Metric Tape Measures

MJC

Has anyone found a tape measure that reads in total mm only?
I have an old Stanley tape from the 70's, a 5m rule, #33-156. It is set up to read in mm, not cm, and instead of 1, 2 ,3, etc. cm it is 10,20 ,30 etc with graduations noted at 100 , 200, 300, etc. up to 1 meter and red meter marks
along measurements exceeding 1m. This sounds confusing but is is the easiest way to read in real use . For instance , a sheet of plywood 4x8 would
measure 1220 x 2440 . The rule would be read as such; not 122.0 x 244.0 cm
The reason this is better is it eliminates the same crap you deal with in fractional measurements. You can also divide things like baluster layout or
any such divisions much easier because you can use a calculator and think in total mm. The concept is so good I blame the centimeter ruler for confusion the same as fractional and people naturally resist things that are confusing. We might as well use decimal rulers; because thats what you have with centimeter rulers.
I have babied my metric rule and save it for symmetrical layouts because it is the only one I can find.
If anyone is aware of such a rule let me know, or any input would be appreciated .

jeffaah

Here you go.....and only $9.99.. They don't seem to have new tape in stock....but atleast you now have a model number

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-33-225...9816584&sr=8-2

Bodger

This may or may not be what you're looking for, it does say millimeter, not centimeter, but I didn't se a picture of the blade.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...K&linkCode=asm

Bodger

We posted simultaneously, sorry for the duplication.

Winchester

Yeah, centimeters are stupid. Who thought of using them on rulers?

mm measurement is very accurate and simple. Easy to convert to meters or kilometers or whatever else

5.6 km = 5,600 m = 5,600,000 mm

Okay now convert 8.7 miles into: yards, feet, and inches

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Ryan

wallmaxx

mm...yucky

when I left Canada in 1986 I left behind those metric ways. Anyone who argues one is better than the other is just lame. Neither is "better"...only different.

I can use both, but prefer US Imperial system. (I think metric was invented by the French...not sure...but I have an aversion to all things French) Oh crap...not too PC of me huh? Oh well, some like well-done...other's like medium-rare.


45936 feet or

15312 yards or

551,232 inches or

30624 cubits or

name it...Angstroms...whatever? It's all in conversions. Metric is just another form people have developed to express the world around them. Not better...not worse...just another way to do the same thing.

jeffaah

Hey.....you said it....not me

Winchester

I'm not saying one is better, but I am saying one is more simple.

Metric is much more simple.

Unfortunately, nobody really uses metric, not even in Canada even though our building codes and electrical codes are all in metric.

the only time I use metric is when reading from a code book and converting it to imperial. However, I plan on changing that soon. Maybe a 2009 New year's resolution? My company is now a metric company?

yes, yes I did!

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Ryan

KMac

Check out the FastCap tape measures. I have a metric one I use a lot and it even has a built in pencil sharpener!

http://www.fastcap.com/products.aspx?id=346

nap

since every print of every building I have ever worked on is in Imperial measurement, me using metric would add yet another level of conversion. Remember what happened when NASA forgot to convert?

TheBuildingFirm

i really wish we would just adopt the metric system and be done with it. No more conversions from the code books. Oh well, at least the cabinet industry has it right.

Winchester

When doing a lot of industrial electrical the plans for all the buildings were in metric (I do live in Canada, and engineers like metric) We were doing control towers full of MCCs and everything was laid out by the mm, even the placement of the clocks, plugs, transformers and all the huge MCC units.

I bet if the industry switched to metric, the Architects and Engineers would be more than happy to do their drawings in metric. Science is always in metric, and engineering is applied science. I'm sure they'd rather work in metric anyway

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Ryan

ChainsawCharlie

I can convert miiles and kilometers and mph and kph tboth ways quickly, easily and fairly accurately in my head and w/o calculator.

And I owe it all to cycling (on tv).

Can't do much else with metrics though.

MJC

Thanks for the input on the metric tapes ; but none of these tapes are set up to be read in total mm.
If I could figure out how to photograph and post a section of this tape, I would.
It is not that I prefer metric, per say . I guess measuring is just a way to get the job done . I prefer to use home made measuring devices ,(sticks), sometimes for real fitting accuracy . I dont want to change the system , just find a sensible ruler. For most of the shop work I do a lufkin stick rule is my prefered tool.

MJC

Another note......... Metric/ Imperial combo tapes are not what I would buy either , because of that confusion , I guess I'm picky.

olyteddy

If the tape is in CM, can't you just move the decimal one place? 23.5 CM equals 235 MM last I looked...

Winchester

One of the fastcap ones the guy posted does

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Ryan

KMac

Fastcap does have one that reads in mm - check out the link i posted - i own it and use it all the time.

nap

I wouldn't mind if they would use metric but as it stands, we still use the imperial system.

Actually, the arch's and eng's can switch anytime they want. The industry cannnot switch until they do lest we would have to convert everything from imperial to metric. If they switch, the rest will follow. They won't really have a choice.

GregS

You are missing the simplicity of metric.. Multiples of 10. As was said above, just move the decimal over one.

10mm is 1cm
100cm is 1m
1000m is 1km

1L is 10cm^3
1L of water is 1Kg
etc

Metric is pretty cool.