Woodworker's Central Woodworker's Gazette Gazette Archive 11/19/97

The following is the email I sent to Lufkin and their response. Dear Lufkin Webmaster, My name is Jim Mattson. I'm a professional woodworker by day and amateur webmaster by night. Currently I'm researching the topic for an upcoming article for the Woodworker's Website Association. The focus of the article is tape measures and how to use them. As one of the world's top suppliers, I was wondering if you would forward the following questions on tape measures to one of your experts. #1) What is your warrenty/return policy for tape measures which suffer a broken spring? How about a cracked tape? < Lufkin products are warranted to be free of manufacturing defects. We will replace any product that has any manufacturing defects. The warranty does not extend to tape measures that are abused, misused, or excessively used. As with many products, including appliances or vehicles, severe use can "wear out" a measuring tape. #2) What is the longest spring-returned tape you manufacture for sale to the retail consumer? <1" x 33' (or 1" x 33' / 10 meter) #3) How long have you manufactured tape measures? <Lufkin has been manufacturing measuring products since 1869. This includes steel tape measures, woven materials such as cloth (no longer manufactured) and synthetic fibers, fiberglass, wood folding rules, and wood and steel rules. #4) How are the delineations applied to the tape? <For most measuring tapes, the printing process is similar to off-set printing. Inks are applied directly to the blade with rubber printing belts, one belt for each color to be used. #5) How come, on seemingly identical tape measures stretched side-to-side, the delineations can drift out of sync and then return to normal? < To ensure accurate results, measurement tests should be performed under consistent conditions - the blade should be fully supported by a flat and level bench, the blade should be put under the correct tension, and the measurements should be compared to a certified standard. #6) Are there any new advances woodworkers can look forward to in the realm of tape measures? < Eventually, someone will develop a low-cost laser measuring tool that could replace conventional measuring tapes. This is many years in the future, however. Current advances will center around extending product durability, improving product performance, and enhancing measuring accuracy. Any other information you think might be interesting to our members would be greatly appreciated. (No reponse to this one.) Thank you in advance, Jim Mattson