Tag: pipe

Tally Books Explained in a Few Words

Oilfield workers need a handy way of keeping track of how many lengths of pipe

Custom Full Color Imprint on Tally Books
Custom Full Color Imprint on Tally Books

they have put in the ground. The easiest way to do this is to record each pipe in a small pocket-sized notebook. The exact time of day should also be recorded. The book needs to be rugged and water resistant and the pages need to be lined. This problem has led to the invention of vinyl-covered Pipe Tally Books.

 

Using a Pipe Diameter Tape Measure Is a No-Brainer

If you have a pipeline and need to find the OD (outside diameter) it makes sense to use a pipe diameter tape measure. Even a chimp could be trained to use one. (I think). All you do is

My New Pipe Diameter Tape Measure
My New Pipe Diameter Tape
  1. Wrap the tape around the pipe.
  2. Read the marking where the zero mark touches the tape.
  3. Even though the tape is wrapped around the circumference, it is marked by a factor of pi, so it gives you the diameter.
  4. You’re done.

Now it’s time to enjoy the rest of the day in the shade.

7 Diameter Tape Measure Tips For the Pros

If you are already a user of a diameter tape measure, these tips are for you.

Tips on Using a Diameter Tape Measure
Tips on Using a Diameter Tape Measure
  1. Keep it clean. If you keep sand and dirt from inhabiting your tape, it will look good longer and last longer.
  2. Line it up straight on the pipe. If you put the tape on a little crooked, you will get an erroneously high reading.
  3. Clean the pipe. This makes sure that surface contaminants aren’t interfering with your measurement.
  4. Use a felt tip marker to mark common measurements directly on the tape. Don’t be a hero. This tip will make your job easier.
  5. Put your name on it. Valuable and handy tools have a way of walking away.
  6. Buy only the best pipe diameter tape measure. Lufkin is a trusted brand name.
  7. Keep one in every location that you work (and leave it there). I keep one in the office, my shop, my tool box, and in all my vehicles and boat. A diameter tape doesn’t measure only diameters. The other side is a regular inch tape (or metric tape). So it comes in handy many times.

Please post your own tips in the comments here. I’d be interested in what you come up with. Thanks.

How to Make Your Tally Books More Useful

Oilfield and gas field workers use Tally Books every hour of the day. They keep

How to Build a Better Pipe Tally Book
How to Build a Better Pipe Tally Book

track of when tasks are done, the size and length of the pipes they install, and gauge readings. How can you make their pipe tally books more useful to them?

  1. Add a vinyl pen loop, so the workers won’t loose their pen or pencil.
  2. Design the book with spiral binding instead of stitched binding, so the book will lay flat.
  3. Make the color of the vinyl cover bright, so it can be found easily in a pile of other items.
  4. Print valuable information on the back cover, or on the inside of the cover. This can be phone numbers, conversion tables, decimal equivalents, etc.
  5. Order a 3 page clear vinyl insert, so you can store business cards, printed material, and other important info.
  6. Order a water-resistant stone pad for more durability. These amazing pads look like paper pads, but you can’t tear them, and they resist water damage.

3410-Jr Tallybook.jpg Tally Book Junior 3410 (Top Seller)

The Pipe Diameter Tape Measure Takes on a New Function During the COVID-19 Situation

The pipe diameter tape measure is normally used by pipeline workers and inspectors. They wrap it around the circumference of the pipe, and read the

A New Use for a Pipe Diameter Tape Measure
A New Use for a Pipe Diameter Tape Measure

diameter size on the tape. Now this useful tape can take on a new use during the COVID-19 lockdown.

For those of you who are forced to stay at home every day, you may have discovered the comforting appeal of the refrigerator. It’s always there with food for when you are hungry. It’s even there when you are not hungry, but just need some comfort. If you have a bathroom scale, you may have noticed that the spring might be getting weaker this month. Or, could it be that you are actually putting on weight?

A Lufkin pipe diameter tape measure can be a fun way to try to prove that your bathroom scale might be broken. Wrap it around your waist or your arm, and see for sure if you are getting too chummy with the Frigidaire.

LOL

5 Myths About The Pipe Diameter Tape Measure

Myths About the pipe diameter tape measure
Myths About the pipe diameter tape measure

The history of the pipe diameter tape measure is probably darker than its future. Once these 5 myths are explained, this little tape measure will experience much success.

  1. Nobody needs a pipe diameter tape measure (OD tape).
  2. It is too hard to use. Only an expert can use it.
  3. It is probably too expensive.
  4. A regular tape measure can do the same job.
  5. My customers don’t want one with my company logo on it.

Here are my answers:

  1. The “outside diameter tape” is used by plumbers, pipeline workers, electricians, car and boat repairmen.
  2. All you do is wrap it around the pipe, and read off the diameter.
  3. It compares to the price of many other pocket tapes.
  4. Maybe so, but you would have to correct for the fact that you can’t readily see the zero mark. You would have to use the one inch or two inch mark, and subtract that from the total, then divide by pi. A pipe diameter tape measure has the zero conveniently located away from the end of the tape, to make it easy to line up.
  5. Your customers would love a gift with your corporate logo. It would be a symbol of your generosity.

Here is the most popular “pipe tape”:

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

What Is A Diameter Tape Measure?

Diameter Tape Measure
Diameter Tape Measure

Good question, because most people don’t have any use for one. A diameter tape measure is a measuring tape whose scale is stretched out by a factor of pi. This allows you to wrap it around a round object, such as a pipeline or tree trunk, and read its diameter directly on the scale. You don’t need to divide by 3.14159.

Here are some other names that people call these tapes:

  • pi tapes
  • circumference tapes (a misnomer)
  • pipe tapes
  • Lufkin pi tapes
  • OD tapes
  • outside diameter tapes
  • pi-Cobra tapes
  • pie tapes

What If You Lose Your Tally Books?

When oilfield workers record data while they are drilling, they need to enter it in

Today's Oilfield Workers and Their Tally Books
Today’s Oilfield Workers and Their Tally Books

a safe place. They write it in a pipe tally book. What if they lose their tally books?

  • The workers would lose the number of feet of pipe they have put in the ground.
  • They would lose the number of pipe sections they used.
  • They would not be able to recall the times that they hooked up each section of pipe.
  • They would not be able to report on the amount of fluids that were used in the operation.

What a disaster! Prevent this catastrophe by purchasing oilfield pipe tally books that are:

  1. Bright in color, so you can’t misplace them.
  2. Water resistant, with a vinyl cover.
  3. Made of that new waterproof “paper” called “stone paper”. Not only is it waterproof, it is tear-resistant.
  4. Small enough to fit in the oilfield or gas field worker’s pocket.
  5. Made with an integral pen loop, so there’s always a pen with the book.
  6. Identified with your company logo and phone number on the front cover.