Tape Measure

There are seven main parts of a tape measure: the case, the case length, the thumb lock, the blade (or tape), the hook, the hook slot, and the belt clip. However, there are 26 total components within the case, making this humble tool not so simple.

Custom machinery made for tape measure manufacturing winds strips of hardened steel onto large wheels. These strips will be the blade/tape of the tape measure.

These wheels of wound steel strips are then loaded into custom painting machinery. Through a series of rollers, the steel strips are unwound from the wheel and then painted.

Once painted and dried, the strips are rolled to an inline digital printer which is programmed to mark out the numbers onto the blade/tape.

Next, the numbers and measurements are inspected by automated, inline inspecting equipment.

Once inspected, the machinery cuts a small oval from the end of the newly painted blade/tape.

This oval hooks onto another metal strip which is almost as long as the blade itself.

This metal strip coils around a hub in the tape measure case, ultimately acting as a spring when pulling out the blade/tape and during retraction.

The tape measure case is then closed, labeled, and released for packaging.

Fabric Tape Measure
A fabric measuring tape is a necessary purchase if you plan to sew and need to measure the fabric.

Pocket/Spring Return Tape Measure
The actual measuring tape is contained in a sturdy casing that coils up until you need it; at that point, you may simply extend it out. While different varieties of pocket measuring tapes have various features, the majority incorporate both a locking mechanism and a spring return.

Surveyor Tape Measure
A surveyor’s measuring tape is necessary if you’re going to be measuring significant distances on open terrain and need to be able to determine how far away things or locations are.

Digital Tape Measure
Digital tape measures, also known as a laser tape measure, are most commonly used by electricians and plumbers who need to measure long distances without moving.

Long Distances
For long distances, people tend to read the imperial measurements on a tape measure. This is because inches can cover more distance, with more legibility. 12 inches is the same as 1 foot, and will generally be marked with a different coloured line on your tape. When you have extended your tape measure to its end point, remember to keep track of the whole inches and the inch increments to read the measurement exactly.

Short Distances
For short distances, reading the metric measurements on your tape will be the most efficient way to find the length of a distance. In our ‘Understanding Metrics’ section, we described an efficient way to tally up the centimetres between short distances; simply align the first large centimetre mark of your tape to a secure starting point between the first point of your desired distance and the end point, and stretch your tape along to the end point. Calculate how many whole centimetres your tape has stretched, and how many millimetres. If you have to, place a decimal between your whole centimetre total and your millimetres, and then you have your short distance!

Inside Dimensions
Reading inside dimensions can be challenging. First, it’s best to stretch your tape measure from one inside corner, like the corner of an alcove, to a spot you can comfortably reach without twisting the tape out of shape. Mark the distance between these two points with a pencil, and then measure from the opposite corner to the previous mark you’ve made. When these measurements are totalled together, you’ll have a readable final distance!

Outside Dimensions
Reading the measurements of outside dimensions is simple. Secure your tape measure to one end of an object or space, and extend your tape to the other end. When fully extended, your tape measure will give an accurate reading of the outside dimensions, and you can measure both lengthwise and width wise for an all-round reading.

Irregular Shapes and Curved Surfaces
Perhaps the most difficult reading of all, irregular shapes and curved surfaces can be particularly tricky to measure with tape. For irregular shapes, you must measure each individual side of the shape and add these measurements together. For curved surfaces, there are tape measures out there that attach to curved surfaces for an accurate reading of the surfaces’ length. Many people use digital tape measures to get a precise reading on an irregular or curved surface, as it removes some of the inefficiency of taking separate measurements, one step at a time.