Measuring Tapes

[Papa-Bear-NYC]

I have a 100' steel tape (a Stanley) which is OK but I would like to get something with both metric and english units. The only thing I found was a 10'/3M tape which is of course too short.

 

I was thinking of a surveyors supply house but then I realized they probably don't even use tapes anymore. Everything is electronic, lasers, etc.

 

Any ideas of where to look?

[+NorthWes]

Actually, try the local surveyor supply house. Here in Anchorage AK 'Surveyors Exchange' has everything from steel tapes to the top-end geo stuff... and they sell metric/english only or combo tapes. Personally, I detest the combo tape - I've had to use one at work (building/installing highway signs) and am quite aware of how easy it would be to mess up and read the wrong number! Much prefer all metric or all english, and have equipped my personal tool bag with same.

[Z15]

I agree, those dual use tapes are asking for trouble. We use to have them at work and threw them out after we noticed some of the guys were using them incorrectly. More of a problem with how the tape was made, the 0 start was not in the same place on both sides of tape, the foot side started at the end while the metric did not. We had to go back and measure a weeks worth of work to make sure there were no mistakes. PS said, get rid of them NOW.

[+Holtie22]

I do a lot of business with these folks: Ben Meadows

[68-eldo]

I have a 100' steel tape (a Stanley) which is OK but I would like to get something with both metric and english units. The only thing I found was a 10'/3M tape which is of course too short.

 

I was thinking of a surveyors supply house but then I realized they probably don't even use tapes anymore. Everything is electronic, lasers, etc.

 

Any ideas of where to look?

 

I bought a 300 ft tape at Lowes for less than $30, but it has feet and inches on one side and feet and tenths on the other. I see Harbor Freight has a 330 Ft SAE and Metric tape for $20. I have not used it or even seen one so I cant say how good it is.

[mloser]

I got that 100 meter tape from Harbor Freight and used it once--the ring on the end of the tape is plastic and snapped the first time I used it, which made it completely useless for me as I usually jam a spike in the ground through the end hole of the tape so I can run a measurement. I guess I could try to fix it somehow but I just haven't bothered. It is on the floor of my car where I tossed it the day it broke. Also, even if the ring HADN'T broken I think it would have a tendency to slip off the spike unless the spike was angled backward to prevent it.

 

Now I just do what I did before I had a metric tape--pace off meters or convert them using the calculator on my Garmin (I multiply meters by 3 to get feet, then use that value as inches and add it to my feet value, since a meter is about 3 feet 3 inches. This seems accurate enough for benchmark work. So if a measurement is 14 meters I end up with 42 feet plus 42 inches, which is 45 feet 6 inches. I guess I could memorize the conversion factor, but I stink at that sort of thing and my technique works fine).

[68-eldo]

I got that 100 meter tape from Harbor Freight and used it once--the ring on the end of the tape is plastic and snapped the first time I used it, which made it completely useless for me as I usually jam a spike in the ground through the end hole of the tape so I can run a measurement. I guess I could try to fix it somehow but I just haven't bothered. It is on the floor of my car where I tossed it the day it broke. Also, even if the ring HADN'T broken I think it would have a tendency to slip off the spike unless the spike was angled backward to prevent it.

 

Now I just do what I did before I had a metric tape--pace off meters or convert them using the calculator on my Garmin (I multiply meters by 3 to get feet, then use that value as inches and add it to my feet value, since a meter is about 3 feet 3 inches. This seems accurate enough for benchmark work. So if a measurement is 14 meters I end up with 42 feet plus 42 inches, which is 45 feet 6 inches. I guess I could memorize the conversion factor, but I stink at that sort of thing and my technique works fine).

 

Thanks for the feedback about the Harbor Freight tape. Some of their stuff is good but some is junk. It looks like this tape is in the latter category. I wont direct people to that tape anymore. I think this is the tape I bought. It works well but like I say it has feet and inches on one side and feet and tenths of feet on the other. The two sides are different color so you are more likely to notice if you are on the wrong side of the tape. But it does not have metric on it. I carry a project calculator by Craftsman in the truck that does the metric to SAE conversion. The calculator cost $14 on sale.

[mloser]

I have a similar tape that also has decimal and inch sides, and unless I think about it I don't notice which side I use. When looking for a RM that is 75.8 feet from the station it really doesn't matter if you accidentally read the inch side and are 75' 8" away instead of 75' 9.6" away--the difference between x/10 and x/12 when searching for a benchmark is not important enough to matter. You will be close enough to see what you are finding, probe for it, or use your metal detector no matter which side of the tape you use.

 

Now all I need to remember is to multiply meters by 3.281!

[Zurcher]

Wondering why they use decimal feet...and not just feet and inches?

Is there such a thing, they, the surveyors use...as a tape with tenths of a foot divisions..tick marks...

I know, I know...if its 9.6 feet just take a bit more than 9 and a half foot!!

Z

[+Black Dog Trackers]

Zurcher -

 

I bought a 50 foot tape in feet and tenths a few months ago. It's an old surveyors tape, I figure. It is kinda weird that it is missing the "10" and "11" marks.

Edited December 17, 2006 by Black Dog Trackers

[Zurcher]

I think I've just solved my own problem, coming from Europe, shudda've known better....

scrap the tenths of a foot or inches stuff and just use the METRIC !!!! side of my tape! On a data sheet the boys will , as an example say : 26.67 meters ( 87.5 ) Ft......ok, in this case, 87 and a half foot or 6 inches, but can read off 26.67 real quick and easy.

Z

[Papa-Bear-NYC]

Wondering why they use decimal feet...and not just feet and inches?

Is there such a thing, they, the surveyors use...as a tape with tenths of a foot divisions..tick marks...

I know, I know...if its 9.6 feet just take a bit more than 9 and a half foot!!

Z

Decimal feet was (is?) commonly used by surveyors and engineers. Much easier for triangulation and other calculations. Don't know how widespread metric is now, but if you look into professional supply houses, decimal feet are very common.

[Z15]

Survyors don't work in inches, tenths of a foot is the norm. I my 30+ yrs in the profession they only plans I ever seen in inches were bridge plan's. The structure deminsions in inches but the alignment in feet and decimals. Carpenter's need inches to build forms.

 

I still get catalogs and in one of the sale ones there was a 150 ft vinyl plastic tape by Keson that was on sale for less the $40. Been a vg tape and has lasted several years of rough use.

 

As for Harbor Frieght, nothing but imported far east junk IMO.

Edited December 17, 2006 by Z15

[Cape Cod Cacher]

 

Now I just do what I did before I had a metric tape--pace off meters or convert them using the calculator on my Garmin (I multiply meters by 3 to get feet, then use that value as inches and add it to my feet value, since a meter is about 3 feet 3 inches. This seems accurate enough for benchmark work. So if a measurement is 14 meters I end up with 42 feet plus 42 inches, which is 45 feet 6 inches. I guess I could memorize the conversion factor, but I stink at that sort of thing and my technique works fine).

 

Why don't you just change the "Units of Measurement" to metric on your GPS?

Perhaps it's your particular model, my GPS-48 has Statute, Metric and Nautical. It's under the Nav Setup function. I've learned to check it as part of the warm up, Nautical charts don't work well when I'm st for USGS maps and vice-versa...

[+rovers3]

I have a 100' steel tape (a Stanley) which is OK but I would like to get something with both metric and english units. The only thing I found was a 10'/3M tape which is of course too short.

 

I was thinking of a surveyors supply house but then I realized they probably don't even use tapes anymore. Everything is electronic, lasers, etc.

 

Any ideas of where to look?

 

Look at any hardware store or building center in Canada, that's almost the only type that are available there for instance http://www.canadiantire.ca/home.jsp

[+Kewaneh & Shark]

I have a 100' steel tape (a Stanley) which is OK but I would like to get something with both metric and english units. The only thing I found was a 10'/3M tape which is of course too short.

 

I was thinking of a surveyors supply house but then I realized they probably don't even use tapes anymore. Everything is electronic, lasers, etc.

 

Any ideas of where to look?

 

Surveyors still use pocket tapes and longer steel and/or fiberglass tapes daily. There are times when the newer technologies are not as useful as a tried & true method of measurement. Here are a few places to look for tapes in inches, tenths of feet, and metric.

 

Alert-O-Lite - Catalog Page

 

Allen Instruments & Supplies - Catalog Page

 

EngineerSupply.com - Catalog Page

 

Essco Supply - Catalog Page

 

LoInk Specialties

 

SECO Manufacturing - Catalog Page

 

Chief Supply - Catalog Page

 

- Kewaneh