new conduit aperture may be drilled at the second mark to create an aperture for accepting a conduit connector that an individual conduit will couple to. A plurality of indicia may be adapted to guide a user in selecting one of the plurality of centering apertures on the template based upon the size of a conduit support strut and the diameter of the individual conduit.

A measuring ruler, tape or other instrument having a straight edge located along at least one length of the ruler. The ruler has a first surface having a background color, and a second opposed surface. The ruler also has a set of spaced apart indicia located on the first surface along the at least one length. The indicia are oriented perpendicular to the straight edge. The width of the first indicium and last indicium of a whole number unit measurement length appear half as wide as the width of all remaining fractional indicia.

A measuring ruler, tape or other instrument having a straight edge located along at least one length of the ruler. The ruler has a first surface having a background color, and a second opposed surface. The ruler also has a set of spaced apart indicia located on the first surface along the at least one length. The indicia are oriented perpendicular to the straight edge. The width of the first indicium and last indicium of a whole number unit measurement length appear half as wide as the width of all remaining fractional indicia.

A method for rapidly measuring the roller pass major semi-axis of a three-roller reducing mill to improve the outer-diameter precision and surface quality of a steel pipe includes selecting a corresponding value of the average diameter of an elliptical pass, a value of a first major semi-axis, and a value of a minor semi-axis according to a rack station number of a special numerical control lathe; calculating a value of a first line segment according to an elliptic equation, the obtained value of the first major semi-axis, and the obtained value of the minor semi-axis; calculating a value of a second major semi-axis according to the right-angle triangle theorem and the value of the first line segment; and measuring a value of the first dimension by attaching three claws of a three-claw internal micrometer to three roller gaps.