If there is one thing in the modern world that I detest more than anything else, it's the tape measure. Seriously, get on eBay and buy yourself a decent cloth tape measure f...
To read the rest of this blog entry from The Garage Journal, click here.
- Thread starter Ryan
- Start date
If there is one thing in the modern world that I detest more than anything else, it's the tape measure. Seriously, get on eBay and buy yourself a decent cloth tape measure f...
To read the rest of this blog entry from The Garage Journal, click here.
rsieracki
Well-known member
I grabbed a few of those at the flea market a few weeks ago, couldn't pass them up.
bazzateer
Well-known member
The PIRA used to booby-trap them. Leave one lying around with a few inches of tape hanging out, someone picks it up and reels in those few inches making a contact inside and 1/2 pound of Semtex takes their hands off/maims/kills them.
BWS
Well-known member
Somewhere?Theres a calc for the correct amt of "pull" exerted on a tape measure.
http://www.in.gov/indot/files/proced1chapter4.pdf
Dig around above link,my CRS is kickin in.
http://www.in.gov/indot/files/proced1chapter4.pdf
Dig around above link,my CRS is kickin in.
pain
Well-known member
I also have one that was my Grandfathers. I don't use it anymore but I will never get rid of it.
wnstwolf
Well-known member
One of the coolest tools I had handed down. Back in the 80's I found one that was meant to be a gag gift. The 12 inch increments were actually only 11". This was fine if only one person ever used it but when you had 2 people or more on a job and one yelled out I need a board at 14.5" you would come back 13.5 every time. It was funny at the time..
Great post for bringing out a little piece of yester year. Someday not too far off someone will post about the tape measure with the voice recorder built in so you don't forget what the measurment was walking over to the saw
Great post for bringing out a little piece of yester year. Someday not too far off someone will post about the tape measure with the voice recorder built in so you don't forget what the measurment was walking over to the saw
Inherited a hand full of different ones from my Dad and Grandpa.. hadn't thought much about using the cloth tapes till now.. cool idea...
Dad had a thing for measuring devices, so occasionally I'll use one of his favorites from his Ship Fitting days.. the steel folding ruler or one of the 5 or 6 other wooden versions he had.. guess they are other forgotten solider in the modern world...
I sill personally like the older metal tapes.. I use the hell out the little skinny 6' Lufkin that my Grandfather use to keep in his pocket... the other metal tape I love.. is my 12' framing tape with all the nail lengths, decimal equivalent and other good info printed on the back of the tape...
Dad had a thing for measuring devices, so occasionally I'll use one of his favorites from his Ship Fitting days.. the steel folding ruler or one of the 5 or 6 other wooden versions he had.. guess they are other forgotten solider in the modern world...
I sill personally like the older metal tapes.. I use the hell out the little skinny 6' Lufkin that my Grandfather use to keep in his pocket... the other metal tape I love.. is my 12' framing tape with all the nail lengths, decimal equivalent and other good info printed on the back of the tape...
timbitca
Well-known member
I can relate to this. My grandfather had a small Keuffel & Esser 12' tape like this one: http://hoboken.pastperfect-online.c...A31A60C8-BFC0-48C5-B0A2-169751753350&type=101 that I always carry on me when I'm back home working in the garage. Much better than the huge things we like to carry around today... I never take it away from home though, I'm too scared of losing it.
GarageEnvy
Well-known member
A few good memories with the cloth tapes and some poor ones too. The quality is great and they feel good in your hand. I work as a residential appraiser and I used a reel tape probably 4 hours a day. But then there was the downside. They collected muck. Reel it out across a wall and wind up mud dust and debris. Another appraiser unwound his reel tape across an upstairs wall and left a nice mud streak across the bedding, flooring and wall. I always carried an indoor and outdoor tape. Eventually I switched to a metal tape. The reel was smaller and it was easier to clean. Eventually they rusted but I had a Craftsman and always got a free replacement. I paid for one and went through about 25. Gee, I wonder why they don't offer that deal any more? The ultimate in quality and durability was the Bailey's logger tape I bought. Auto rewind and built like a tank. Unfortunately it was heavy and bulky.
Technology marches on. For the last 6 years I've only used my Leica Disto laser measure.
On one inspection I met a seasoned appraiser. I was about 21 and he was probably mid 60's. He asked how old I was and I told him. His response, "Hell, kid, I've got a tape measure older than you." He proudly produced his circa 1965 cloth tape.
Technology marches on. For the last 6 years I've only used my Leica Disto laser measure.
On one inspection I met a seasoned appraiser. I was about 21 and he was probably mid 60's. He asked how old I was and I told him. His response, "Hell, kid, I've got a tape measure older than you." He proudly produced his circa 1965 cloth tape.
fflintstone
Well-known member
Lufkin was based in saginaw or at least had a plant there so I see a fair amount of old lufkin tapes at yard sales. I picked up a cloth real tape for $0.50 a few weeks back. I picked up an ols folding steel rule last year.
for real mesuring though I use FAT max tapes. they are great IMO.
for real mesuring though I use FAT max tapes. they are great IMO.
marty_p
Well-known member
My Dad has one just like those. It makes the coolest spaceship-like sound when you reel it in. 
I'll try to get a pic or two of it this weekend...
I'll try to get a pic or two of it this weekend...Falcon67
Well-known member
I used to have my grand dad's tape and my dad's 50' job but have no idea where they got off to. I had not even thought about them until this post. Other than that, the only old tape I'm familiar with is one missing about 18 minutes.
Test Pilot
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2009
- Messages
- 46
Very cool post/thread.
Think I have at least a couple tapes of pretty much everything mentioned here, in addition to a 100' and 300' reels, and way too darn many of the HF freebies they've been couponing.
(Hey, they're free.)
Use the 3' keychain one way more often than I thought I ever would.
The inherited ones mostly collect dust but they will not be parted with in my lifetime.
Glad to know I'm not the only one.
Think I have at least a couple tapes of pretty much everything mentioned here, in addition to a 100' and 300' reels, and way too darn many of the HF freebies they've been couponing.
(Hey, they're free.) Use the 3' keychain one way more often than I thought I ever would.
The inherited ones mostly collect dust but they will not be parted with in my lifetime.
Glad to know I'm not the only one.
toolmiser
Well-known member
I've also seemed to acquire a few of them. My Six year old daughter who usually isn't into tools got to looking one over and found out how new the rewind knob popped out. Maybe she understands how the old man is fascinated with old tools.
CAOS
Well-known member
Dont cloth tapes have some stretch to them?
rick carpenter
Well-known member
Cool and useful, yes, I have one. Handy on a ladder, no.
Okie Pete
Well-known member
I used a seamstress cloth tape to transfer measurments from the stock rear fender to the repop front fender on my 45. Worked great on the curved surface.
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
I've got these two old types you can see in the photo below (sorry for the lousy cell photo). Both are stainless steel, NOT cloth.
The dark one was my father's and he passed away in 1990. I know for a fact he'd had it since I was a kid and I'm 57 now so its pretty old.
Wouldn't cloth fray and stretch over time?
The dark one was my father's and he passed away in 1990. I know for a fact he'd had it since I was a kid and I'm 57 now so its pretty old.
Wouldn't cloth fray and stretch over time?
Wouldn't cloth fray and stretch over time?[/QUOTE]
Yes they did. In the early '60's&'70's my father owned a carpet installation company. Dad used to cut up the carpet rolls to the room sizes and used the dark brown 50' Lufkins. He wore out a bunch of them. I still have one that I used. If posting pictures wasn't such a hassle I would dig it out and show it.
Yes they did. In the early '60's&'70's my father owned a carpet installation company. Dad used to cut up the carpet rolls to the room sizes and used the dark brown 50' Lufkins. He wore out a bunch of them. I still have one that I used. If posting pictures wasn't such a hassle I would dig it out and show it.
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
Ha ha, I don't even remember when I got that. Those tapes are pretty much the tapes I DON'T use. That's why they're on that little toy.
I had one of those dump trucks when I was a kid (yeah a long time ago) and it hauled a lot of dirt. We had a vacant lot next to the house and we meaning the neighborhood kid built a sub division in ti with our trucks and graders and etc. Thanks for the memories, hadn't thought of that in a long time!
ddawg16
Well-known member
You made me get up, walk outside in my pj bottoms and barefoot to my garage...get my tape measure, bring it back in and take a pic so I could share it......
Mikea57
Well-known member
I've still got my Dad's that was a South Central Bell throw-away. It's a 100' and the leather covering is getting worn, but it still measures fine. It sure is handy when you need to measure a long length!
carhunter
Well-known member
Did you lose yours?
I just bought an identical one the other day. What a great design.Its too nice to use regularly though...I'm afraid to lose it as well
GreyOwl
Well-known member
I have two, a Craftsman 50' and a Lufkin 100' but the Lufkin has the covering coming loose and shrinking. Has anyone replaced the leather covers yet?
timbitca
Well-known member
Did you lose yours?
Its too nice to use regularly though...I'm afraid to lose it as well
No... I never really let it out of sight long enough to take chances... Last time I used it I put it down in the wrong place by accident then it later took me almost 10 minutes to find it, I was just about to start freaking out when I found it.
If I come across another one I'll probably buy it so I can use it, and save my grandpa's as a keepsake. A 25' tape is fine... but day-to-day a 12' is usually more than enough for around the house/office and much easier to carry. Not to mention that small quality tapes like that are getting harder to find, I know I can never find anything good around here besides the 2$ keychain tapes that aren't worth even that.
The only instance where a cloth tape would be better over a metal tape that i can think of is when you're going over a curve. Maybe if you're measuring over a painted surface that you don't want to scratch. I have one cloth tape and it's about shot because the cloth is wore away to only a few threads.
Metal tapes are nice because you can be in a room full of ****, extend the tape out 6 feet over the mess and measure something up. They also are more durable and their accuracy doesn't degrade over time.
Metal tapes are nice because you can be in a room full of ****, extend the tape out 6 feet over the mess and measure something up. They also are more durable and their accuracy doesn't degrade over time.
I have a couple of vintage 6' steel tapes. I like them, but never use them for fear of tearing them up as I do the ones I do use. So, they are for sale. Ryan mentioned where, but I think the rules say I can't. Oh, I guess I just put 'em up for sale here, too!
Attachments
Having a BS degree in Surveying and Mapping, I've played with a few different measuring instruments. I have an old leather covered Dietzgen 50' steel tape I picked up for a song at a local estate sale. The previous owner was an aircraft machinist, and took good care of his tools.
Being a Surveyor, I commonly have a 25' pocket tape around in increments of feet, tenths of feet, and hundredths of feet. On a few occasions, I have been wandering through the local salvage store and had other customers notice the pocket tape on my hip and want to borrow my pocket tape to measure something. When I explain that it is NOT a common pocket tape in feet and inches, most folks stare back in amazement that I would carry such a thing. I find 5.43 much easier to remember than 5' 5-5/32". Americans detest the metric system, but a pocket tape in feet, tenths, and hundreths becomes quite simple to use. I've always been surprised more people haven't adopted surveyors tapes.
If you want complicated measurements, we could talk Poles, Rods, Chains and Links. If anyone knows where to find a surveyors "Gunter's Chain", PM me.
Being a Surveyor, I commonly have a 25' pocket tape around in increments of feet, tenths of feet, and hundredths of feet. On a few occasions, I have been wandering through the local salvage store and had other customers notice the pocket tape on my hip and want to borrow my pocket tape to measure something. When I explain that it is NOT a common pocket tape in feet and inches, most folks stare back in amazement that I would carry such a thing. I find 5.43 much easier to remember than 5' 5-5/32". Americans detest the metric system, but a pocket tape in feet, tenths, and hundreths becomes quite simple to use. I've always been surprised more people haven't adopted surveyors tapes.
If you want complicated measurements, we could talk Poles, Rods, Chains and Links. If anyone knows where to find a surveyors "Gunter's Chain", PM me.
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
There are a few places out there that sell leather for recovering vintage cameras, here's one: http://www.cameraleather.com/colors/restoration_black.htm It looks like it would work for these old tapes as well.
There you go again, Garage Journal.
$10.50 on Ebay:
Those guys used to make slide rules.
$10.50 on Ebay:
Those guys used to make slide rules.
