The old tape measure trick I learned from a guy who retired in 2008 still works

I was about 2 years in and kept messing up fit-up on some 4 inch schedule 40 pipe. This old timer walked over and showed me how to use a piece of string and a folding ruler instead of my tape measure for checking fit around flanges. He said tapes lie around curves. I figured he was just blowing smoke. Tried it on a job in Gary last spring and it lined up perfect first time. Any of you guys still use string and a ruler or is that just for the old heads?

2 comments

2 Comments

lily_schmidt533d ago

String and a ruler is still the way to go for flanges and weird angles. Tapes are fine for straight runs but once you hit a curve they mess up the reading every time. I keep a piece of paracord in my bag just for that. Saves you from cutting twice.

jason_kelly82d ago

Hold up, is this actually that big a deal? I mean, I get that tapes can bend weird around curves but I've been fitting pipe for 6 years now and never had a tape cause me to screw up a flange fit that bad. Sounds like more of a rookie issue than a tool issue. I've used a tape on 4 inch schedule 40 a hundred times and it works fine if you just pull it snug and read the inside curve right. Maybe the old timers just like their string because they're used to it.