Tesco Tape Measures

[Dave Liquorice]

Picked up a couple of Rolson tape measures from Tesco the other day. Very expensive at =A33 the pair. B-)

1 x 3m (10') with 3/4" wide blade. 1 x 7.5m (25') with 1" wide blade.

Both have feet/inches (1/16" intervals) and centimetres (1mm). The

7.5m is self supporting out to 7', the smaller 5'. One annoyance with previous (narrower blade) tape measures was the shortness of the self supporting distance.

Can't work out what a couple of regular marks every 16" (40.64cm) and

19 7/32" (48.82cm) are for.

[Tony Bryer]

I presume they're for setting out joist spacings. The first is common, the second would give you five joist bays for an 8' sheet, perhaps a decent compromise between 16" and 24"

[Jules Richardson]

I think the 16" is for stud spacing (16" is pretty much the norm this side of the Pond; I'm not sure about the UK, but it's probably a "for all markets" tape measure anyway)

The 19 7/32" is probably for truss work - 5 trusses per 8' sheet is quite common (here, at least), so 19-7/32" spacings are the closest thing to

19.2 inches (96"/5).

cheers

Jules

[Bob Eager]

For laying out supports for 8 foot sheets of material. 4 gaps = 24 inches, 5 gaps = 19.2 inches, 6 gaps = 16 inches.

I know it was mentioned in here a while ago, but I can't find an actual uk.d-i-y post. I'm sure it's here somewhere.

But anyway, no need to search. That's the answer. Very dated but still included.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dave Liquorice has brought this to us :

You will also find them in the Pound shops, for a £1 each.

[the_constructor]

But you don't get the points in the pound shops and it may cost you more in petrol to go there to get them cheaper

[Tim Streater]

True, but anyone sensible will batch together their little trips and work out the overhead of each, to decide. Of course in the days when fuel cost tuppence-ha'penny a gallon you didn't need to bother.

[Roger Mills]

Maybe. Has every Tesco got them, or only those with large household goods departments?

[Owain]

My local Tesco has a couple of end-of-aisle 'special' displays of Handy Things For A Pound Or Three at the moment; I suspect it's temporary while they flog off a containerload they got cheap.

Owain

[Ron Lowe]

[PeterC]

Last lot - half a dozen - from Wilkinsons for ~80p each. Got them because they're basic 3m tapes without all of the added crap/padding etc. Not spot on apart from one that's OK on both internal and external measurements; the others vary by up to 1mm.

[Tim Streater]

[Old Codger]

Ah but wages were only about 2 bob an hour then so you still had to bother. Don't think the pound shops existed but it was perhaps when Woolworth was a threepenny and sixpenny store. :-)

[Jules Richardson]

Alive and well over here :-) (and I do prefer feet and inches for most building work - but find that metric works better on a smaller scale).

cheers

Jules

[Dave Liquorice]

[Dave Liquorice]

That's assuming you visit or pass a pound shop. I think there was one in Hexham but I think it has closed and I don't often go to Hexham. Not aware of one in Penrith, there might be one in Carlisle somewhere but don't go into the centre unless I have to.

Also note that the larger is a big measure at 7.5m or 25 foot. Othere mention tiddly little 3m ones with no doubt a blade that isn't self supporting for more than a foot or two.

[Dave Liquorice]

Ours has something on some of the aisle ends all the time fitting the cheapy =A31 or two price bracket. Varies from DIY stuff to stationary.

[Dave Liquorice]

Except that nominal "8 x 4" sheets are 2400 x 1200 these days so using 16" rather than 400 mm (15.74") won't be right by about 1.5" over 8'.

Unless of course a "2400 x 1200 mm" sheet is actually 2438 x 1220, can't say I've actually measured one that accurately recently. B-)

[chris French]

The latter I think - well going by the labels on them in places like B and Q - well 2440 is given as the length

[polygonum]

You actually get some sheets that are 2200, others nominal 2240. For example, some plywood is available in both sizes. I think plasterboard has gone 2200 exclusively.