Is Decimal inch and Engineer’s Scale the same?

[Dave Lehnert]

I have an Decimal inch 12' tape from Lee Valley I would be lost without, Looks like they no longer make it. Like to have a back up.
Is an Engineer's scale tape the same thing?

At work the Engineers make the prints in decimal inches. Having a decimal inch tape make things easy vs converting to fraction inch to use a standard tape measure. Like to find a yard stick too.

[John K Jordan]

I have an Decimal inch 12' tape from Lee Valley I would be lost without, Looks like they no longer make it. Like to have a back up.
Is an Engineer's scale tape the same thing?

At work the Engineers make the prints in decimal inches. Having a decimal inch tape make things easy vs converting to fraction inch to use a standard tape measure. Like to find a yard stick too.


I have measuring tapes that have inch scales (12 inches per foot) and some with decimal foot scales (in 10ths and 100ths of a foot). Some measuring tapes appear to have both, such as this one, click on the picture of the scale:
https://www.amazon.com/Komelon-433IEHV-High-Visibility-Professional-Engineer/dp/B008AGWRE8

I also have a 300' tape that has inches on one side and decimal foot scale on the other side.

JKJ

[Davis Young]

Engineer's scale tape measure is in decimal feet.

[Mark Bolton]

I have an Decimal inch 12' tape from Lee Valley I would be lost without, Looks like they no longer make it. Like to have a back up.
Is an Engineer's scale tape the same thing?

At work the Engineers make the prints in decimal inches. Having a decimal inch tape make things easy vs converting to fraction inch to use a standard tape measure. Like to find a yard stick too.


Engineers/surveyors are often measuring in tenths (one tenth of a foot).

[David L Morse]

Amazon has this one (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002X2GL/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_9?smid=A2FQL10UCAZUR8&psc=1) and this one (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005VR97JC/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_10?smid=A32RJSSCTUIP2F&psc=1).

There may be more but those are two that I found a while back when I was looking for one. I don't have either of them, they're still in my "saved for later" cart.

The Stanley is labeled "Engineer's scale" but from what I remember when I was looking you couldn't always count on the label and have to look deeper.

[Bill Dufour]

To me an engineers scale is a drafting tool. it is a triangular ruler with six different measurement scales. One along each edge. With strange spacings like 12 to an inch so each inch on paper is one foot etc.
Bil lD.

https://www.amazon.com/Architectural-Architect-Triangular-Blueprint-Architecture/dp/B07QWRG5G7/ref=asc_df_B07QWRG5G7/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=385169514654&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17533469170973803547&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032281&hvtargid=pla-831192288638&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=78287766893&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=385169514654&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17533469170973803547&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032281&hvtargid=pla-831192288638

[Mark Bolton]

To me an engineers scale is a drafting tool. it is a triangular ruler with six different measurement scales. One along each edge.

We've always referred to those as an Architectural Ruler. Used when reading blueprints with various scales on various drawings/pages. Engineers (field) in my world always operated in surveyor standards. 1/10th of a foot because they are most often working in percent of grade, percent of slope.. so 10ths are more fitting. Easy conversion but still have to convert none the less.

[Jamie Buxton]

I have a Stanley 33-272. It is marked in fractional inches on one edge, and decimal inches on the other. For the first 6”, the tic marks are .02” apart. For the remainder of the 144”, the tics are .1” apart. I much prefer the Lee Valley which they don’t sell any more.

[Ole Anderson]

An engineers scale is (usually) a triangular 12" (sometimes 6") scale with 6 different scales to match the scale of an engineering drawing usually 1"= 10', or 20' or 30' or 40' or 50' or 60 feet. An engineer's metal survey tape is graduated in feet with hundredths only at the 0-1' area, a fiberglass tape in feet and hundredths on one side , feet and inches on the other.. I have an engineer's folding rule that is graduated in feet and inches on one side, feet and hundredths on the other. Yea I have been a surveyor and civil engineer.

441449

[John K Jordan]

To me an engineers scale is a drafting tool. it is a triangular ruler with six different measurement scales. One along each edge. With strange spacings like 12 to an inch so each inch on paper is one foot etc.
Bil lD.

https://www.amazon.com/Architectural-Architect-Triangular-Blueprint-Architecture/dp/B07QWRG5G7/ref=asc_df_B07QWRG5G7/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=385169514654&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17533469170973803547&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032281&hvtargid=pla-831192288638&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=78287766893&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=385169514654&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17533469170973803547&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032281&hvtargid=pla-831192288638

What is commonly called an engineer's scale is a different thing from what is often called an engineers measuring tape or a measuring tape with an engineers scale. Google can show the difference.