Thread: Measure... thrice... cut once!

A new measurement - 9 eighths to the inch.

Oops!

What’s the issue? So long as you avoid measuring anything between 10-3/8” and 10-5/8” you'll never have to worry about it...

It highlights the problem with the imperial system

is this photoshopped?
surely Lufkin wouldnt stuff up so badly as that?

The most common mistake on building sites is 100mm

I have mentioned this before, either here or in metalworkforums. I was factory foreman in a metal furniture factory and in charge of cutting and prepping materials before they went on to the welders. One day the owner had a fit of generosity and bought full box of tape measures at our local industrial supply, and issued each of us a new tape. No more fumbling around trying to find a tape when we needed one etc.

Needed to get a frame done urgently, so I worked through lunch break to cut it and prepolish it, then left it at the head welders station for him to weld up, and went down the road to buy a late lunch, back 5 minutes later and the head welder is chucking a big hissy because I hadn't prepped his urgent frame. I showed him the frame, cut and prepolished in the rack outside his station, and was told that's not the one he needs, the dimensions are wrong. Went and got my new tape measure, measured each part in front of him, each part the correct length accurate to the width of the lines on the tape. He repeated with his new tape, legs about 2mm short, ends about 10mm short, front and back about 25mm short.

Compared his tape to mine, a difference of more than 5%, then collected the rest of the tapes for comparison, up to 10% variation across 12 tapes issued. Cheap Chinese junk that the boss had though was a bargain, all sent back for a credit, and replaced with $15 ea Nicholsons.

Moral of the story - Measure twice, cut once, but use the same tape measure every step along the way.

Bought a Lufkin some years back. Probably the most versatile measuring devise I have ever owned - it had no markings on it whatsoever! I gave it to the first year apprentice and suggested it may help him with his accuracy.

Originally Posted by rustynail

Bought a Lufkin some years back. Probably the most versatile measuring devise I have ever owned - it had no markings on it whatsoever! I gave it to the first year apprentice and suggested it may help him with his accuracy.

How did he go with it??

Originally Posted by rustynail

Bought a Lufkin some years back. Probably the most versatile measuring devise I have ever owned - it had no markings on it whatsoever! I gave it to the first year apprentice and suggested it may help him with his accuracy.

They were both worth 1 cent-a-metre

The markings on my 1m steel rule are different to my 300mm and 150mm rules. The graduation positions are fine, but are just different. I'd like a quid for every time I've been 5mm out when measuring with it. Always 5mm short, of course.

Originally Posted by Chesand

How did he go with it??

I very much had the wood on the poor kid. He wasn't game to say boo for the first year. I was always hard on the beginners. Sort the sheep out from the goats. I met him many years later when he was running his own Company. He was quick to inform me that he still had the tape.