# Tape measure for those that like decimal and hate fractions.



## sbryan55

Thanks for the review, Gary. I used to be able to do this pretty easily in my head but I seem to need a calculator more often now and can't seem to understand why.  Of course, like pencils, my calculator often disappears despite my having just used it. A tape like this that displays decimal equivalents would save me a lot of angst.


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## pommy

that looks as old as me Gary you know us pommys only work in metric now like you i was taught the old ways in INCHS but that changed over the years as England went metric so the old foot died away even now our timber is metric but we ask for 4×2's or 6×2's and we get the metric version as foor tapes i have 20+ dotted around the workshop my car the house the wife's car they are all the same cheap and cheerful …....


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## DaveHerron

How accurate have you found the tape measure to be? Is a inch really an inch? I'm in the process of replacing all my cabinet building measuring devices for greater accuracy. I agree, decimal inches would be easier.


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## Big_Bob

Gary:

I think I will get a couple of them. I am an old airftworker. When someone tells me 3/16" I think .1875".


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## KentS

Hi Gary, It's amazing how our lives can be so complicated these days. I use a computer program for my door shop, so I constantly have to translate from the fractions the customers give me to decimals that my software uses.
Maybe a tape that reads that way could be helpful. I'm to the point now, I think we should just switch to metric, go with the rest of the world and be done with it. I have begun to measure with metric in some of my personal projects. I guess inch decimals might be a good compromise of the two systems.


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## sIKE

28/64? <vbg> or 7/16ths…sorry math….


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## rtb

I'm with you Gary, except have lived in Europe for a couple of years and with a background I simply have switched to using metric and I have a hand held 'adding machine' that converts from one to the other.


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## GaryK

DaveH - The accuracy seems as good as any other tape measures I have.

Big_Bob - I do the exact same thing.

The metric and inch decimal are the exact same thing except for the fact that they are based on different standards. The math for one is the same as for the other. I also wished we would finally bite the bullet and switch. Most industries already have.


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## pommy

Gray are your spanners still in AF


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## GaryK

Pommy - by spanners I assume you mean wrenches?  What is AF?

As far as wrench and socket sets here you can get them in metric and inch (SAE) or both in the same set.

If you do any of you own work your car you need both plus Torx drivers.


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## pommy

AF i know as american fraction and we used to get them over here


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## MsDebbieP

so the old "one little line past the 1/2"" isn't good enough?


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## boboswin

I use a bunch of sticks.
Hate measuring.

Bob


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## JoeLyddon

That looks very confusing to me…


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## Dusty56

I never knew that these existed , Gary …thank you very much and Happy New Year : )


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## PurpLev

pretty cool, thanks for pointing this one out Gary.

now if the US could just switch to metric…. then I'd truly be happy


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## longgone

I have a tape m that is in both inches and metric. Have digital wixey products that are in thousandths. All I need now is a folding rule that is in inches and either decimals or metrric. Talk about total confusion!


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## TopamaxSurvivor

Thanks Gary, I didn't kknow they made them. Too bad they don't make a 3/4×12"


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## tierraverde

Gary,
I worked as a Tool & Die Maker all my life.Now in my woodshop, when I'm doing finishing cuts, I reach for my Lufkin 6" SS scale (Ruler)
It has graduations in .015 increments (if your eyes are still that good) and .100 (1/10). 
Couldn't live without it.
I gotta get that Lufkin/Stanley rule.
Thanks


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## davidmicraig

I had to laugh when I read Debbie's comment about the little line past the half inch marker. I have a buddy I work with occasionally on projects around here and he would ask me for a measurement and that is exactly what I would say - "Umm, two small lines past 14 1/2" and he would give me his look. I am a little better with the verbal measurements now but I sure did give him gray hairs in the process.


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## MikeGager

so using the tape measure whats 27/64 in decimals?


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## tierraverde

Just an eyelash under 7/16th's (.421875)


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## tierraverde

I forgot the ;-)


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## GaryK

Mike Gager - It really doesn't matter if you are using decimal to start with.


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## Tikka

Hi Gary

I have been using Metric system for, I guess 30 years or more now, for most things, but I still mainly use good old feet and inches (and fractions) for most things under 3' (wood working related) - I guess, I will never change too much, I blame a mispent youth, using 1/8" and 1/64" (0.397 mm). I never could get on with 1/10" - they were never accurate enough for my needs and 1/100" (0.254 mm) markings on tools 40 years ago were very rare and extreemly expensive.

For those who do not know *AF* = "Accross Flats" of a Nut/Bolt or the distance between the jaws of the AF spanner


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## Moto313

I am so glad that I am not the only one the uses decimal inches every chance I get. I work in aerospace, so that is what comes naturally to me.

And I have always sucked at fractions.


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## MikeGager

ok how about this, how do you calculate board feet using the metric system?


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## GaryK

You don't, in metric you use something like cubic centimeters of something like that.

If you really wanted to just calculate it in board feet then convert it to metric.


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## miles125

Metric requires conversion to decimal to easily calculate also. 20.625 millimeters x 30 is not the same thing as 20 or 21 millimeters x 30.


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## noknot

I think that the tape would be helpfull and thanks for the heads up but these guys are making my head spin


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## Tikka

In metric, lumber is measured in Cubic meters. 1 cubic meter = 423.776001 Board feet


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## TopamaxSurvivor

Ok, now let's go for a metric cord )


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