Thread: Has Anyone Seen My Tape Measure

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

Tie 100cm fluorescent orange flagging tape to the tape measure. Those never get lost.
Most people will be kind and gentle and think of you as having diminished mental capacity.
Is your name printed inside your hat?

Great idea!
Now, where's my roll of fluoro tape?

Originally Posted by AlexS

Great idea!
Now, where's my roll of fluoro tape?

With the tape measure behind the cases.

Originally Posted by Simplicity

These "tapes"seem to be coming sentiym beings Chris.

Cheers Matt
Ps I replied to your pm [emoji41]

Thanks Matt, I am still thinking about it.

I'm glad you found it, I can now cancel my last round of therapy

So thankful you found it, I was inching ever closer to insanity looking for it and my wife had to meter out my medication to cope with its loss....

Originally Posted by rwbuild

So thankful you found it, I was inching ever closer to insanity looking for it and my wife had to meter out my medication to cope with its loss....

But now you are recovering - an inch at a time

My apologies to those who had to seek counselling and medical help during this crisis and I will keep that in mind if it becomes necessary to report any further loss of pencils or tape measures. I bought a mechanical Staedtler pencil not long ago and that had better not get lost as it cost more than the tape measure.

Great outcome. I know how frustrating it can be to lose something that is so good you wonder how you lived without it.

I have around 8 BMI units, 3 or 4 of the original Quicky 2 metre units, all with their rubber ring worn away; but eminently usable without the rubber.

The later BMI units with their centre release lever is pretty alright, but nothing compares to the original for speed and ease.

The 3M units are the bees knees for man made sheet material work, don't know how I did it before.

Mick.


BMI_Quicky_2m_3m_Mixed_web.jpg

I kicked myself later when I passed up buying one of these when last in Munich. Simple design, executed very well.

The radii capability is brilliant.

BMI - 405 VISO

Mick.

Mick, any BMI tape is a lot better than the run of the mill stuff that is generally available. The only problem I have found is my 6 metre version does not have the beam strength to stop it dropping when measuring long lengths unassisted that Lufkin/Stanley have. The internal measuring facility is also something not available on others and takes all the guesswork out of the measurement. Carbatec have some of the range locally as well as Ebay.

Mick, the BMI tape in your link looks identical to the Festool tape.

Chris, none of these tapes have beam strength. I do not use them for long measurements - longer than 2m. For longer measurements, a decent 3/4 or 1" wide tape is needed. My favourite are the Starrett ControLok - the old version with the pressure release lock. They are just so smooth to use. Unfortunately, they are no longer made (but I have a couple ).



The large 1" ones are great for extra long measurements where beam strength is especially important. The smaller 3/4" version lives on my bench ...



What is great about the BMI, which these Starretts cannot match, is using them as a straight edge when drawing a line ...



Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Mick, the BMI tape in your link looks identical to the Festool tape.

Derek

Derek, BMI manufacture the Festool unit. I have seen it with another brand name on a building site a few doors from my sister in-laws house in Munich.

If you look at my picture, the white unit is a BMI Quicky (back when it was called a Quicky; now called a BMImeter) It is another brand of measures available in Germany when I picked it up in an outer Munich suburb hardware store quite some years ago.

BMI is an interesting and typical family company. As I understand it, the whole company is owned by one man. It is a quite significant manufacturing business, could be interesting to see what happens when he shuffles off... Maybe end up like Henry Ford's business, which from the time he bought out the other 11 shareholders of his third and finally successful automobile business; he owned it completely until the day he died.

Mick.

Originally Posted by Optimark

I kicked myself later when I passed up buying one of these when last in Munich. Simple design, executed very well.

The radii capability is brilliant.

BMI - 405 VISO

I expect to be in Munich in February. Where do you buy your tools?

Originally Posted by Optimark

I kicked myself later when I passed up buying one of these when last in Munich. Simple design, executed very well.

The radii capability is brilliant.

BMI - 405 VISO

Mick.

Festool make one that looks identical except for the colour.