Anything interesting to do with old tape measures?

[Wayne Jolly]

I was using my favorite tape meaure the other day when suddenly something went "SNAP" and it made a growling noise that sounded more like I had a mad dog in my hand. Took it apart and the post in the middle that holds tension on the spring broke off.

So I go to throw it away and ran into a little resistance. My mom, who passed away several years ago but still lives in my head, won't let me throw it away!! When I raise my hand to throw it I can just hear her saying "Don't throw that away! Maybe you can make something with it". "OK mom."

So. Since the spring isn't broken, I could make a new slotted rod and use the spring for . . .something. And the tape itself is still in good shape. I could just fix it, but I have three or four more so I don't really need it back. But to please my mom I need to make something new with it. Does anyone have any ideas that will shut my mom up??


xeddog

(just kidding mom)

[Brendan Plavis]

I recommend counciling. That maybe the best course of action.

[Neil Brooks]

Can you attach the tape part to a router, table saw, DP, or other fence?

[Wayne Jolly]

Brendan Plavis - I don't really think counseling is in order. I was just referring to the way I was raised. Both of my parents were depression era and they just grew up keeping EVERYTHING. They raised me that way too.

Neil Brooks - This isn't my first tape to break but the last one really broke enough that my mom would have tossed it too. The spring and the tape both broke when I retracted it uncontrolled, plus it had water in it at one time and a lot of the tape was rested. I suppose I could if I could route a recess in the fence to match the shape of the tape I could use it. But I tried a couple of things to try and glue a piece of it down when I made my table saw fence rails but just could not get it to stay down. Tried contact cement, polyurethane, and epoxy, but that bend wins every time.

xeddog

[Ray Newman]

I once saw an 8' hardwood straight edge that a woodworker attached an old tape to for measuring and layout on sheet goods.

Not exactly sure of the details, but I think he attached the tape to edge with a commercial grade double stick tape and reinforced the bond by periodically drilling and tacking in small brads.

I know all about the great depression era mentality. My grandparents (dairy farmers), uncles, aunts, and parents all survived the depression and their frugality really rubbed off on me.

[David Prince]

Many tapes have lifetime warranty.

It used to be as simple as bringing your old one into a store for an exchange. Now there is a hoop or two to jump through, but still under warranty.

[Myk Rian]

The springs make great shim material. The tape attached to the edge of a work bench comes in handy.

[Paul Atkins]

I use old broken/worn/cracked tape measures to fill the empty places in my 'measuring/cutting/marking' drawer. There could be a place for a new one, but----

[Randal Stevenson]

Personally, I would mount it either in a bench, or out somewhere by where you keep all your spare screws/nuts/bolts, etc. Use it for a reference when your trying to size up something for replacement.

The other option, is what brand is it? When I was a kid, you could still buy replacement tapes in the stores. They mostly got away from that, but Sears has been going back towards it. (maybe they can send you the broken part)

[Terry Sparks]

I cut the last tape that broke on me at the 6" mark, and it now resides with my storage bins of screws and bolts and is used for sizing the wayward screws that need to be put back in their correct bins.