Tag: circumference

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?

 

 

 

Give A Diameter Tape Measure For Christmas

Give Diameter Tapes for Christmas
Give Diameter Tapes for Christmas

A diameter tape measure can save you a lot of time and frustration when you want to find the OD (outside diameter) of a pipe, post, or tree. This special tape has the inch scale (or metric scale) stretched out by a factor of pi (3.14159). So, if you wrap it around the pipeline, you will not see the “circumference”. You will see its diameter. You don’t need to divide your answer by 3.14159.

This Weird Diameter Tape Measure Can Make Your Life Easier

You may be part of a special group of people. We can call this group, FDTU, for “future diameter tape users”. To be in that group, you would have these three qualifications:

  1. You never heard of a Diameter tape measure.
  2. After you get one, and learn how to use it, you will use one every week for the rest of your life.
  3. You won’t believe how you ever got along without one.

To help you on this fun journey as a FDTU, let’s find out…

  • What is a diameter tape.

    It is a measuring tape that, when you wrap it around the circumference of a round object (pipeline or tree), it reads the “diameter”. If you would use a regular tape measure, you would have to divide by pi (3.14159) to get the diameter.

  • How to use a diameter tape.

    How To Measure the Diameter of a PipeYou simply wrap it around a pipe or shaft, or tree, and have the diameter scale face outward, so you can read it. Make sure you don’t use the other side, because it would give you the circumference. 

  • What you will use it on from now on, to make your life easier.

    If you need to replace a car heater hose, but you want to have the new hose on-hand before you remove the old hose, use your diameter tape to measure the diameter (and length) of the old hose. You can do the same routine when replacing plumbing.

My friend owns a marina. He never heard of a diameter tape. I gave him a diameter tape and told him what it was for. He was in the FDTU group, and now he uses this valuable diameter tape measure every day.

Are you in the FDTU Group? Now you know how a simple tape can make your life easier.

 

Here’s the Secret About a Pipe Measuring Tape

Pipe Measuring Secret
Pipe Measuring Secret

If you have to find the length of a pipe, that’s easy. But what about the outside diameter of a pipe?  What if you can’t just measure the diameter at the end? What if the pipe doesn’t have its ends exposed. It is part of a piping system, or a pipeline. How can you fine the OD, or outside diameter?

The secret is finding the right pipe measuring tape. What is it called?

  • Diameter Tape
  • Pipe Tape
  • Pipe Diameter Tape
  • Pi Tape
  • OD Tape
  • Outside Diameter Tape
  • Circumference Tape (a misnomer, but they are sometimes called this)

To use one, all you do is wrap it around the pipe, and read off the diameter. You don’t need to divide by pi (3.14159).

Lufkin Y906PD pipe diameter tape measure, not Barlow W906PD Lufkin Diameter Tape

How a Diameter Tape Can Find a Pipe Diameter For You

How to measure the diameter of a pipe or log

How do you work a diameter tape? You don’t. It works for YOU.

A Lufkin Diameter Tape Measure will make your job quick and easy. Just wrap it around a pipe, pipeline, or other round object, and read its diameter right off the tape. Yes, you wrap it around the “circumference”, but it reads “diameter” for you. You don’t need to divide by pi (3.14159).

See our 2 minute diameter tape video to learn a few other details about this valuable tool.

Diameter Tapes
Diameter Tapes Video

 

 

 

 

How to Measure the Diameter of a Pipe

How to Measure the Diameter of a Pipe
How to Measure the Diameter of a Pipe

If you need to know the outside diameter of a pipeline, and don’t have an exposed end, this is how you do it. Please click here for a short 2 minute video on this easy task. Let the Lufkin diameter tape do the work for you. There’s no need to use a bulky caliper or micrometer. There is also no need to divide the circumference by pi. A simple pocket-sized diameter tape is all you need. Here is How to measure the diameter of a pipe.

pi symbol
pi symbol

 

 

 

 

What Can A Pipe Diameter Tape Measure Do For You?

W616PDC Lufkin Diameter Tape, 100ths
W616PDC Lufkin Diameter Tape, 100ths

The best short answer to this question is:

  1. It finds the diameter of a pipe or pipeline.
  2. It finds the circumference of a round (or oval) object.

A Pipe diameter tape measure is an oil and gas pipeline man’s best friend. Those who drill oil and gas wells find a diameter tape a necessity. It retracts and fits in your pocket. It’s ready to use all the time. No calculations or calibrations are necessary. All you do is wrap it around the pipe and read the diameter off the diameter scale.

If you need the circumference of the pipe, just wrap it around the pipe and read off the circumference scale.

W906PDC Lufkin Pipe Diameter Tape
W906PDC Lufkin Pipe Diameter Tape

Add A Pipe Diameter Measuring Tape To Your Toolbox

What's the diameter of this Pipeline?
What’s the diameter of this Pipeline?

Diameter tape measures are able to give you the diameter of a pipe, pipeline, log, or any other round object. They do it in 1 easy step. All you do is wrap the pipe diameter measuring tape around the pipe and read off the diameter. A regular tape measure would give you the circumference. Then you would have to divide by pi (3.14159). That adds another step, plus you would need a calculator, pencil, and paper to arrive at the diameter.

Why do you need a diameter tape in your toolbox?

  • To measure the diameter of a heater hose in your car, for replacement.
  • To measure the diameter of your round furnace ductwork, so you can extend it, or tap into it.

    Furnace ductwork in your home
    Furnace ductwork in your home
  • To find the diameter of a hose in your boat, so you can replace it. You can go buy the new hose without  removing the old one first.

    Pipes and hoses on your boat
    Pipes and hoses on your boat
  • To find the diameter of pipes or copper tubing, or plastic pipe in your house plumbing, so you can extend it, or add onto it.
5600 × 4200 – servicemaster
Pipes in your basement
Pipes in your basement