Cloth Measuring Tapes

[Shawn Coyle]

Those of us who need to use cloth measuring tapes know their value, especially ones that have a good return mechanism (specifically where you can defeat the ratcheting mechanism with ease).
I've used a German brand, but they have been very hard to find in the UK and in North America. In fact, for two years, impossible to find!
Just found the exact ones at Lee Valley Tools - on line as well as in at least their Ottawa store.
The stock number is 45X1818, and the cost is about $3.50 each. Great tapes for flight test purposes and strongly recommended.

[onetrack]

Shawn, Lee Valley have an interesting range of tools and tapes, with a very comprehensive variety available - thanks for the heads up.
I can see a couple of their steel adhesive bench tapes making their way to my shop for quick measuring purposes.

However, the cloth tape and catalogue number you speak of, does not show up in any search I have made, neither on the Lee Valley website, nor using Google search.
In fact, I can't even find a tape that sells for as low as $3.50 anywhere on their site! I'm using the "international" version of their website, maybe your aforementioned tape is only available locally?

[Shawn Coyle]

I'll check with them today.

[Shawn Coyle]

Just checked - failing eyesight led me astray - correct part number is 45K1818, and so far it's a 'showroom only' item. They're trying to change that at my request -
I spoke to customer service, and they might (emphasis might) honor a special order (I would recommend four or more tapes at a time). Email [email protected] and see what happens.

[sycamore]

Shawn, a piece of knotted string,suitably colour-coded knots as reserve; or,wait for Christmas and see who gets the `tape-measure` toy in the `crackers....usually says `Made in China`...!

[DX Wombat]

Cloth measuring tapes are notorious for becoming inaccurate with use - as any good tailor or tailoress will tell you. Metal retractable ones are best or, failing that, a wooden ruler.

[cockney steve]

I didn't know you could get a special tape measure for measuring cloth!

The power of PPrune....yer lives and learns.:}

[john_tullamarine]

.. however ... beware ... there exist traps for young players.

Many decades ago I purchased a set of whatever secondhand kit it was .. which included a nice, if old, cloth tape of prodigious length.

Quick cal check - foot to foot - against a steel tape was fine. Just a pity that I didn't look at it a bit closer ...

First time I used this - without actually having had a close look at the device (I mean .. a tape measure is just a tape measure ... surely ?) - to run an aircraft reweigh I came up with some strange answers ... reweigh ... same strange answers ...

Eventually twigged to the fact that the tape was in feet, tenths and hundredths of feet ... only ever seen the one. Once the problem was identified the solution was trivial .. still, an interesting "gotcha".

[onetrack]

An earthmoving contractor mate used to gleefully relate how he would utilise the cloth 100' tape for measuring excavation work, whenever he encountered any particularly tight-fisted old farmer, who wanted discounts, free yardage, etc etc.
But the secret was, he'd make sure the 100' cloth tape got wet ("yeah, it was in the back of the ute when it rained") before he measured the excavation work.
As he got paid on excavated yards, 5% shrinkage in a wet cloth tape worked admirably for him. :)

[onetrack]

John, as I understand it, the "decimalisation" of feet and inches into 10ths was an American initiative in fine engineering work, particularly lathe and milling work, in the late 19th century and early 20th century.

The U.S. also adopted the "survey foot" which is a foot divided into tenths.

However, the American "yard" was redefined in 1959 to bring the U.S. into line with the yard used in the rest of the world - which left the "survey foot" as a different measure again!

Survey Foot versus International Foot: What?s the difference? | MicroStation Today (http://microstationtoday.com/microstation-tip-corner-survey-foot-versus-international-foot-whats-the-difference/)

Maybe one day, the U.S. will actually go fully metric, despite the metric system being French! :)
I've been informed that all major U.S. manufacturers have been prepared for changeover to metrication since the late 1970's, and could change virtually overnight.

[john_tullamarine]

One learns something new every day.

Certainly caught me out right proper .. it took a second cal check for me to notice that the "inches" were different on the two tapes .. and then the penny dropped.

[Shawn Coyle]

I only use the metric side of the tape, as it's much quicker to read and has very little chance of being mis-read.

[john_tullamarine]

.. unfortunately, I didn't have that choice ..