Stick-on measuring tapes, odd use
forestgirl
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
This is kinda off-topic, but what with the outrageous cost of fuel oil this year, I want to make a measuring stick for our oil tank so that I can measure weekly and keep close track of consumption. First thing that came to mind was one of those stick-on tapes that the tool catalogs carry. Would one of those stay “stuck” to a piece of wood if it were dipped in fuel oil once a week?
forestgirl — you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can’t take the forest out of the girl 😉
Another proud member of the “I Rocked With ToolDoc Club” …. :>)
Replies
Why not just put inch marks on the stick with a pencil?
Hello,
I would tend to say no. The adhesive they put on those may not stand up to being dunked in fuel oil. How big is the tank? 275, 330, 1000? My dad used to be in the oilheat biz, we had a 1000 gal. tank under ground. He had this square wooden "dip stick" with measurements on it that he could convert over to gallons by using a scale on one of the other sides. I couldn't begin to tell you where he got it, maybe your oilman would know? If your tank isn't that large maybe an old wooden folding zig-zag type ruler might work.
I feel bad for all you folks that are going into heating season. It's bad enough that gasoline is ridiculous - it's like a double whammy. 'Nother log on the fire and quilt on the bed I guess......
- Paul
"If your tank isn't that large maybe an old wooden folding zig-zag type ruler might work." Darn! I donated all the junk ones last year (I get alot of those when picking up auction lots.)
"I feel bad for all you folks that are going into heating season." Thanks for the empathy. It's really awful. Prices didn't go down this summer at all. We usually fill up in late August or early September when the prices are at a low point. No such thing this year. Our house is really small, so a little pellet stove would work great, but there's a problem with the fireplace that would take many bucks to fix, so warm-and-fuzzies will have to do.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
FG -
Are you a closet engineer, or something - lol? Sounds like you're over-engineering this.
Make a stick about 2' longer than the depth of your fuel oil tank and notch it at Full, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4.
Why (you ask) should it be 2' longer?? That's so you have a good "handle" and it can't be accidentially dropped into the tank. (I saw that happen once - lol)
No, my husband is an engineer, and he's very thrifty, so trust me, he asks very specific questions about what's happening with the oil over a period of time. He works out of state, so I'm in charge.
C'mon guys, just answer the darned question. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
<C'mon guys, just answer the darned question. >okay, that does it.....the answer is no, the glue will not hold by itself. Score the stick and paint the lines by yourself. aloha, mikeyou really know how to suck a person in........ ;-)
Hey Forestgirl, why don't you try this, put and hour meter on to your furnace and when the furnace runs it will keep adding time to the meter. You can figure out oil usage on the size of the nozzle you have . ie 3/4 gallon per hour nozzle , than you can figure out usage for a period of time I've been using this system for 20 years and it works out grear for me, I will call oil company for delivey rather than them sending oil when they feel like it. IMO I think its a better way to go. Mine meter is not resettable so I have to keep a running total of the hours. I know they sell resettable hours meters so you can just reset when you get a full tank of fuel. Good luck with your conservation of oil.
Wow, that's pretty amazing. One drawback is that our furnace is under the house, but an intriguing idea anyway.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
It would be a simple piece of wiring to tap into the power line running to the oil burner and then bring the new line into the house where you could attach it to an hour meter. This method of gauging oil use is simpler, quicker, and much less messy, than using a tank dipstick. If you really want to use a stick, your oil company can supply one calibrated for the size and shape of tank you are using.
Also worth considering is that if the tank is old and potentially rusting on the inside bottom where water always accumulates over time, repeatedly using a dipstick can start a leak from striking the weakened metal.
John W.
" If you really want to use a stick, your oil company can supply one calibrated for the size and shape of tank you are using. " That would be nice! But I like the meter idea the best. Have to check into the cost on that one. Of course then I'll realize how much I run the darned thing. A little on the cold-blooded side during the winter. Whimp is another word for it, LOL.
"if the tank is old and potentially rusting on the inside bottom where water always accumulates over time, repeatedly using a dipstick can start a leak from striking the weakened metal." Yes, the tank is old. We will probably replace it next year, or go to propane. Not much chance of striking the metal on the bottom though -- there is a build-up of some sludge down there, I think. Feels mushy when I put the stick to the bottom.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Forest Girl: A hour meter would cost about $30 depending on style you get. as JOHNww said its would not be hard to run a line you to where you can see it easly. I figure a gallon per hour of run time ( actually my nozzel is 3/4 per gallon ), but I use a gallon just to be on the safe side of not running out of oil. As I said before I've been using this system over 20 years as soon as the oil company started to make deliveries when ever they wanted. Good luck. see grainger prices of hour meters to get idea of cost.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/searchresults.jsp?search_type=keyword&QueryString=hour+meter&catindx1=Hour+Meters&catindx2=&xi=xi
Thanks for the link, Ben. Actually, there's a Grainge in Seattle somewhere, and I need to get a new blower for my wood stove, so I might be able to check out the meters in person. I'm not worried about running out unknowingly, but would like to get an idea of how the useage changes over the weeks. Our electric bills have graphs on them to show what's goin' on. It keeps me more disciplined about turning lights off and such.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
FG,
Be careful with that old tank...my aunt just paid $17,000 to clean up the soil from a leak in CT.
I bought a 3' metal yard stick at HD for $2.99
Edited 10/23/2005 2:44 pm ET by BG
Hubby specialized in toxic waste related engineering. He's been watching the tank and should be on top of the situation. Yep, it can cost a fortune!!
He works for Oregon DEQ, but here's the army's site for what he's working on:http://www.cma.army.mil/home.aspxforestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
FG
If your tank is round or oblong, which most of them are, then you will not be able to directly convert inches to gal. 50 gal used at the top or bottom of the tank will be more inches on the scale than 50 gal at the middle of the tank. I don't know how to calculate how to layout the scale to be accurate for gal consumption but maybe someone else could jump in here with the math or a source for dip sticks made for these tanks. I just use an old wooden yardstick and guesstimate from there.
Rich
The Professional Termite
Forestgirl,
How you calculate the volume will depend on shape, size and orientation of your tank.
The dimensions for diameter, length and depth should be inside dimensions, otherwise the results will be larger than the real volume.
in other words, the depth to liquid is the dip-stick measurement from the top of the tank to the surface of the liquid.
By entering the above information you can determine the contents of the tank in cubic feet, U.S. gallons, or litres. It also gives you the percent that the tank is full at the various depths of liquid.
Here is how it works
Or you can tell me the dimensions, size and orientation of your tank and I can give you a table with all the percentages so you dont have to use the number crunching method.
What can I say about us engineers
GBez, thanks! That drawing and formula give me very useful info. Greatly appreciate your offer, as that kind of number crunching is excruciating these days, LOL. I'll get the mxs to you. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Would one of those stay "stuck" to a piece of wood if it were dipped in fuel oil once a week?
No.
FG,
The tape would stay stuck if you put a few screws through it into the stick. Staples would work well, also. K.I.S.S.
Hi FG Just take an old tape measure (without case) and a long ripping. nail the tape to the stick( small nails) with the hook over one end. It will do the job and not cost you much. Good luck Bob
I only wish I'd been thinking about oil sticks when I cleaned the junk out of the shop and tossed the beat-up, non-functioning tape measures! I can' bear to think about it, because I'm the one who argues "This is a piece of junk, why can't we just toss it???!!!"forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
It might not hold up with the glue thats on it but you could use the glue to hold it on while you screw it down with some small pan head screws.
I'd be happy to send you one free if you want. I have them in 6' and 12', left or right reading, english or metric, 1/2" or 3/4" width. Choose carefully or you might end up thinking you have more fuel than you started with. LOL.
Seriously, go with the meter idea.
Steve
Edited 10/18/2005 10:26 pm ET by WhatKnot
"Choose carefully or you might end up thinking you have more fuel than you started with. LOL. " Too funny! I'm liking the meter idea, but also the sight-glass. Never knew there were so many different ways to skin this catfish!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Gurl, Get your plumber to add a 'sight tube' to the side of the tank the glass tube can be marked with graduations to indicate the fuel level
Steinmetz.
What do you want a bomb bay for? Flying a B 29 now? Fed up with FED EX? Ed.
Edited 10/19/2005 12:17 am ET by Steinmetz
Edited 10/19/2005 12:21 am ET by Steinmetz
Edited 10/19/2005 12:23 am ET by Steinmetz
F.G. If your going to consider a meter another type that will work is a flow meter inline with the fuel line. Inexpensive type has a little paddle wheel in a calibrated chamber and a counter. Reads in different quantities depending on which you select. Fancy ones use magnetic impulse or sound waves, cost a fortune but the simple one will do. These were the best I could find with a quick search. Duke
http://www.omega.com/pptst/FTB2000.html
http://www.omega.com/pptst/DPF701.html
The Bill of Rights
December 15 1791
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LEAA Life Member
CRPA Member
Wow, now we're talkin' "gadgets"!! Nothing like being able to nail it down precisely! Kinda interesting reading that (paraphrasing): "Excitation is regulated...selected by DIP switch...100mA max." So sad. ;-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Hey- If it is ''up your alley'' go for it, you can hook it up to your computer, record usage, show off your ''tech-e-ness'', build a nice wood box for the readout. Or not. :) DukeKenneth Duke Masters
The Bill of Rights
December 15 1791
NRA Endowment Member
LEAA Life Member
CRPA Member
FG, as a retired farmer, I have a dipstick that I used to use to measure fuel tanks. It's calibrated on 4 sides, for 300, 500, 750 and 1000 gal respectively (I think, it's been a while since I looked at it). I'm pretty sure a fuel supplier or a farm store may have these in stock and they shouldn't be very expensive. If you want, I'll ship you mine for postage, if you send me your address. Caveatt-- the numbers on mine are starting to get fairly worn, but you should be able to determine where to repaint them, if you desired.
Alan & Lynette Mikkelsen, Mountain View Farm, est. 1934, Gardens & Fine Woodworking, St. Ignatius, MT
Hi, Alan, thanks! I'll check at the Cenex store next week, see if they have one. They are a farm store, and also happen to deliver our oil!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
It won't stay stuck by itself....but it's simple to take some small brads (maybe you're a wood worker and have some in the shop? LOL), and tack the tape on about every foot or so.
Speakin of engineering, your tank is probably an oval cross-section. If you really want to get into this, you have to figure how many gallons remain for each inch remaining in the tank......simple really, just follow the simple math calculations below:
(a) Find and simplify a formula for the surface area of the oval tank shown to the right.
(b) If the diameter is D = 2.5 meters and the length is L = 6.5 meters then what is the surface area in square feet?
Solution:
(a) The formula for the surface area of the tank is:
We have discovered that the area is equal to the area of an open cylinder L units long (one with no ends).
(b) The surface area in square meters is
The surface area in square feet is
Forest.. Move to AZ and I can help ya figgurin' out readin that Electric meter fer AC!
EDIT:; I saw that
An application of geometry to petroleum technology
(a) Find and simplify a formula for the surface area of the oval tank shown to the right.
(b) If the diameter is D = 2.5 meters and the length is L = 6.5 meters then what is the surface area in square feet?
Solution:
(a) The formula for the surface area of the tank is:
We have discovered that the area is equal to the area of an open cylinder L units long (one with no ends).
(b) The surface area in square meters is
The surface area in square feet is
Your dip stick sounds better!
Edited 10/22/2005 4:06 pm by WillGeorge
I doubt the stick on tapes would last very long, it at all.
At work, we had a simple painted stick (3/4" square) with stencilled markings on it. Worked well and lasted for years.
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