View Full Version : Tape measure reading needed
RICKYLANDRY
Feb 21, 2008, 09:20 PM
How do you read the markings in between inches on a measuring tape
Please give example of tape markings in between inches
Please answer asap
What does each marking between inches stand for
magprob
Feb 21, 2008, 10:02 PM
The longest line between 1 and 2 inches is 1/2 an inch. The longest line between 1/2 an inch divides 2 quarters of an inch. The longest line inside the quarter inch is 1/8 of an inch. Each individual line is a 1/16th of an inch. Count them. There are 16.
1/16th-1/8th-3/16ths-1/4-5/16ths-3/8ths-7/8ths-1/2-9/16ths-5/8ths-11/16ths-3/4-13/16ths-7/8ths-15/16ths-and 16/16ths which equals 1inch.
KISS
Feb 21, 2008, 10:15 PM
When you look at all your questions combined, it seems like it's homework.
Am I reading this right? You don't know how to read a ruler?
Your question: what does each marking between inches stand for
It depends on the ruler. Could be 1/10 of a CM. could be 1/10 of an inch. Could be hat size. Could be board feet.
This is an unusual one:
Woodworker's Tape/Rule (http://www.internetwoodworking.com/w5/reviews/tape/tape_review.html)
Or this one:
PMTC - Tape Measures: Specialty Steel Tapes (http://www.perfecttape.com/tape4.asp#diatape)
Dumb question if you ask me.
magprob
Feb 21, 2008, 10:35 PM
Dumb question. That ain't right KISStupid. Some people are not inclined to learn that sort of thing until they really need it. What I want to know is how does his question relate to hat size? Unless of course, your hat is on too tight.
Flying Blue Eagle
Feb 21, 2008, 10:56 PM
In T.V.A , nuclear power, engineering, They had me to teach 3 different classes, One was math,Through trig. #2 was Blue print reading #3 was - how to use the transent level and lay out a bldg, the worst was math, I had to start back in 5th grade math. Al though now I can understand why, When you don't use something all the time ,it is hard to recall and get it back, like right now I could not work a trig problem if it hit me square in the face, or even a algerbra problem and I used to be a math wizz all way threw school I always made stright (As) I built a german foundry once, and on the blue prints every thing was superimposed on one page , like foundations,plumbing ,electrical etc,etc. and all measurements were in metric, first time I ever got into metrics, I worked and studied every night in order to stay 10 steps aheasd of all the different crafts. IT ended up I finished the job , 1 1/2 mothes early OH well the good ol days, I do miss them . Magprob - IF you know how to read a regular type ruller a reg. steel tape measure reads the same , except you now also have metric measurements on them also, just read the part that is like on a reg ruller Good luck &GOD BLESS::: F.B.E.
alectrician
Apr 17, 2008, 07:13 PM
I had an apprentice not that long ago that when I asked him the length of a stub 90, he said 7 inches, a big line , a little line and a little bit. Needless to say I spent quite a bit of time teaching him how to read a tape measure. They are out there (scary).
magprob
Apr 17, 2008, 08:33 PM
And two quarters.
Scleros
Apr 17, 2008, 09:04 PM
Well, it ain't as if they come with instruction sheets anymore!
magprob
Apr 17, 2008, 09:56 PM
That's why you have to pay attention in school. If not, you need a board stretcher.
Handyman2007
Apr 17, 2008, 09:57 PM
I don't know about anyone else but I was taught to read a ruler in 4th grade, It was part of math,, I cannot believe that a person was not taught this BASIC information at some point in their education.
ballengerb1
Apr 18, 2008, 07:11 AM
Here is what I do not understand. This is taught starting in first grade. It is a skill that is used each year all the way through graduation. After that many years of practicing I think it is odd that people can forget, but apparently they do. This shgould be like riding a bike, you should not be able to forget.
Scleros
Apr 18, 2008, 10:42 AM
I don't recall being officially taught rulers in school, but my father is a machinist, so I had probably already picked it up at home. I do remember getting taught the metric system and lots of other useful stuff that I never use on a dialy basis like calculus, linear algebra, and fluid and thermo dynamics. Since we're one of the very few countries having the English system still in widespread use, I can understand how a person from abroad might be intimidated newly confronted with an English tape measure.
And, I just now had to lookup board stretcher. One person's experience is not everyone's, particularly if the concepts and terms at issue span cultures.
KISS
Apr 18, 2008, 04:58 PM
And it has to drive people nuts that a 2 x 4 isn't 2" x 4" and a 1.5" pipe isn't 1.5" and a wire that uses a smaller number is a larger gage and then we have fractional, letter and decimal drills.
Fr_Chuck
Apr 18, 2008, 05:24 PM
You know I have 5 boys, 4 are in their 20's and 30's, and our wonderful school systems did not teach them rulers at least past a very basic in maybe 5th grade.
Lucky we taught them at home and while they helped me build things.
But I know 100's of adults that don't have a clue
tlbossong
Sep 2, 2008, 05:19 AM
This may sound really easy, but ask the person if they drive a car. If they say yes, which almost all of them will, ask if they know how to read their gas gauge. If they can relate the gas gauge to the tape measure it will help. I have been teaching the employees here how to read a tape measure for about a year and a half, and it really is that simple. Some of the employees aren't the most educated in the world to say the least and it doesn't work for everyone, but I have had pretty good luck with it. I try to draw the gas gauge as it relates to an inch on my dry erase board to show them how it works. I know it sounds simple, but it works.
Good luck.
Travis
Flying Blue Eagle
Sep 2, 2008, 08:56 PM
TO ALL- I can remember back several years ago of just how new carpenters were ,most did not know the first thing of reading a ruler or tape, One time I wasw doing the cuting and the other guy was susposed to be doing the measureing and at first I thought he was just doing some kidding and like he wopuld say ( 16 & 7 little marks . Or 42 7 11 little, I finally asked him to give me the actual measurement s ade he said I am, Well I said don't you know how to read the tape and he looked down at his feet , I realized that he was very ashamed and I told him not to be ,because there was many a good carpenters that didn't know how to read a ruler or a tape measure. I asked him about durning school and he said that they never had any thing about it in any grade. ( NOTE - I leave it all up to the teachers, Probably they didn't know how and avoided it and never thought it ,SO THEN NO ONE KNEW HOW TO AND THE TEACHER NEVER LOS FACE! I have a daughter in law ,that every year it is the same old story, NO KID IN HER CLASS IS EVEN TRYING TO LEARN < THEY THINK THAT THE " THING THAT MOSTY SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAS STARTED WILL LET THEM GO TO THE NEXT YEAR OF SCHOOL< EVEN IF THEY MAKE BAD GRADES AND DONT KNOW ANYTHING OF THIS YEARS STUDY> I DONT ONLY BLAME THE TEACHERS BUT THE SCHOOL BOARD <THE PARENTS WHO can't GET FROM OUT IN FRONT OF THE " ONE EYED MONSTER TO HELP THE CHILD> AND I HA VE MET SEVERAL THAT WOULD NOT GIVE THEIR KID THE TIME OF DAY. OH BY THE WAY <I THAUGHT THE GUY HOW TO READ A RULER OR A TAPE MEASURE< HE BECAME QUITE A STUDENT OF MINE AND LATTER BECOME ONE OF THE BEST CARPENTER FORMANS I EVER HAD :::: ALL THEY NEED IS FOR SONEONE TO TAKE A LITTLE TIME AND TEACH THEM < YOU REALLY Don't KNOW THE FEELING YOU GET WHEN ONE YOU HAVE GIVEN THE CHANCH TO LEARN SOMETHING <AND THEY COME UP TO YOU LATTER AND ( SAY THANK YOU < IM WERE IM AT BECAUSE YOU GTIVE ME THAT CHANCH <THANKS>:::!! YOUAL HAVE A VERY GOOD AND SAFE DAY AND MOST OF ALL GOD BLESS < FROM THE FLYING BLUE EAGLE< GOOD DAY F.B.E.
Flying Blue Eagle
Sep 2, 2008, 08:58 PM
TO ALL- I can remember back several years ago of just how new carpenters were ,most did not know the first thing of reading a ruler or tape, One time I wasw doing the cuting and the other guy was susposed to be doing the measureing and at first I thought he was just doing some kidding and like he wopuld say ( 16 & 7 little marks . Or 42 7 11 little, I finally asked him to give me the actual measurement s ade he said I am, Well I said don't you know how to read the tape and he looked down at his feet , I realized that he was very ashamed and I told him not to be ,because there was many a good carpenters that didn't know how to read a ruler or a tape measure. I asked him about durning school and he said that they never had any thing about it in any grade. ( NOTE - I leave it all up to the teachers, Probably they didn't know how and avoided it and never thought it ,SO THEN NO ONE KNEW HOW TO AND THE TEACHER NEVER LOS FACE! I have a daughter in law ,that every year it is the same old story, NO KID IN HER CLASS IS EVEN TRYING TO LEARN < THEY THINK THAT THE " THING THAT MOSTY SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAS STARTED WILL LET THEM GO TO THE NEXT YEAR OF SCHOOL< EVEN IF THEY MAKE BAD GRADES AND DONT KNOW ANYTHING OF THIS YEARS STUDY> I DONT ONLY BLAME THE TEACHERS BUT THE SCHOOL BOARD <THE PARENTS WHO can't GET FROM OUT IN FRONT OF THE " ONE EYED MONSTER TO HELP THE CHILD> AND I HA VE MET SEVERAL THAT WOULD NOT GIVE THEIR KID THE TIME OF DAY. OH BY THE WAY <I THAUGHT THE GUY HOW TO READ A RULER OR A TAPE MEASURE< HE BECAME QUITE A STUDENT OF MINE AND LATTER BECOME ONE OF THE BEST CARPENTER FORMANS I EVER HAD :::: ALL THEY NEED IS FOR SONEONE TO TAKE A LITTLE TIME AND TEACH THEM < YOU REALLY Don't KNOW THE FEELING YOU GET WHEN ONE YOU HAVE GIVEN THE CHANCH TO LEARN SOMETHING <AND THEY COME UP TO YOU LATTER AND ( SAY THANK YOU < IM WERE IM AT BECAUSE YOU GTIVE ME THAT CHANCH <THANKS>:::!! YOUAL HAVE A VERY GOOD AND SAFE DAY AND MOST OF ALL GOD BLESS < FROM THE FLYING BLUE EAGLE< GOOD DAY F.B.E.
P.S. I hope everyone reads this of what I have written and Learns from it!!
tlbossong
Sep 3, 2008, 02:47 PM
The first thing you need to do is determine how many markings there are between the two inch marks. You do this by counting the one after the inch line you crossed until the inch line after the measurement line you need. If there are 16 that will be the bottom number of the fraction, or the denominator. TO get the top number of the fraction or the numerator, you count the number of lines until you reach the mark you are measuring. Of course, ypu will have to reduce the fraction if the numerator is an even number.
Hope this helps.
Travis B.