Published: October 25, 2022 - Last updated: April 20, 2023 Home » Home Improvement » Handy Tips Are those little lines making you go cross-eyed? Learn how to read a tape measure correctly so you can complete your project with confidence! Tape: The tape, often called the blade, is the portion of the tape measure with the printed measuring intervals.Many tapes are curved, which offers strength to keep the tape from buckling when extended. Hook: The hook is a metal tab located on the end of the tape.It's used to grab material when measuring and keeps the tape from fully retracting into the housing.
How To Read A Tape Measure + Free PDF Printable Decorhint
1. Tape Blade The tape blade is the flexible, metallic strip that extends from the case. It is marked with measurements and is the part of the tape measure that is used to measure objects. Commonly, tape blades are made of steel, which ensures durability and the ability to withstand repeated use. 2. Case These measuring tapes are often referred to as "quick read" or "speed mark" tape measures and include labels for many of the smaller (1/8″, 1/4″, 1/2″) measurement values along with the larger (1″) marks. Here's an example of markings on a quick read or easy read measuring tape: Method 1 Inches and Feet (Imperial) Download Article 1 Find the longest, numbered lines to measure full inches. Pull out your measuring tape, and look for the long, thin lines with large numbers next to them. The length from one of the lines to the next one of the same size is always 1 inch. [1] To read a metric tape measure, find the closest cm marking and count the number of mm left over. For example, if 15 was the nearest cm, and there were 5 mm left over, your measurement would be 15.5 cm or 15 cm + 5 mm.
How to Read a Tape Measure {for the nonmathematical mind} Unexpected
1 inch = 16 x 1/16th of an inch, 8 x 1/8th of an inch, 4 x 1/4 of an inch or 2 x 1/2 of an inch. General Tips The hook or 'tang' of the tape measure is the small, usually metallic component at the end of the blade. Make sure the tape measure is evenly aligned for an exact measurement. When measuring a length that backs the tape measure into a corner, fit the case into the available space and add its length to the tape measure's reading. For example, a 3 3/8-inch case added to a 15-inch measurement on the tape combines to an 18 3/8-inch total. Reading a tape measure is a matter of interpreting the lengths of the perpendicular marks on the blade and determining if your measurement is aligning with a 1-inch, a 1/2-inch, a 1/4-inch, a 1/16-inch, or 1/32-inch markings. Each of these increments is designated with lines that are progressively shorter as the unit of measurement gets smaller. Measure a length. Put the end of the measure at one end of the item or space you want to measure. When the length stops, take a reading on the tape measure. Find the length. In order to determine the length, you must add the lengths between inches together.
FileMeasuringtape.jpg Wikimedia Commons
Step 1: Learn What the Tape Measure Markings Mean Here's the main markings we'll be looking at: (notice that if you're writing the measurement of inches or feet in number form, you put ' for feet, and " for inches. The foot (e.g. 1', 10') One inch (1") Half inch (1/2") Quarter inch (1/4") Eighth inch (1/8") Sixteenth inch (1/16") Read a tape measure's incremental marks for the metric system. Meter or 1m: The one-meter marking is located at the one 100th centimeter marking or 10th decimeter marking. It is indicated by a 1m.
Tape measures are designed to automatically retract, and the thumb lock is a way to make the tape remain at the length you pull it. You can pull more tape out with the lock on, but it won't retract until you flip the lock off. Did you know tape measures are a lot more complicated than a simple case and metal measuring strip? Diagram showing fractions of an inch on a standard sixteenth measuring tape A tape measure or measuring tape is a flexible ruler used to measure length or distance . It consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fibre glass, or metal strip with linear measurement markings. It is a common measuring tool.
How to Read a Tape Measure
A tape measure is a retractable and somewhat flexible ruler that is for measuring long distances which may be sloped, horizontal or even vertical. The tape rule is usually made from fiberglass and has some measurement markings on it according to either the metric or imperial system. Even smaller marks then denote 1/8ths and 1/16ths (marked in red) of an inch. A 16ft tape measure, for example, will have sixteen one-foot marks along its length and 192 one-inch marks (12 inches per foot). Each inch will then have eight 1/8th of an inch and sixteen 1/16th of an inch mark. 1 foot = 12 inches. 1 inch = 16 x 1/16th of an inch, 8.
