Right to left measuring ruler?

[SammyQ]

While we are catering for 'righties', You can buy 'reversed' tape measures and I, for one, bless them. Marking, particularly sheet goods becomes so.much more easy.

Nowt sinister indeed. More dextrous....I'm off to Chubber's!

 

[Dr Al]

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.
View attachment 193981

Thanks @Sideways . I've looked at a few Shinwa rules, but haven't yet found one that meets my criteria (whole millimetres on both edges of one face and half-millimetres on both edges of the other face). If memory serves me correctly (it was a while ago I looked), most look like the one in your picture, with millimetres on one edge and half-millimetres on the other. I find that sort much less user friendly as they have to be flipped over far more often.

 

[Doug71]

I'm struggling to understand the left and right handed tape measure thing, is the problem that people struggle reading numbers that are upside down?

I bought one of Axminster's "Professional" steel rules a few weeks ago and I won't be buying any more, you have to be looking at it straight on with perfect lighting or it's unreadable. It's sold as having some kind of pearl chrome anti-glare finish which I guess is the problem, it did only cost about £1.50 but even that is too much as it's pretty much unusable.

This is the Axminster compared to a Fisher steel rule

@Dr Al mentioned using rules as spacers, I often use the blades on my squares as well. The blade on my 150mm square is 1mm, on my 200mm square it's 1.5mm and on my combi square it's 2mm, very handy for things like spacing cabinet doors

 

[Dave Moore]

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).

Not using the vice versa tape you don’t. They really are good to use.

 

[ChaiLatte]

I'm struggling to understand the left and right handed tape measure thing, is the problem that people struggle reading numbers that are upside down?

It may not even be 'struggling'. There may indeed be people who have genuine challenges reading things upside down. For others, perhaps they simply prefer to read the number the correct way up. In that sense, the item is not far removed from a 'large print' tape - does the same job but is enhanced in a specific way.

We focus a lot on tools here. People derive pleasure from their use. The above features, while not vital to the basic function, enhance the user experience. You can survive by drinking water; there are 237 brands of coffee in your supermarket.

 

[Peter Sefton]

I'm struggling to understand the left and right handed tape measure thing, is the problem that people struggle reading numbers that are upside down?

I bought one of Axminster's "Professional" steel rules a few weeks ago and I won't be buying any more, you have to be looking at it straight on with perfect lighting or it's unreadable. It's sold as having some kind of pearl chrome anti-glare finish which I guess is the problem, it did only cost about £1.50 but even that is too much as it's pretty much unusable.

This is the Axminster compared to a Fisher steel rule

View attachment 194004

@Dr Al mentioned using rules as spacers, I often use the blades on my squares as well. The blade on my 150mm square is 1mm, on my 200mm square it's 1.5mm and on my combi square it's 2mm, very handy for things like spacing cabinet doors

We have moved our Fisher Rules and Squares under our Verum brand, my Fisher rules have never failed or faded. The Fisher brand name is disappearing but the quality remains, we offer all our Verum tools with a life time warranty.

https://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/verum/?sort=bestselling&limit=30

Cheers

Peter

 

[Peter Sefton]

@dvddvd Our new JessEm rules measure both from right to left and left to right on opposite sides of the rule plus the new patented Flex Grip technology.

https://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/jessem-stainless-steel-precision-rule-300mm/



Cheers

Peter

 

[cmoops2]

@dvddvd Our new JessEm rules measure both from right to left and left to right on opposite sides of the rule plus the new patented Flex Grip technology.

https://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/jessem-stainless-steel-precision-rule-300mm/



Cheers

Peter

Oh Peter - have those pesky Canadians just opened the door to a (never-ending) debate on 'rule' versus 'ruler' ?

 

[cmoops2]

While we appear to have drifted off-topic from whether we can read numbers upside down, my long-term bug-bear regarding accurate internal measurements (particularly on cabinetwork) was answered when a relative bought me a HULTAFORS 3m Talmeter tape measure.

In addition being ruggedly-built, its extending stainless steel strip is a great '3rd-hand'. The tape is press-to-release and incoporates a fixed end piece/marker. The body also incoprates a 'spike' which is very useful and it can also be used to score drywall.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hultafors-TALM3-Talmeter-Marking-Measuring/dp/B0041YQFY6/ref=asc_df_B0041YQFY6?mcid=ccceb6f0e4053499862cf21989b5141c&th=1&psc=1&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697293105284&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7942740297492368893&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046151&hvtargid=pla-563524355439&psc=1&gad_source=1

 

[Chubber]

I'm struggling to understand the left and right handed tape measure thing, is the problem that people struggle reading numbers that are upside down?

Think on this scenario...I am right-handed. I write, mark, nick, knife etc with the tool in my right hand. I have done for more than 70 years.

I have a 3ft square piece of 3/8" ply on my bench. I want to mark a point 15" from the right hand side near the middle. I hook my tape over the RH edge, pull out sufficient tape to mark 15" with my left hand non-writing hand and mark using my right hand. No problem. The divisions are on the far side of the 1" wide tape but it makes no difference.

Now I wish to mark 15" from the RH side on the edge of a piece of 3/8" ply. Laid flat, the same mark must be at least the width of the tape from the edge (the divisions are on the far side) and to transfer it to the edge needs (for absolute accuracy) the use of a square. If the imperial marks where on the nearside I could transfer the mark directly to the edge face.

Now, in both the above scenarios I am measuring from the right. When I have to mark from the left, I hook on using my right hand, draw the tape rightwards, then have to lock it whilst I transfer my hold on it to my left hand, pick up a marker and then cross my hands to make the mark. Awkward. Clumsy.

In Imperial Only days, no problem. Before expanding tapes, a 3-fold steel Rabone and Chesterman tape that lived in the long pocket of my dungarees was marked right across it's width, sixteenths on on side, twelfths on the other.

The only solution I can see is to have two expanding tapes of bench use size, one Imperial, one Metric, both marked right across their respective widths. Oh, and two pockets. Oh, and different colours so I won't keep picking up the wrong one. Oh, and more patience!

If you managed to read all of this drivel without succumbing to advanced catalepsy you are very patient or you need to adopt an absorbing hobby...

 

[Dr Al]

@dvddvd Our new JessEm rules measure both from right to left and left to right on opposite sides of the rule plus the new patented Flex Grip technology.

https://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/jessem-stainless-steel-precision-rule-300mm/

These are another classic example of someone not really thinking about how a rule(r) is used.

Rotational symmetry (which these have) is almost entirely useless and just clutters up the ruler with duplicate measurements. If you turn that rule through 180° it looks exactly the same. From the other photos on the site, it looks like you can flip it over to get the opposite handedness, which is something, but of course there are no half-millimetres as they've wasted one edge on each face by making it an exact duplicate of the other edge.

Using a rule like that, you'll place it down on the workpiece, offer it up to the thing you want to measure, realise you want to measure left-to-right on the bottom edge but you've got it as shown in the image above, spin it through 180°, realise that doesn't make any difference, then flip it over to be able to measure something.

Contrast that with the Facom DELA. Plonk it down, offer it up to the line you're measuring from, pick the edge (top or bottom) depending on where you want to measure. Simple. This is what the whole-millimetre side of a rule should look like:

and this is what the half-millimetre side should look like:

Why do so many rule manufacturers seem to find this so hard?

Sorry, I'll get off my soap-box now...

 

[cmoops2]

Think on this scenario...I am right-handed. I write, mark, nick, knife etc with the tool in my right hand. I have done for more than 70 years.

I have a 3ft square piece of 3/8" ply on my bench. I want to mark a point 15" from the right hand side near the middle. I hook my tape over the RH edge, pull out sufficient tape to mark 15" with my left hand non-writing hand and mark using my right hand. No problem. The divisions are on the far side of the 1" wide tape but it makes no difference.

Now I wish to mark 15" from the RH side on the edge of a piece of 3/8" ply. Laid flat, the same mark must be at least the width of the tape from the edge (the divisions are on the far side) and to transfer it to the edge needs (for absolute accuracy) the use of a square. If the imperial marks where on the nearside I could transfer the mark directly to the edge face.

Now, in both the above scenarios I am measuring from the right. When I have to mark from the left, I hook on using my right hand, draw the tape rightwards, then have to lock it whilst I transfer my hold on it to my left hand, pick up a marker and then cross my hands to make the mark. Awkward. Clumsy.

In Imperial Only days, no problem. Before expanding tapes, a 3-fold steel Rabone and Chesterman tape that lived in the long pocket of my dungarees was marked right across it's width, sixteenths on on side, twelfths on the other.

The only solution I can see is to have two expanding tapes of bench use size, one Imperial, one Metric, both marked right across their respective widths. Oh, and two pockets. Oh, and different colours so I won't keep picking up the wrong one. Oh, and more patience!

If you managed to read all of this drivel without succumbing to advanced catalepsy you are very patient or you need to adopt an absorbing hobby...

Chubber - you mentioning 'long-pockets' in dungarees/workpants and it reminded me of a time when a newly qualified 'Elf & Safety operative (could tell he was newly qualified by the shiny new clipboard !) admonished me for parking a screwdriver in my workpants 'long pocket'. I think my (sincerely communicated) reply included a hint for him to be elsewhere and a casting of doubt about his parentage (a bit too 'edgy' for todays workplace methinks) ...

 

[Jake]

Now I wish to mark 15" from the RH side on the edge of a piece of 3/8" ply. Laid flat, the same mark must be at least the width of the tape from the edge (the divisions are on the far side) and to transfer it to the edge needs (for absolute accuracy) the use of a square. If the imperial marks where on the nearside I could transfer the mark directly to the edge face.

Flip the piece around so the RH is now the LH.

 

[Chubber]

Flip the piece around so the RH is now the LH.

Easy done when it's just 3ft square. Different matter with bigger pieces, but yes, I do follow your reasoning.

 

[peter-harrison]

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...

One of the very few wins for us lefties!

 

[donie]

https://www.fine-tools.com/vogel-ruler.html

These are from Germany, probably some import taxes but hardly very much as cheapish product?

 

[Chubber]

One of the very few wins for us lefties!

I'm married to one. Her tied freezer bags are my nemesis, they undo the wrong way. Things get tidied from the right on shelves etc.. When we are folding groundsheets she wants to fold over in the opposite direction.
Restaurant place settings are for 'righties' and the first thing she always does on being seated is an almost ostentatious full swap over.
The only time I thought to telephone a (prestigious) restaurant on an important anniversary to ask that her place be laid left-handed, she reverted to habit and re-laid it right-handed! AAAagh!

 

[Seascaper]

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

Hello,
I have a left hand ruler my son bought me some years ago which reads right to left, it looks like your everyday regular ruler in clear blue plastic - Helix £1.80

https://www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/helix-left-handed-ruler

Regards