tape measure storage

[pudgybear]

How do you store your tape measures? I have seen some on peg board - others just thrown on the table tops,,,,, I have even seen a small wire basket on the peg board, i am looking for a really neat organizing trick!

 

[MP&C]

I have a rack of sheet metal cut to 24" x 48" and normally have at least two tape measures just clipped to the top of one of the outside sheets. Obviously when this pic was taken they were laying on the welding table..

 

[Hpozzuoli]

The rest are stuffed in my over flow boxes and on my bench. I use this one the most so I made a spot for it so I would know where it is....or isn't!

 

[Fcvapor05]

In a drawer in my box.

Which is actually REALLY annoying, because I'm OCD, and all my 'measurement' stuff- thread gages, digital calipers, feeler gages, scales, protractor, micrometers, etc ad nauseum, all fit in a 2" drawer in my snap on box. My tape measure (I only have 1) DOESN'T FIT. Argh. This annoys me to no end.

 

[coljar]

Apparently, I like to see what all is in my shop, because I'll see it all before I find any of my tape measures. They are the one tool that do not have a defined location. I'm seeing from what I've read that some of you have the same problem.

 

[Zeke]

The belt clips are handy to use anywhere and can easily be made.

 

[58Yeoman]

I don't have pix, but mine are just clipped to the front of my Gorilla bench drawer fronts.

 

[APEowner]

I keep one clipped to the lip on the side shelf of my main automotive tool box and another clipped to the lip on the side of the bottom box that I use for machine shop tooling. There's also one clipped to the tool belt that I wear when I'm playing construction dude.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I keep a tape measure in every tool box and one in every vehicle. I keep one at my computer desk in the office as well. They are cheap and more handy to have where you are rather than where you aren't.

That said, my favorite go to tape measure has a bit of fluorescent surveyor's tape hanging off the back as a flag to make it very visible and easy to spot when I'm out in the yard or driveway working on a project.

 

[chipper]

Hacksaw blade screwed to a bench or pegboard will hold the beltclips

 

[Big Bad Pete]

I made a small holder out of some scrap aluminum and mounted it on the side of my bench. I put another on the other side of the bench so I always a tape close.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/73301365@N05/14437183279" title="Tape Measure Holder by Big Bad Pete, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3893/14437183279_8805b23b5f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Tape Measure Holder"></a>

 

[DEnd]

My 100' and 200' are on a nail on the wall, for the small ones I got one in my metal working box, one in my carpentry box, one in my mechanics box, one near the chop saw, one by the table saw, one's on my desk, one on my dads' desk, one in the pantry, and one in the junk drawer, I have a tailors tape at the sewing machine, and in my sewing kit, and in the secretary (where we keep wrapping paper). Yet somehow when I need to measure something I have to hunt one down...

 

[Steevo]

I probably own twenty or thirty tape measures, and try to keep them all distributed to general areas, so that I always have one near to hand. My biggest challenge is not leaving one somewhere outside it's "territory", so I don't have to go looking.
I have several in my shop, one on the bench, one on the welding table, and one near the horizontal band saw.
In the garage, there are several on the workbench, one near the table saw, one near the miter saw, and one on the wall near the garage door for "outside" use.
In the house, there are long and short ones in the kitchen drawer, one in the utility room, and one always kept downstairs in the basement "craft" room.

 

[TOOL_MONGER]

ditto as stated above... I have several and if there isnt a convenient place to clip it to i just make a small tab to clip it to.

 

[DEnd]

I probably own twenty or thirty tape measures, and try to keep them all distributed to general areas, so that I always have one near to hand. My biggest challenge is not leaving one somewhere outside it's "territory", so I don't have to go looking.

I look right at something and not see it, its a neat trick I learned from my parents. (my parents are both blind so they have an excuse)

 

[Justanoldguy]

I have a dozen or so and just leave them lying around the workshop where ever I used them last.
And one I have clipped to my belt (usually) for when I wander outside.
Never been fanatical about putting them anywhere special.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I have a dozen or so and just leave them lying around the workshop where ever I used them last.
And one I have clipped to my belt (usually) for when I wander outside.
Never been fanatical about putting them anywhere special.

Same here, and I always find the one with the broken hook first, the one with a kink next and then the one that doesn't rewind nicely. Eventually I find the one I want in the last place I look.

 

[steel 35]

I keep the over flow in a socket tray clipped to the dividing rail under the lid of a Kennedy box.
The rest of them are strategically placed on top of a pile until something else gets put on them.

 

[stage20]

I keep all mine in drawer in my workbench but I know taking off he clip and gluing a magnet on works for some metal fab guys I know

 

[lotsoftools]

I've tried and tried to keep them organized but just can't. I mostly just leave them where they lay. I also have a drawer on the workbench I try to keep extras in.

 

[Gizmosity]

http://www.bobstools.net/Store/715042.html

Worn out a dozen or so similar to this in the last 25 years. I get dressed, it goes on my belt. Stays there all day. Take it off when I'm done working for the day.....repeat.

I have "special" tapes (100 foot, center finder, metric, etc.) stored in a toolbox drawer but a 16 foot Stanley tape is ALWAYS on my right hip. I get the holster because I got tired of my right pocket on my jeans wearing out before my jeans do.

 

[nicksnothereman]

How do you store your tape measures? I have seen some on peg board - others just thrown on the table tops,,,,, I have even seen a small wire basket on the peg board, i am looking for a really neat organizing trick!

Depends if it's rigid or not (meter stick or folding jim jam). The roll ones I only keep one out and in a nice leather holster I picked up from one of the stores (on a hook basically). No real reason to have more than one tape measure out (or to own!) if you work alone...just get a good quality tape measure with a good blade. I work with less most of the time (free harbor freight measure) but most of the stuff I build (wood wise) I don't require a ton of precision.

 

[Playwme]

I've got a whole bunch of them. I keep them everywhere except where I need them. It's a special skill of mine.

 

[sberry]

Its a problem, I need to get a couple more. Bought 2 on sale and then found out why.

 

[Premium08]

Piece of thin threshold material

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[rieferman]

I was taught to use the same tape measure through an entire project whenever possible for sake of accuracy. I have yet to personally proove that this is worthwhile, and it obviously matters more on certain projects (e.g. woodworking) than others (e.g. carpentry), but I try to stick to it in general.

I have a 25 footer that sits on top of my primary tool box and gets used for most carpentry tasks. My 12 footer sits next to my assembly table and gets used for most woodworking projects. And in specialty tool boxes that tend to travel around (e.g. electrical, plumbing) I have dedicated 16 footers that live permanently within.

I clip to my pocket during the project. It does wear out the pocket pretty quickly as noted above, but most of my jeans and work pants get killed pretty quickly anyways.

 

[Arps]

I have a measure stuff drawer.
Tape, calipers, etc