Whether you’re working with Imperial or metric units, figuring out fractional marks is not rocket science. Let’s get past the most fear-inducing part of the measuring process. Belt ClipĪ belt clip isn’t necessary, but if you are juggling tape measure, pencil, and paper, you may appreciate having the ability to hang your tool on the top of your pocket. Whether you’re pulling the hook with your left or right hand, there will always be a measurement written right side up for you to read. This home-planning gadget has the correct measurements written on both edges of the blade. It’s a must when working alone, and why wouldn’t you be working alone? You can do this! Lefty Righty Measuring Tape The thumb lock on top of the retractable tape measure stops the tape from extending or retracting on its own. Again, super handy when you are DIY-ing by yourself. The rigid measuring surface, called the blade, is concave in the center, allowing it to stay firm while you measure. Unlike tailor’s tape, a retractable measuring tape coils itself up when you are finished working and extends with a little tug. The retractable tape measure is indispensable for the home designer. Press it into your wood for an accurate measurement when you don’t have a pencil handy. The metal hook often has a serrated edge that you can use as a scribing tool. You can tap a nail into the edge of your piece of wood, hook the nail grab and let the tape measure extend from there. The tiny hole at the end of the tang, also called a nail grab, makes it easy to keep the end of your measuring tape stationary while measuring something large. The extra length compensates for its being on the outside of the wall or outside of your measurement. However, if you use the hook to grab the edge of a wall, as you pull the tape measure, the tang extends 1/16 of an inch from the end of your tape. It is exactly 1/16 of an inch so that when the hook sits inside of an area to be measured, like a shelf, it becomes part of your measurement and is zero - no need to add length. That wobbly itty-bitty piece of metal is a design marvel, perhaps more so than Tang, the drink of choice of NASA’s 1960s astronaut lineup. The tang allows you to walk away, extending the measuring tape to the far edge for an accurate reading with no additional help holding it in place: Very useful when taking measurements alone. The metal hook, or tang, at the end of the tape grabs the surface you’re measuring, like the edge of a table. It’s an easy way to get a read on a corner. You may need to add this number to your calculations when measuring the inside of a cabinet where you use the case itself as part of the measurement. A lighter material, like rubber, is easier to carry around and may not chip tile if you drop it on the floor - just something to consider.Įach case has its own exact measurement printed on the outside. Metal tape measures were invented by the hoop skirt designers of the 18th century, but many new forms have been developed since then.Īll-metal tape measures can be heavy, which you may find helpful when needing a counterweight to keep the tape from bending. The best tape measure, however, is the one you have on you and that you know how to use for precise measurements. There are lots of different options when it comes to tape measures.
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