Precision measuring tapes?

[Cliff Holmes]

Anyone know a source for a good, precision measuring tape? I was getting frustrated with some measuring errors, so I lined up my 4 measuring tapes. None of them agreed with each other, with a variation of 3/16" at 8'

Ideally, I'd like it to be small to carry in a tool apron. Probably a locator beacon, too.

[glenn bradley]

I picked up a set of steel rules that all matched and took a chance on a couple of LV tapes and hoped they'd match. The tapes matched up great. So much better than any of my others. My old tapes are now in tool boxes and places where 1/8" accuracy is acceptable. The LV tape and rules are on my bench with the spare tape by my TS.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32568&cat=1,43513,43519

The 24" rule had a slight discrepancy at about the 19" or 20" mark. LV exchanged it quickly and easily for one that matched perfectly.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32562&cat=1,43513,43003

There's nothing like a right-to-left tape for us right handed folks. Now I can hold the tape and make a mark with my good hand. Its great to be able to get items of this quality for such a reasonable price. I've been using these so long now, I've forgotten what its like to be 'surprised' by the results of a bad measuring tool.

[Cliff Holmes]

Yeah, I saw those tapes but they looked like they were just generic tapes branded with the LV logo. I have some of their rules and love them, although I wish they were english on both edges. However, I got a set of feeler gauges from them and was really disappointed, I wiped off the dripping oil and set them on a shelf, a couple days later they were covered in rust.

Think I'll take a chance on the tapes on my next order.

Thanks.

[Steve Clardy]

I've had about every name brand.
Finally settled on Johnson tapes.

I get them at Amazon.com

[Jamie Buxton]

As far as I know, all measuring tapes are printed by a rolling process. A big roller rolls along the steel stock, rolling the paint on the stock. If anything slips, the measuring tape isn't accurate. When machinists want precision, they use straight steel rules, which are engraved with a different process. For tapes, I think the best you can do is get a bunch and compare them. I've had good luck with Lee Valley's decimal-inch tapes.

[george wilson]

I believe that standards for tapes allow an error up to 3/16" in 6'. No wonder your tapes didn't match up. I have a cheap tape measure I picked up at Farm Fresh grocery a few years ago. It is quite accurate,and was very cheap.

[Jeff Willard]

I use Starrett tapes, not because of the precision, but because they were the least expensive tape on the shelf where I bought them. Imagine that.

[Chuck Isaacson]

Check out the Lefty/Righty Measuring (http://www.amazon.com/FastCap-PSSR25-Lefty-Righty-Measuring/dp/B0001GUE3Q) tape. I got mine at Woodcraft, I love it. I suppose that if you really want thing to be really accurate, you just need to use the same tape throughout the whole job. This is the only one that I use. Like it a lot.

Chuck

[Karl Brogger]

Stanley 25' tape, mostly because it fits in my hand nice. Good enough. I build cabinets, not tiles for the space shuttle. I go through probably three or four a year, mostly because the brake slips, or I get a tear, or god forbid I have to work outside and I get dirt in it and it makes that wretched squeeking sound when it reels back in.

I've never heard of or noticed a variance over the length of a tape. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen either. 3/16" over 96" is alot!

[J.R. Rutter]

I buy bright orange Lufkin 25' tapes for my shop. They had the finest lines of the tapes that I looked at. I rarely use them to lay out cuts though, since I have an 8' precision fence on the miter saw.

One trick for keeping tapes accurate is to set up a reference mark on your bench or some other handy surface. Get some help and do the "burn an inch" thing and strike a knife line at whatever distance in convenient. To make the tape accurate, hook it on the end of the bench and see where your reference line falls. Now bend the steel hook slightly to calibrate it to your mark. Check frequently, because any fall to the floor may bend the hook...

[Craig Coney]

Find the one tape you like the best. Put all the rest away. Use one tape. That is the best recommendation I can give you. If you drop it, check out the end to make sure it isn't bent. Make a mark and burn an inch and see if it is still accurate. If not, try to straighten the end. Can't straighten it, then recycle it. The mistakes will cost you more than the tape.

I use Stanley, Lee Valley, Fast Cap, and Tajima. They all read different. It is not uncommon to be off 1/8" over 6' on two tapes, even the same model from the same manufacturer. Use one tape to measure the job, and the same tape to make it.

My preference is the Stanley Fat Max 25, it fits my hand well.

[Brian Kincaid]

I bough the Starrett tape measure online because I noticed my Stanley tape measure didn't match my table saw fence. The Starrett matches all of my precision rules (Incra) and I trust it. Everything else is used for coarse work.

Brian

[john bateman]

I bought one of the Lee Valley cabinetmaker 10ft tapes mentioned in the first reply. It seemed more accurate (and comfortable to use) than the others I had in my shop, so I bought a couple more, both lefty and righty versions.
They all measure the same out to several feet, so they are all I use anymore in the shop.

They aren't very practical for household renovating or construction though. Too thin and too short for those uses.

[Curt Harms]

Checked a Stanley 10'(I think) and Kobalt from Lowes. They were both about the same error. I tweaked the tip on both and they were within the width of the mark, or a bit less at least to the 24" of the steel rule. I doubt machinists use roll-up tapes. I guess it depends on what level of precision is acceptable to you; if you want accurate to 3 decimal places a tape ain't gonna cut it. Equally important is the marking tool. A carpenter's pencil sharpened with a pocket knife probably isn't going to enhance measuring and marking accuracy. I use mechanical pencils, .5 mm if I'm being fussy and .9mm if I don't want the lead to break too often

[george wilson]

If the dimensions are just comparative,I also just use the same tape for all measurements if I'm making something like shelves for the workshop. If absolute correct length is needed,then your tape does ned to be accurate. Since my cheap grocery store is accurate,I am not sure it is a matter of how much a tape costs.

[John Baranowski]

If the dimensions are just comparative,I also just use the same tape for all measurements if I'm making something like shelves for the workshop. If absolute correct length is needed,then your tape does ned to be accurate. Since my cheap grocery store is accurate,I am not sure it is a matter of how much a tape costs.

I disagree. You are always building to a comparative measurement. If you are doing a built i, a piece of furniture to fit a space, you measure it first. As long as the same tape is used for the initial measurement, you should be fine. If you are building a freestanding structure, i.e., a boat, 3/16 doesn't make a difference in the overall scheme. All parts are measured with the same tape.

If you need super precision, on a machinist's scale, you aren't using a tape anyhow.

[Jim Rimmer]

Ideally, I'd like it to be small to carry in a tool apron. Probably a locator beacon, too.
+1 on the beacon. If you find one, let me know. I spend a lot of time turning in circles looking for my tape. :confused:

[Simon Dupay]

+1 on the beacon. If you find one, let me know. I spend a lot of time turning in circles looking for my tape. :confused:

I need a GPS system on mine!:D I use a 25' Stanley fat max at work well worth the money, still accurate. Just got tried of trying to use those Chinese ones that stand out about 3" and made of tin foil to measure 12'+ boards.

[David DeCristoforo]

"precision measuring tape" = oxymoron

[Robert Reece]

I have a Stanley Fat Max 16' which is a great size for me. When I set my digital tablesaw fence to 36.00" and make a rip, the 36" mark on my tape measure ends up split in half by the edge of the rip. So I call that good enough and move on.

Although, this thread got me thinking about a lefty-righty tape measure. Or even just converting to metric since I have made an occasional inch too short measurement and I think that is from reading my tape upside down.

[David DeCristoforo]

Reading the tape "upside down" usually results in an error of three inches due to the reversal of sixes and nines. Oh, no... this has never happened to me....

[Sean Nagle]

I use Starrett tapes, not because of the precision, but because they were the least expensive tape on the shelf where I bought them. Imagine that.

I have a 12+ year-old old Starrett 3/4" tape that has been accurate and durable. The 3/4" width is perfect for woodworking. Several years ago I purchased a couple Starrett 1/2" tapes. The accuracy is acceptable, but the print is very poor (not well defined) and 1/2" is too narrow. I would love to find half a dozen of tapes just like my old Starrett.

[Paul Ryan]

I also give my indorsment for the stanley 25 footers, they fit my hand very well, ........as well. I have a couple of them and they all seem to read the same up to 10ft. I didn't check over that because anything larger doesn't need that much precision. My only complaint with them is that when I wear shorts and put them in my pocket they have a tendency to pull down my drawers due to the weight.

[Ron Kellison]

I find that my "go to" tape is the LV "Blind Man's" tape: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32565&cat=1,43513

If I'm working in 32nds or 64ths I usually go to a 24" steel ruler I bought from Garrett Wade at least 25 years ago. Matches up perfectly with the LV tapes.

[Karl Brogger]

If I'm working in 32nds or 64ths...

What's a 64th? :D

[Eiji Fuller]

I like the fastcap tapes. I work in both mm and " on my projetcts so the combo tapes and the true 32 with markings every 32mm are really nice to have. They dont have the standout like the fatmax tapes but are usually fine for most of the work I do. the 6.95 price tag is sweet too.

[Richard Jones]

"precision measuring tape" = oxymoron

Can I get a big AMEN!!!!

Rich