Structural Reach

I locked onto a heavy yellow tape measure resting beside a steel toolbox on the entryway bench. You don't clear a perimeter without knowing exact structural tolerances. I gripped the metal hook with both hands, planted my boots on the pine plank, and hauled the blade out past three feet. The curved steel ribbon hummed under tension as I pushed for maximum cantilever. At four feet, gravity caught up—the blade buckled with a sharp metallic snap and whipped back toward the casing. It slapped against my thumbs with a heavy clatter, but I didn't give an inch. I jammed the thumb lock down. Four feet of rigid span confirmed.