Who Makes Diameter Tape Measures?

Lufkin Pipe Diameter Measuring Tape
Lufkin Pipe Diameter Measuring Tape

There are 4 main manufacturers of diameter tape measures.

  1. Lufkin® has a world-wide reputation for making high quality tape measures. They used to make them in the USA, but they have shifted the production facilities to Mexico. Some of the tapes are made out of a cast case, which is highly polished and chrome plated, like the w906pd. Others, like the w606pd have a stamped case, which is shiny and chrome plated.  A third type of case is black plastic, like the asw616pd. However, the tape blade inside is the same in all 3 types of cases. It is capable of measuring diameters up to 23 inches.
  2. Pi-Cobra is a brand name for diameter tapes made with

    Pi-Cobra Diameter Tape, Metric Pi-Cobra Diameter Tape, Metric

    a cast case which is chrome plated. It can hold a longer tape blade, capable of measuring diameters up to 38 inches. The case is very durable. These are manufactured in China.

  3. 24inch-od-tape
    24inch-od-tape

    Various other Chinese manufacturers make versatile OD tapes like the 416-04-024-P. The back side of the tape measures diameter up to 24″ in 100ths of an inch or 610 mm. The case is plastic, and has a key ring attached to it.

  4. The UT-56675 is made in the USA. It is capable of
    diameter-tapes-com
    diameter-tapes-com UT-56675

    measuring pipes up to 45 inches in diameter. This is a belt tape, not a pocket tape. The calibrations are in tenths of an inch diameter.

 

The Mystery of Pipe Diameter Tape Measure Codes

Mystery of Diameter Tape Codes
Mystery of Diameter Tape Codes

Lufkin pipe diameter tape measure products are available with different scales. To find the right tape for your needs, here is how to read the codes that are embedded in the SKU numbers.

  • “P” means that it is a “pi” tape, also known as a diameter tape.

Examples are w606p, w906pd, w606pm, asw616pd, w606pd, w906p.

  • “D” means that it measures in tenths of an inch. If the “D” were missing, it would measure in 64ths of an inch.

Examples are w906pd, asw616pd, w606pd.

  • “M” means that it measures in metric scale.

An example is w606pm.

Celebrate Pi Day 2019 With A Diameter Tape Measure

pi symbol
pi symbol

Pi Day is March 14. This year you can help celebrate by answering the question at the bottom.

Pi is the constant ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, no matter what size the circle is. This is useful knowledge when you work with water pipes or oil or gas pipelines, and you need to replace part of it. You can measure the circumference and divide by pi. But there’s an easier way to do that.

Diameter Tape (pi Tape)
Diameter Tape (pi Tape)

Let a Lufkin Diameter tape measure do it for you. You just wrap it around the pipe, and read the diameter. Mathematicians call pi an irrational number, since it goes on for an infinite number of decimal places, but using a diameter tape is a very rational and easy way to find the diameter of a pipe. To see a little video on How to measure the diameter of a pipe, just click here.

 

Trivia: What famous scientist was born on Pi Day?

 

 

 

The Next Big Thing In Thermos Bottles

A brief history of the Thermos® Bottle goes back to 1892. The glass vacuum flask was invented by Sir James Dewar of Scotland. It was intended to keep chemical experiments at a constant temperature. William B. Walker obtained the patent rights and founded The American Thermos Bottle Company in 1907. The first bottles in the Brooklyn NY factory were double-glass vacuum bottles and protected by a metal cylinder. Then in 1966, a new design was introduced. The Thermos bottles were made with a double wall of stainless steel. No glass was used. Now you could drop the bottle and not be disappointed with a broken glass insert.

Today, the latest design is a hi-end replacement for the Koozie® sleeve. It holds a soft drink can or a beer bottle, and keeps it cold for much longer.

2700DefualtLogo Thermos® Beverage Can Insulator 2700

 

Architect Scale Rulers Explained in 140 Words Or Less

Most people don’t need an architect scale ruler, but for those who do need one, this is for

Architect At Work
Architect At Work

you.

This ruler will make your job easier, so you can obtain measurements off the drawing without having to convert from the drawing’s actual measurements. You can use the 12″ size in the office. Or, you can take the 6″ pocket version with you into the field. For larger drawings, you can use the retractable pocket architect tape. This will work either in the field, or the office.

 

The Next Surprise in Promotional Maglites®

What will the next surprise be in Promotional Maglites®?

Maglite-Paul Rizzo-Dave Navoyosky
Maglite-Paul Rizzo-Dave Navoyosky

Here are some possibilities. (Simply our light-hearted uneducated guesses)

  1. Made in the USA out of US and foreign parts (Other great manufacturers have gone this route. Could we see it with these famous flashlights?)
  2. Made in Taiwan
  3. Warranty reduced to 90 days. Optional extended warranty available for $29 per year.
  4. Don’t want to buy one? Rent one by the month.
  5. Free batteries for 5 years.
  6. Need one for just a day? Pick one up at a Torch Kiosk. Return it to any Torch Kiosk. Only $1 per hour. If you don’t return it for a week, your credit card will be charged $200.
  7. $15 discount when you trade in any other brand flashlight for a real Maglite®.
  8. Do you need one delivered? Just call Yuber, and they will bring you one to purchase. $37 delivery and processing charge.

Let us know what your guess is, by adding a comment to this blog.

 

3 Easy Steps to Use a Pipe Diameter Tape Measure

How To Use A Diameter Tape
How To Use A Diameter Tape

This time, we won’t get into the geometry theory of pi that we had in high school. The magic of a pipe diameter tape measure is its simplicity of use. Here are the 3 steps to find the diameter of a pipeline:

  1. Clean the pipe surface. Soil and any other contamination, of course, will make the pipe seem bigger than it really is.
  2. Wrap the diameter tape around it, with the diameter scale visible to you.
  3. Simply read off the tape. This will be the diameter, even though the tape is wrapped around the circumference. That’s all!

Some things to watch for…..Some OD tapes (diameter tapes) are marked in 100ths of an inch. Some are marked in 64ths of an inch. On the 64ths of an inch tape, 32/64 would be 1/2″. 16/64 would be 1/4″. 24/64 would be 3/8″. For convenience, you can use a magic marker to mark some of these common, but confusing measurements.

For a 2 1/2 minute video with more detail, click How To Use A Diameter Tape.