Tape Measure/Ruler Irritation

[Rich Riddle]

Went to use a tape measure and noticed it had SAE on one side and metric on the bottom. Noticed the yard stick also has Standard on top and metric on bottom. Threw them both in the trash. Pick a team, any team, but stick to one.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I actually could have used that measure. I had a boat build going in metric and another in standard. By the way, speaking of picking one- the world has picked metric. So easy to loft plans in metric versus standard.
http://gizmodo.com/5786004/these-are...-metric-system

[Bruce Pratt]

better do the same for your car/truck... the speedometer probably reads in both mph and kph....

[Randy Red Bemont]

I have a tape measure like that. I use it to convert measurements from one to the other. Comes in very handy at times. My everyday tape is standard.

Red

[Rich Riddle]

better do the same for your car/truck... the speedometer probably reads in both mph and kph....

I don't need to flip the speedometer upside down to get the good reading though.

[Brian Tymchak]

Went to use a tape measure and noticed it had SAE on one side and metric on the bottom. Noticed the yard stick also has Standard on top and metric on bottom. Threw them both in the trash. Pick a team, any team, but stick to one.

I have one like that and occasionally find the metric side useful. But it seems like I'm always in a situation where I want the scales reversed side-to-side on the tape. I have to sight across the tape to mark. Drives me nuts..

[Grant Wilkinson]

Brian: If that happens often, you may want to invest in a right to left tape. I'm not being a smart ass. I have one and it does the trick.

[Mike Lassiter]

I remember when the auto industry started using metric fasteners in the cars and trucks made in the US. You've invested thousands in tools and now you cannot do some very basic things without again having to start over buying metric wrenches and sockets to do simple things like you've done for years. Where you were use to seeing a 3/8" hex now you have a 10mm head, or the changing a 1/2" to a 13mm, 9/16" to 14mm. Many things became 15 mm. Didn't just totally change over but did force you to have to start over with buying new tools and trying learn to spot a 10mm verses 3/8" by eyeball when you were looking at what needed to be removed. It's hard to look at a 3/8" - 10mm, 1/2" - 13mm, 9/16" - 14mm and so on and tell them apart unless you do it often and get use to the slight difference. And again had to spent hundreds to thousands more for tools to make a living with.

Construction in US is and has been pretty much based on inches and feet forever. I know there are likely other needs for a retractable tape measure besides that were metric could be needed instead of inches but I too find the scale divided with one on either side to be undesirable when measuring anything to do with building. We do some stuff that occasionally calls for metric, but thankfully it's done in Corel Draw mostly were I can change the units to metric for that specific job.

I have a tape like the one the OP mentioned and I too dislike it because it always seems the metric scale is always on the side I need to measure inches from. I think it is fairly short, not sure - it's in the "junk drawer" and only used in a pinch when a real tape measure isn't at hand. Makes you wonder if that was by accident or design. And they have one that is reversed I see so we can buy another one in order to use it like we want to. Kind of like with the wrenches......

[Myk Rian]

I don't see a problem. I bought a tape BECAUSE it had both.

[Mike Lassiter]

I don't see a problem. I bought a tape BECAUSE it had both.

And I bought one that didn't because we don't build anything in metric around here.

To each his own.

[Jim Matthews]

I find my measuring tapes very useful, if I use them with a sharpie marker.

That makes transferring dimensions easier. I can't speak to other methods,
but measurements are rough for me - I get the exact fit from the parts, themselves.

[Brad Adams]

I wish you could buy a tape in the US with only metric on it. They are very hard to find. Its so much easier to build furniture in metric.

[Rich Riddle]

I wish you could buy a tape in the US with only metric on it. They are very hard to find. Its so much easier to build furniture in metric.

Amazon can be your friend when you want something like that. I have the following tape when needing to measure in metric.

http://www.amazon.com/Starrett-KTX34...c+tape+measure

I simply dislike the tapes and rulers that have both scales.

[Dave Zellers]

I have been thinking it would be interesting to make a cabinet only using metric from design to completion but haven't done it yet. This has got me thinking that again.

I'll have to check how many milliliters of finish I have left.

[Brian Tymchak]

Brian: If that happens often, you may want to invest in a right to left tape. I'm not being a smart ass. I have one and it does the trick.

Thanks for the tip Grant! I didn't realize those existed. Think I will be picking one up very soon.