Prior to doing any measuring, carefully inspect the wood for nails and screws. Since we reuse so much lumber, it is very common to have fasteners left in. Be especially aware of nails or screws that have been broken off below the surface of the material. You want to make sure your mark does not fall directly over any such residual materials.Also, inspect the wood for warps or twists. For short pieces, you can often take a longer warped piece and cut it into shorter, relatively straight pieces. Just be sure that if the piece does have a warp or twist it will not hurt what you are constructing.
