When is a ruler double sided ?

[Andrew Mawson]

I went hunting for a 1 metre long double sided etched stainless ruler. Specifically etched as my current printed one can no longer be read, and specifically double sided so I can measure sheet metal work up to a shoulder on my guillotine in both Imperial and metric units by reversing it.

I lighted on this one:

Seemed ideal and a fair price. It arrived fast and well packed, but when I opened it I was amazed to discover that the 'double sided' referred to a tacky conversion chart printed on the reverse. Seller is adamant that it's double sided ! Case raised with ebay and replacement ordered from another seller - this time a known brand (Rabone):

Would you call the first one double sided?

Andrew

[Andrew Mawson]

He's changed the listing to mention the chart !!!!!!

Andrew

[John Rumm]

As highlighted here:

[Bob Eager]

Well, it's not a Mobius strip!

[fred]

It could be argued that it meant with scales on both edges, (i.e.) each sid e of one face, not that I'm arguing that.

Personally I ditched all my imperial tapes and rules years ago. Most materi al we get now is metric sized even if it is given clumsy imperial equivalen ts and all of our equipment is metric graduated.I found that using tapes wi th both imperial and metric dimensions on them meant I was constantly think ing imperial.

y.m.m.v.

[Andrew Mawson]

This is for measuring on my guillotine. Need to be able to work in both metric and imperial sizes - if you have something that was made in Imperial units and you are replacing a panel, it's daft to work in metric, and vice versa.

Andrew

[newshound]

A mate of mine gets his steel tapes from the US. He does all his carpentry in imperial and prefers them because he can mark on either *edge*.

[cl]

... and for the same reason I buy mine in France, metric on both sides. It avoids that very common and annoying situation where the tape can only be used one way round and that's the *wrong* way round.

The other thing that all my French tapes have which I've just seen here in the UK - they lock automatically on being extended. It's so obviously the 'right' way for a tape to work!

[alan_m]

Doesn't double sided mean a different scale on each EDGE?

[Andrew Mawson]

No that would be DOUBLE EDGED !

The seller has accepted that it was mis-described, but is now trying to avoid paying for return postage, which is actually his obligation under the old Distance Selling regulations which have now been incorporated into the new Consumer Contracts Regulations from 13th June 2014

Andrew

[Andy Burns]

You can get the Bahco -M models here (the -E models are imperial/metric)

Ditto the Bahco ones

[fred]

Axminster sell some metric only tapes. Big advantage is numbers run up the centre of the tape so can be larger. Finding one accurate to =/- 1mm is a problem as always

They also sell some fine metric only Japanese steel rules. Very easy to rea d. I use them when I need an accurate dimension.

[Jethro_uk]

I'm generally right handed, but have some weirdness which means I eat left handed, I fire a bow and arrow left handed, and I stack playing cards left handed. Now if you use Waddingtons cards, you never notice, as they have the rank/suit in all four corners. But if you use inferior playing cards, they are marked on only two corners, which is OK if you fan your cards as a right handed person does, but (as I discovered in a group of friends once) I don't. My natural inclination is to fan them the "wrong" way, which obscures the markings. With the arrival of t'internet, I was amused to discover "left handed playing cards" does return serious results.

I wonder if rulers are similar ... generally marked for right handers ? (Although I find it natural using an "everyday" ruler).

[Huge]

YMYA. I shoot, play snooker and 'mouse' left handed, although write right handed. And I learned to 'mouse' that way when I had a shoulder injury and never changed back, because it's more convenient (click left handed, press keys with right hand - fewer hand motions.)

[Huge]

Oh, and I have a left-handed steel tape measure, because if I use a normal one in the way that seems natural to me, the markings are upside down.

[Jethro_uk]

I mouse left handed, out of preference ... I taught myself to (including swapping the buttons) which has caused all sorts of problems in the past. Not for me. But for IT departments who have locked down their machines.

I went for an interview once, which involved a practical test. I sat down, and immediately pointed out that I used a mouse left handed. The dozey HR wonk gave me a withering look, and made a pantomime about moving the mouse from the right to the left. I told her that wasn't a left handed mouse, just a mouse on the left hand, and that I needed the buttons changing ... which wiped the smile off her face, since she had to call someone from IT, and they couldn't spare someone (the PC was deliberately not networked) ...

btw wtf does YMYA mean ;)

[Clive George]

I believe there's another notorious reason for men to learn to mouse left handed :-)

[Adrian]

That must cause all sorts of problems when playing with a mix of - handers. You'd have to have two packs, and swap cards around as appropriate?

[Adrian]

You're me, you are.

[Jethro_uk]

Tx - couldn't find it with a quick Google ... it sounds ever so slightly "Modern History" ;)