So obvious when you think about it

[FXST01]

Was reading one of the latest woodworking magazines, and one of his tips was:

"when working on a project use only one tape measure" Because no two tape measures are identical especially at the ends where one may have been bent.

Maybe this is why some of my jobs just aren't quite right. :D

Anyhow there's the tip.

[Groggy]

A lot of people use a ruler for small things, a tape for longer bits and the tape on their table saw for cutting. It can make for an interesting day :rolleyes: .

I once found I had a Lufkin tape that was logarithmic. Zero to 500mm was exact. 250mm to 500 was fairly good but between 0 and 250 was kind of stretched at the start and compressed at the end. Took a little while before I realised, now I have a "set" of matched measuring implements that may not be right, but they do agree with each other.

[artme]

Once built my own house. Had all sorts of trouble with the levels until I found it was wrong in both directions. Couldn't be adjusted, so had to buy a new one. I Nearly drove the hardware store staff to insanity with my testing. Then to double check I took it home and rigged up a water level!

Funny thing though my trusty tape measure was always 10 cms shot after having beer spilt on it. worked out that beer shrinks metal tape measures.:D:D:D

[FXST01]

I'm currently building a dolls house for my daughter and now I understand where I'm going wrong, been using the nearest tape measure and what do you know they are slightly different in measurements.

[echnidna]

and if you want really accurate measurements don't use the hook on the tape.
Start 100mm from the hook and align the mark by eye. That way it doesn't matter if the hook is bent etc.

[Chris Parks]

Use a tape measure as the last resort. A rule or story stick are far more accurate and with a story stick you don't translate the reading to something else in your head and cut the thing too short. I don't know how many times I have read a tape wrongly and cut short.

[Ian Smith]

don't know how many times I have read a tape wrongly and cut short.
You'd reckon that on the law of averages that you'd cut just as many too long as too short but that's not been my experience as the overwhelming majority are too short.

Just goes to show that the "foul-up fairy" is never far from your shoulder

Ian

[switt775]

Was reading one of the latest woodworking magazines, and one of his tips was:

"when working on a project use only one tape measure" Because no two tape measures are identical especially at the ends where one may have been bent.

Maybe this is why some of my jobs just aren't quite right. :D

Anyhow there's the tip.

What a relief!

It turns out I'm not sloppy after all. I just have too many tapes.:happyb::happyb:

[Manuka Jock]

and if you want really accurate measurements don't use the hook on the tape.
Start 100mm from the hook and align the mark by eye. That way it doesn't matter if the hook is bent etc.

It is an option , but Beware of the 'magic hundred disappearing ' . Often when using this method , things aren't a long as they should be ......

[Claw Hama]

I also push that word of WARNING. I started my apprenticship as a sheet metal worker and was taught to start from the 100 mark but be very, very, carefull because it's so easy to forget and all of a sudden you have to buy a new piece of whatever you have just cut too short. Stick to useing one tape or rule etc unless like Groggy says and you have a matched set as I do.

[fenderbelly]

how many times when we were apprentices were we told to measure twice cut once.:doh:

[Chris Parks]

I have been using Incra rules lately and must admit I like the fact that the measurement is actually set for you, no parralex error etc when marking off. The trouble is they are limited to 300mm long.

http://www.incra.com/product_measuring_marking_layout.htm

[Chipman]

Use a tape measure as the last resort. A rule or story stick are far more accurate and with a story stick you don't translate the reading to something else in your head and cut the thing too short. I don't know how many times I have read a tape wrongly and cut short.


I agree with mini... For many things, the exact measurement is not always important but rather that all the parts are consistent with each other. go the story stick!. I prefer a long steel rule and if using a tape measure always use the same one and tend to start at 100mm but it is important to measure atleast twice (even more when tired at the end of the day!):doh:
Isn't it strange that cutting mistakes always seem to end up short????? (mabe they are the ones we remember as the long ones get recut and endup right anyway)

Saw the strangest thing at school yesterday... I have just started teaching a year 9 woodwork class and discovered that they had been taught to cut their timber 2-5 mm longer and then sand it to length on a large disc sander!!!! Makes a really interesting fit up with out of square and rounded ends!

Chipman

[BobL]

I use 3 different tape measures. I keep one in each of two cars for when I go buy stuff and one in the shed. Not been a problem yet but I can see it could be.

[Sawdust Maker]

BobL
I used to do that but found they all migrated to the shed when I wasn't watching. or so it seemed, every time I wanted the one in the car it had disappeared :o

[justinmcf]

i buy 4 tapes a year, any more than a millimetre out is useless as far as i am concerned.

anybody want to buy some dirty, second hand, slightly damaged/ unreliable tape measures!

[Timber stacker]

I think I read the same thing in the Australian wood review. my two tapes tapes were 2mm out for every meter.

[ficfac]

any errors in your work? The tape did it! :(( stoopid tape. Sorry boss; can you buy me a new one...:D

[VXEXEC350]

Wow you guys are great, I thought it was just me

[scotty60]

i measure glass splashbacks etc for a living we have a tollerance 0 -2. i use stainless steel rulers to measure with 150,300 ,600,1000 and 2000. i will measure tight with rulers do my deductions and then double check sizes with tape measure. When i buy tape measures before i buy i get ruler off shelf and check the tape to see how accurate it is,i keep going till i find a spot on one.Even after using i still check them.Someone picked up in show us your shed i had 6 tape measures as of yesterday with a clean up i think i got ten now.I also have a Diso laser measure it cost $1200 its pretty accurate + or - 2 over 200 m.i have used on big jobs.But it all comes down to double checking your sizes and equipment.

scotty

[munruben]

I am always buying tape measures but for some reason the seem to vanish. Its the same with pens, They just vanish off the face of the earth. I am sure there is a pen heaven and I'm starting to think there is a tape measure heaven too.

[AUSSIE]

I am always buying tape measures but for some reason the seem to vanish. Its the same with pens, They just vanish off the face of the earth. I am sure there is a pen heaven and I'm starting to think there is a tape measure heaven too.

Measuring tapes have a built in electronic timer.when its time is up to vanish,it emits a strange nioseless signal after dark.Then the little elves that you have seen now and again down the back yard come running.They pick up the tape and take it back down the yard and drop it in a deep hole,never to be seen again.
Does that explain it.
The older the owner is the shorter the time is. If you are 40 the timer runs for 6 mths.
If you are 50 it is set for 2 months 60 1 month. and if you are 68 well you may be lucky to get it home and still find it
Pens seem to be a different story.They just seem to be fair game to any tea leaf.He wont miss it,or he can afford them more than me attitude

[rrich]

I have several tapes. (All Stanley Fat Max) I have checked them for accuracy against each other. Since I rarely use anything over 96 inches, I only check the first 96 inches. It is a PITA but I did compare each of the 96 graduations across all four tapes.

The surprising thing is that I didn't notice any graduation being off by more than a half of a 1/64.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

The older the owner is the shorter the time is. If you are 40 the timer runs for 6 mths.
If you are 50 it is set for 2 months 60 1 month. and if you are 68 well you may be lucky to get it home and still find it

:think:

My timer must be broken. I pick 'em up at Bunnies or wherever, put 'em on the cashiers counter while I reach for da wallet and never see them again. :~ (But I always seem to end up with tubes of silastic in the bag, even when I didn't buy any!)

Still, that's OK... it makes up for all the times I've borrowed a Bunnies tape to measure their timber lengths, only to get home and find it still clipped to my belt. :B

[jimbur]

Measuring tapes have a built in electronic timer.when its time is up to vanish,it emits a strange nioseless signal after dark.Then the little elves that you have seen now and again down the back yard come running.They pick up the tape and take it back down the yard and drop it in a deep hole,never to be seen again.
Does that explain it.
The older the owner is the shorter the time is. If you are 40 the timer runs for 6 mths.
If you are 50 it is set for 2 months 60 1 month. and if you are 68 well you may be lucky to get it home and still find it
Pens seem to be a different story.They just seem to be fair game to any tea leaf.He wont miss it,or he can afford them more than me attitude

you can find home????

[Barry_White]

Just today I was helping my brother-in-law put up an awning. I turned up just after he had put the beam on the props. so I decided to cut the posts to length.

He said to me I've measured from the beam to the concrete and I have marked the post where it has to be cut. I said to him have you allowed for the haunch in the post and he says yes.

So I cut the bottom off the post and attached the footing to bolt it to the concrete then took the post over to the beam to fix it in place and the post ends up short.

He says I measured it twice before I marked it turns out the post was 88mm short and then I said to him you measured it with the tape box on the concrete didn't you and forgot to add the size of the tape box onto the length. Cost me another hour to fix the problem.

Lesson I learnt was to never trust another persons measurements.

[Barry_White]

The surprising thing is that I didn't notice any graduation being off by more than a half of a 1/64.

With my eyesight today I couldn't read a 1/64 let alone a half of one.

[len07]

Hi - I work for an engineering company and we use tapes but ours are calibrated tapes that come in plastic boxes with certificates of calibration - these are much more accurate than a standard tape. Yes they do cost more