I was going through the checkout at Harbor freight the other day, and from a bin just in front of the checkout register, I picked up a tape that at first glance, I thought was marked with Inch on one side, and metric on the other. I thought to myself, good, that will be handy.
While waiting my turn, I decided to give myself a pop-quiz. Quick, How many mm in say 28,5″ ? My guess was ~ 715 mm. Well, I pulled out the tape, and the other side had 56 on the other side of 28………?
The other side of the tape was divided in 1/2″ increments. I would like to know who thinks this is a good idea? Why would anyone want to add that level of confusion to a system that is already tough for anyone new to measuring. The 1/2″ side was divided into 1/16″, but that now becomes 1/8 of the 1/2″.
I can just imagine a couple of guys working together. The boss leaves after working up a cut-list for a set of cabinets, and when he returns all, well half of the materials would be reduced to waste.
On second thought, these should make great gag-gifts. Let’s see, is there someone that I need to get even with. I could give a nice new free tape to his helper, and just sit back and wait for it to hit the fan. Har Har Har!
Replies
Sounds as though you may be describing a tape version of the center-finding rule I use in furniture and cabinet making.
-Jazzdogg-
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
You're right, jazzdogg. it IS a center-finding tape. I use mine all the time. Very useful.
Tony
Jazz, & Wood, Hummm, I guess you learn something new every day. i just never saw a need for this. I would spend more time looking for this tape than just dividing in my head. I know a lot of people would bog down trying to divide odd numbers, and fractions, that could use this tape, but there are tricks that are simple, and fast.Lets say that you have measured something that has an odd number and an odd fraction. Instead of dividing the odd # and fraction by 2, I find it easier to go to the nearest even number and dividing it by 2, then dividing the fraction between that by 2, then subtracting that from the whole number.For instance if you measured something like 57 5/16". the closest even number is 58. Half of that is 29. 5/16 is 11/16" short of that number, but rather than busting those fractions on down, think of it as 1/16 over 1/4. which leaves 1/32 less than 3/8" short of 29 or ~= to 28 21/32", or 1/32" over 5/8.Do you follow this line of thought? If you do, see if you can find what else is hidden within this example. Oh yea, this is a pop-quiz and the clock is running.
There is another really good thing hidden within this example that every good woodworker should remember. See if you can figure it out.
If you can, click rootburl, and send me an email rather than giving it away to everyone else, and cheating them out of the exercise. Extra points for whomever is first, yea right. Keith
Rootburl,
I use a center-finding rule when laying out a project in which the centerline is the starting point.
As to your puzzle, I'm afraid that will have to wait until tomorrow - tonight it's time for margaritas, not puzzles!
-Jazzdogg-
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
In order to divide a fraction by two all you need to do is double the denominator. Half of 1/2 is 1/4. Half of 33/64 is 33/128. This is much easier than deviding decimals. I can preform most any common carpintery arithmitic in my head using fractions. For example: center a 28 1/4" window in a wall that is 13' 2 1/16". I can do it in my head or on a 2x4 with a pencil, but using decimals I damn near need a calcutator.
Mikeplease excuse my spelling.
Or maybe like so much of the the stuff at Harbor Freight it just has to look like a tool.......not actually function correctly.
Look at where it was manufactured and that may well explane it. I would hazard to guess it was made in a country that uses the metric system and is therefore basically a metric tape with "conversions" for imperial rather than other way around as we are used to seeing.
The Professional Termite
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