Adhesive tape measures not accurate?

[Tim M Tuttle]

So tonight I was cutting some pieces at my recently built miter saw station. It's got a stop block with a Starrett adhesive measuring tape. Made a cut at 13 1/4" and since this was the first time using the station for precise cuts I decided to check it with my tape. Off by a 16th. Hrm. Double checked the stop block, 13 1/4". Hrm. Check with my tape again. Off again. Then I grabbed another tape. Still off. Then I laid one of the tapes down on the adhesive tape. First inch, everything checks, second inch, everything checks out, third inch, everything che...wait a minute, just a smidge off. Looked down to about 1 foot and it's off almost a 16th of an inch. Grabbed the other tape, off the same amount. Grabbed a ruler, off. Measured to the left of where I started and out about a foot and it was dead on. It's starts to get inaccuracies at about a foot and a half from the blade and in.

Do you have to handle these things delicately? They are metal so I assumed you'd have to be pretty rough with them to stretch them. Starrett seems like a pretty legit outfit (new to woodworking so not sure of all the premier brands). Anyone have an issue like this? Any recommendations on another tape?

Thanks

[Mel Fulks]

Most are pretty good these days, surprised to hear Starrette is off. Harbor Freight has a narrow flat blade 6 foot caribiner
tape that matches machinist grade stuff exactly ,for one dollar.

[Jim Morgan]

Tape measures are printed with a tire stretched around a big wheel. If the tire is not stretched evenly, intermediate markings can be off. Always a good idea to check a new tape measure against one known to be true and whenever possible to use the same tape measure throughout a project.

I'd contact Starett & ask them to send you a replacement.

[Don Jarvie]

Do you have a long ruler you can measure it with to double check? If it's off call and get a replacement. Starret makes good stuff so it's surprising it's off.

[Frankie Hunt]

Most are pretty good these days, surprised to hear Starrette is off. Harbor Freight has a narrow flat blade 6 foot caribiner tape that matches machinist grade stuff exactly ,for one dollar.

Would be great (for me) if it only read from right to left.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I hear all kinds of good things about FastCap and their measuring tapes, but I have not had any specific experience with them.

Doc

[Joe Calhoon]

We had this issue with a ruler for a Glide Stop fence. It increased by just a little bit per inch and cm. By the time it got out to 8' it was off 1/4" or so. Took us a while to notice this and caused some issues. They replaced it right away and new ruler was good.

[Chris Parks]

Don't check the Starrett tapes against a tape measure, how do you know that will not be wrong and the Starrett correct?

[Tim M Tuttle]

Don't check the Starrett tapes against a tape measure, how do you know that will not be wrong and the Starrett correct? I have two tapes and three rules that are all identical. The Starrett is off somewhere between 12 and 24 inches. Anything over 24 inches is fine.

[Chris Parks]

You are more trusting than me, tapes are for using to check plywood sheet sizes and not much more.

[Mark Bolton]

If two tapes and three rules all show the same results and the only one that is always off is the starret you pretty much know its the starrett. They are not made at the hands of gods even though some think the name starrett is never to be questioned.

[Chris Parks]

If two tapes and three rules all show the same results and the only one that is always off is the starret you pretty much know its the starrett. They are not made at the hands of gods even though some think the name starrett is never to be questioned.

It was three tapes and one ruler.

[johnny means]

In my experience, you can't pull on them as you stick them. I always laid the entire tape out against a known rule, then stuck it to match the known rule.

[Cary Falk]

In my experience, you can't pull on them as you stick them. I always laid the entire tape out against a known rule, then stuck it to match the known rule.

I was just going o say if it is a plastic one, they can stretch when you put them down. I go for the metal ones for that reason.

[Mark Bolton]

It was three tapes and one ruler.

It wouldn't matter if it were six folding rules, 32 tapes, a yard stick, three framing squares, and a cubit. If they all show the same result and the scale is only thing showing consistently wrong results, its the adhesive scale.

These adhesive scales, from any manufacturer, had been notorious for these issues over the years.

[Tim M Tuttle]

It wouldn't matter if it were six folding rules, 32 tapes, a yard stick, three framing squares, and a cubit. If they all show the same result and the scale is only thing showing consistently wrong results, its the adhesive scale.

These adhesive scales, from any manufacturer, had been notorious for these issues over the years. I bought a Kreg scale this weekend while at Woodcraft. Matches up perfectly with every other measuring device I have at my disposal.

[Mark Bolton]

I bought a Kreg scale this weekend while at Woodcraft. Matches up perfectly with every other measuring device I have at my disposal.


Well you hit the jackpot. I have had steel adhesive backed rule measure all over the place. Its nice when they are out in the first foot or two buy when you get out 80" or so it gets annoying. Its definitely hard to know what to trust but when you check a rule against a half a dozen others and they alll read the same error, its a major reach to come to the conclusion that you have 6 other rules that are all off by the exact same amount, and the one remaining is right. Using multiple rules is sort of self proving for accuracy.