Right to left measuring ruler?

[dvddvd]

Im looking for a double sided 300mm metric metal ruler that reads right to left? They all seem to read the other way.

When im measuring from table saw fence to blade i always have my ruler upside down..do they sell them? A lot on ebay say double sided but its imperial on the other side

Thanks

 

[Chubber]

It has always seemed to me to be counterintuitive that expanding tapes pull from left to right so that they force the user to use their left hand to mark off a length when the majority of users will likely be right handed.

Sinister forces at work...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Likewise to me 7 1/4" circular saws. I work on the edge of a sheet closest to me with the very small part of the saw base on the sheet.
Bloody horrible things, I hate them. I am happier with a chainsaw.

 

[dvddvd]

 

[dvddvd]

Bought one of these from Axminster in the end, all metric, 300mm long and reads both ways

 

[dvddvd]

 

[dvddvd]

 

[Bumble]

There's the Japanese tool company Shinwa. They are the standard measure here sold in every tool shop. Now I am absolutely sure I saw them in one of the UK tool shop websites recently but can't remember. I would do a search but there are too many traffic stops for a search from a Japanese IP address...

They're about equiv. GBP 5 and made in Japan. They come in all sorts of different sizes and shapes.

 

[ChaiLatte]

It has always seemed to me to be counterintuitive that expanding tapes pull from left to right so that they force the user to use their left hand to mark off a length

Tape measures are described (implicitly, since it is never stated) by the hand that hold the body of the tape, not the hand that holds the pencil.

If you want to scribble with your right hand, you have to look for 'left hand tape measure'. Axminster among others sell one.

The challenge is that they have two identical scales on them with the tops of the numbers pointing towards the centre of the tape for both. This permits holding the tape body in the left hand and marking off using the right hand against a number that is the correct way up.

Maybe someone can find a dual imperial/metric scaled one with the numbers inverted but I suspect that might be difficult.

 

[Dr Al]

I spent ages looking for a decent metric steel rule. What I would consider "decent" is one face with millimetres on both edges (so you can use either edge depending on what's most convenient) and one face with half-millimetres on both edges. The only easily available one I've found is the Facom DELA 1051.

Axminster's steel rules come close, with millimetres on the top edge, half millimetres on the bottom edge on one face and then the opposite on the other face (so you can get your chosen unit on any edge). However, they're less convenient: I would typically choose millimetres or half millimetres and then place the ruler down and offer it up to whatever I was trying to measure / mark. With the Facom one it's easy; with the Axminster one I find myself flipping the rule over after placing it down.

I also found a Stanley 35-522 that's similar to the Facom one, but I'm not aware of anywhere that sells them (I found mine in a junk shop).

Below is a photo of the good steel rules (showing both sides where I've got at least two of a given type) along with my favourite little tape measure.

In my workshop, the steel rules with inches on are used as thin spacers; never for measuring!

 

[johnnyb]

There was a kreg stuck on that was sold in both orientations(o er) for radial saws etc. I like metric and imperial but abhor 64s and decimal fractions. I got a shinwa largish square that's in a unique Japanese system that's close enough to inches that I brought it (from japan) and got it back home before noticing!

 

[Etaf]

i have a VICE VERSA Tape , which is great for whichever side you measure
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Advent-5m-Vice-Versa-Tape-Measure/dp/B004ISVQLM
They do a 5m and an 8m version
i thought I purchased mine from toolstation but they dont seem to have 5m only 8m
https://www.toolstation.com/advent-vice-versa-tape-measure/p88425

 

[ChaiLatte]

Sinister forces at work...

I know you do not mean this in any serious manner so please take below as merely observations on life.

Naming conventions are always a practical problem of language. The tape measure is a bit naughty in not explicitly stating how its hand is defined.

Two further examples of adopting a left/right convention are how cars are described and how metal lathe tools are described.

On a car, 'right hand drive' is the location of the steering wheel. The car and driver actually drive on the left of the road.

With a lathe tool, a right hand tool has the sharp edge on its left side and cuts from right to left.

 

[Sideways]

Adhesive backed measuring scales can be bought suitable for making your own flip stop fences or replacing the scales on machinery - like on the mounting bar of a tablesaw rip fence.
They come in various lengths and can be cut down. Metric imperial or both. Measurements from the left or right hand end, even the centre. And all sorts of colours and fonts.
Look at Axminster, ebay, aliexpress, and specialist sellers. You can pay a tenner or a couple of quid apiece and some of the cheap ones are actually very good.

 

[scooby]

Dr.Al..thats just reminded me, I've been meaning to buy one of those bmi tapes for a while.

 

[Dr Al]

Dr.Al..thats just reminded me, I've been meaning to buy one of those bmi tapes for a while.

The decent (for which read: metric only) ones are a bit of a pain to find. I bought mine on ebay. There are several different part numbers, but the imperial ones have very similar part numbers to the metric ones. The part numbers are explained (as best as I can understand them) on my website:

https://www.cgtk.co.uk/metalwork/mi...anyone else wanting one, they are made by BMI

 

[mudman]

It has always seemed to me to be counterintuitive that expanding tapes pull from left to right so that they force the user to use their left hand to mark off a length when the majority of users will likely be right handed.

Sinister forces at work...

I see what you did there. I liked the pun.

 

[scooby]

It has always seemed to me to be counterintuitive that expanding tapes pull from left to right so that they force the user to use their left hand to mark off a length when the majority of users will likely be right handed.

Sinister forces at work...

I actually never considered this before (because I'm left handed). Good point though, I can imagine its not totally natural for right handers.

 

[Jake]

I think it's just a long set up for the joke but if not, it depends on what side of the measured object you are on, and which end of it you are measuring from though (and lefties have the same issues in reverse).

 

[Sideways]

I spent ages looking for a decent metric steel rule....

View attachment 193959

That's a handy post and I'm also a fan of the bmi tapes.

I have my own favorite and commend it to you and others, especially paired with a ruler stop of which the veritas is the best I've found so far because it has a notched brass swivel end on the screw and a hardened insert. These reduce some of the obvious wear points.
Anyway, Shinwa Japanese hardened stainless rules with pearl chrome finish and black + red legends give simply superb readability. 300, 600 and 1,000 mm from Axminster and no doubt elsewhere.

Oh, when I first encountered these they were under a different brand :