I read a story some time back about foundations that had been laid out and poured. When the carpenters came in, everything was off. Turns out that the layout guy was using a cheap Chicom tape measure where the markings were about 10% shorter than the others. Anything to save a few bucks. It might have been here that I read the original article.
Slip an engineering tape measure in. Graduated in tenths of a foot, instead of inches. Or just leave it out where people can "borrow" it. Guaranteed entertainment until they find out who.
Can something exist and not exist at the same time? More generally, quantum mechanical uncertainty allows physical things to both exist and not exist at the same time. All that can be, is, in the measure that it can be, and for the rest it is not. The cat is both dead and alive. The numbers are there and are not there.
I used to have to check calibration on tape measures at work. Yes, there is a special reference tool for that. I used to think it was stupid, but with some of the crap being produced today it probably isn't stupid. See waitingForTheStorm's comment.
Towards the end of my construction career we had apprentices showing up reading measurements out as 12 and 3 of them little marks. If they showed up at all.
That tape measure is for the blind...
ReplyDelete😍
Delete'Good enough for government work' was at one time, said for high quality items.
ReplyDeleteMust've been more than many decades ago then.
DeleteBefore my time. When I started work it already meant half-assed or shoddy work.
Delete[rocketride]
I read a story some time back about foundations that had been laid out and poured. When the carpenters came in, everything was off. Turns out that the layout guy was using a cheap Chicom tape measure where the markings were about 10% shorter than the others. Anything to save a few bucks. It might have been here that I read the original article.
ReplyDeleteI buy a tape measure and I never even think that it might be off.
DeleteEngineers tape measure. That way he can write his own numbers on it.
ReplyDeleteBackwoods Okie
That is one of the new tape measures made under diversity rules for the blind carpenters!
ReplyDeleteActually, that is Dollar Store item for $2. The one with numbers is $4.
ReplyDeletedb
Regardless of who makes it, I want one. It would be worth it just to give as a gag gift, or to surreptitiously slip into a colleagues toolbox.
ReplyDeleteSlip an engineering tape measure in. Graduated in tenths of a foot, instead of inches. Or just leave it out where people can "borrow" it. Guaranteed entertainment until they find out who.
DeleteCan something exist and not exist at the same time?
ReplyDeleteMore generally, quantum mechanical uncertainty allows physical things to both exist and not exist at the same time. All that can be, is, in the measure that it can be, and for the rest it is not.
The cat is both dead and alive.
The numbers are there and are not there.
I used to have to check calibration on tape measures at work. Yes, there is a special reference tool for that. I used to think it was stupid, but with some of the crap being produced today it probably isn't stupid. See waitingForTheStorm's comment.
ReplyDeleteI still like my 16' Stanley FatMax. I have 25 footers, but 16' does me for most jobs.
ReplyDeleteTowards the end of my construction career we had apprentices showing up reading measurements out as 12 and 3 of them little marks. If they showed up at all.
ReplyDelete