Fast Cap

[RONWEN]

I bought a few of the fastcap tapes - found the belt clip lost all of it's spring pretty easily.

The Accuscribe is a great idea, but the one I bought would not tighten to save it's life.  Some molded-in teeth on the corresponding parts would have been a good addition to the design.  As it is, you might need to throw a friction washer of some sort to keep it from slipping in use.

JT

+1

 

[jmbfestool]

I bought a few of the fastcap tapes - found the belt clip lost all of it's spring pretty easily.

The Accuscribe is a great idea, but the one I bought would not tighten to save it's life.  Some molded-in teeth on the corresponding parts would have been a good addition to the design.  As it is, you might need to throw a friction washer of some sort to keep it from slipping in use.

JT

Well I have two now  (good service from Intelligent Workshop, I didn't expect to get a replacement)  both of them tighten up enough to not move if you really push you can move it but when Im scribing I would never be applying that much pressure but if your not happy like I did with my Domino 500 which had a friction problem you just slightly sand the area (this does require you to take it apart) and then the friction would be increased.  It helped massively with my Domino it was always sliding no mater how much I turned it,  bit of a design flaw from festool me thinks.

JMB

 

[jmbfestool]

Used the tapes couple days now!  I like them the pencil sharpener is so handy to have on hand all the time!  The tape measures are small but still robust I do rate them.   

The way they have laid out the metric im still trying to get use to though!  I have made TWO mistakes because of the fastcap tape because I miss read what it said!  Good job when I came to mark the piece of wood at 500mm long but needed to be 250mm  their is enough difference between the two in length to notice I made a mistake before I cut it! lol

overall not bad tape!  My mate asked me if he could have one of me!  He wanted to give the tape a go! Ill see what he thinks of the tape!

The fatman pencil...... its okay dont think I would buy it again though.  The lead is a little to soft so looses its point quickly and you end up with thick lines.  Sharpening it isnt as easy as normal pencils.  ITs okay.

The foldable chisel! I love! Not used it much for chopping yet but for when I needed a sharp chisel on hand (in pocket) its been handy for just paring or scraping.

JMB

JMB

 

[Alan m]

have you a pic of the tape detail. what is different about the layout

 

[jmbfestool]

have you a pic of the tape detail. what is different about the layout

well not so much layout didnt say it right. 

Its just all the numbers have a extra 0 on the end  of them
but cus im use to tapes when it says 30cm I know its 300mm but on the fast cap it says 300mm  and the  1 cm 2 cm  say 10mm and 20mm etc  but I have twice now when glancing at the tape  taken the  50mm  as 500mm  hence why the 250mm I marked 500mm cus I had seen the 50mm and not looked back to the 200mm  you get me?

Ill take a picture

JMB

 

[jmbfestool]

have you a pic of the tape detail. what is different about the layout

[attachimg=#]First Time I have ever seen a tape measure like that.  

 

[GhostFist]

ugg don't like that. 1st i hate tapes with both measurement standards on them, it's either all metric or all imperial. 2nd I don't need every gradation labeled on Imperial. I suppose this is handy for a month if you're not used to imperial but I find it puts too much rubbish on the tape. just my two bits

 

[jmbfestool]

ugg don't like that. 1st i hate tapes with both measurement standards on them, it's either all metric or all imperial. 2nd I don't need every gradation labeled on Imperial. I suppose this is handy for a month if you're not used to imperial but I find it puts too much rubbish on the tape. just my two bits

No I HATE tapes which are JUST imperial or metric only  mainly because here in the UK  stupid English cant make up their mind and we are stuck between imperial and metric.  So you ALWAYS need both to hand. 

Im not to fond of the way the metric is but its not bad and I can get use to it not hard just need to tell my brain not to make stupid mistakes when rushing about and just glancing at the tape.   

but the Imperial side I like!  On my old tape I would often tell my self  instead of working out if it was 3/8 or 7/8 or wa ever I would just say to my self 1 line from 1/4 or 1/2 lol just found it quicker lol but now it says it all on the tape I dont need to do that.

JMB

 

[RONWEN]

ugg don't like that. 1st i hate tapes with both measurement standards on them, it's either all metric or all imperial. 2nd I don't need every gradation labeled on Imperial. I suppose this is handy for a month if you're not used to imperial but I find it puts too much rubbish on the tape. just my two bits

+1  Just pick a system & use it.

 

[jmbfestool]

ugg don't like that. 1st i hate tapes with both measurement standards on them, it's either all metric or all imperial. 2nd I don't need every gradation labeled on Imperial. I suppose this is handy for a month if you're not used to imperial but I find it puts too much rubbish on the tape. just my two bits

+1   Just pick a system & use it.

I would love to. I would pick metric any day but it's just not practical.  

I have a metric tape only and it was a nightmare just wasn't working for me.  Couldn't check what inches where in metric when I needed to.  Lads would give me a measurement in inches and I would have to ask to give it me in metric.  Materials or cutting lists when in imperial is a pain when you have metric only tape.  Clients or builders often work in imperial then I'm left standing their not sure what size it needs to be cus I have a only metric tape.

Jmb

Jmb

 

[RONWEN]

[quote author=Gh

Jimmy Carter set out to convert the U.S. to the metric system (bringing us up to the rest of the world) but the effort failed miserably.

 

[GhostFist]

If you're doing a job in metric, use a metric tape. If in imperial, use an imperial tape. sod conversions. Imperial can certainly take some getting used to as it's all divided in fractions, but it's not hard to pick up. Some wood machinists may shoot me here, but 1/16th of an inch is accurate enough for most large scale stuff. absolute precision, i'd go with metric, which is pretty fine for woodworking. I once met a carpenter who was trying to prototype a tape measure with a magnifying glass on it that would read 128ths of an inch "accurately". I wanted to hurl it across the room but it was about the size of a human baby and i feared someone might get seriously injured from the shrapnel.

 

[tjbier]

ugg don't like that. 1st i hate tapes with both measurement standards on them, it's either all metric or all imperial. 2nd I don't need every gradation labeled on Imperial. I suppose this is handy for a month if you're not used to imperial but I find it puts too much rubbish on the tape. just my two bits

When I am doing anything other than trimming I agree, but when I'm trimmin' I love my Fastcap with both Imp and Metric on it. I find myself using the metric quite a bit, like if you need some cleats or something 14 3/16", 12 3/4", 18 3/8" ect, it is just easier to get the metric equivalent of them and go cut em!
Mebee I'm wierd  ;D but it works for me.

 

[andvari]

Jimmy Carter set out to convert the U.S. to the metric system (bringing us up to the rest of the world) but the effort failed miserably.

Probably the Metric Alphabet or the "Decabet" was the final straw.



The history of the metric system is a bit of a hobby of mine. One really interesting book (at least to me) on the topic is "Measuring America" by Andrew Linklater.

There is also this web page on the early history of it:

http://www.metricationmatters.com/who-invented-the-metric-system.html

Few people in America are aware of it but Thomas Jefferson was a big advocate of decimal measurements, and if he had his way the US, not France would have been the first country on a metric style decimal system. Jefferson did get his way with currency, which is why the US was the first country with a decimal currency.

In one sense the US has been fully on the metric system since 1959. That is when all of the old units were redefined in terms of metric units by treaty. For example a yard is officially 0.9144 meters. The US is also a signatory to all of the Metric Treaties, including the first, the "Treaty of the Meter" in 1870.

Under Gerry Ford a metrication act was passed; Jimmy Carter being trained as an engineer realized the utility of it and campaigned for it. This act was later repealed during the Reagan administration due to budget cuts. However it was later reinstated during Reagan and reauthorized again during the Clinton administration. While progress has been slow you can see the signs of it if you look around. Some things in the US are now sold exclusively in metric labelled containers (2L soda anyone?) now, and a lot of containers have both metric and US units.

Here's a list of consumer products now sold in metric sized containers in the US:

http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/products/

The US Fair Labelling and Packaging Act (FLPA) now actually requires both metric and US units on all consumer packages, and 48 states allow metric only packaging. Some industries are lobbying to get the FLPA changed to allow wide use of metric only labeling due to global trade requirements.

Conversion is never easy; it took the French 40 years, Japan took 70 years. Many countries like England and Canada have hybrids.

Construction industries have been the slowest to change. Japan for example still uses traditional units.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_States#Metrication_efforts

 

[RONWEN]

We'll know our country is "fully metric" when people start thinking in metric units i.e. the TV weather is given in Celsius, automobile odometers  show kilometers, auto warranties are measured in kilometers and football fields are marked in meters.  Remember when...  [huh]

 

[andvari]

We'll know our country is "fully metric" when people start thinking in metric units i.e. the TV weather is given in Celsius, automobile odometers  show kilometers, auto warranties are measured in kilometers and football fields are marked in meters.  Remember when...  [huh]

It will take a long time for things like lot plans to be in metric units.

 

[GhostFist]

Where's that russian kids video with the monkey trying to measure the snake?? As a canadian 35 years young, I was taught the metric system in school. I had to learn imperial in order to do carpentry. I'm more comfortable measuring in Imperial simply because it's more in practice. Addition, subtraction,multiplication and division of decimals is fairly straight forward. I have to say though, i'm used to the marking system with imperial and find it easier to read. Perhaps its again just because it gets more practice but I find I'm stopping to count millimeters and strain my eyes to focus on the right mark. None the less with a metric/imperial tape my eyes are bouncing all over the place plus it's a royal pain some times to flip a tape or ruler in the right orientation to use the right system.

 

[Deansocial]

I didnt like the way you described it to me other day but i actully like how its marked, its actually marked in mm instaed of cm.

 

[jmbfestool]

I didnt like the way you described it to me other day but i actully like how its marked, its actually marked in mm instaed of cm.

Yeah that is a easy way to describe it [embarassed]. But then you have metric tape which are continuous  they keep on counting up  didn't wanna think I meant that one.   That one was my favaurite metric layout but only find it on metric only tapes now but I'm sure my old tape was like that but also had imperial.

It's wield why the fast cape tape layout confuses me if I don't pay attention cus it's not much different to my old one just with extra 0 on the end.  My brain can't handle it!

 

[RONWEN]

Most people (even highly experienced "imperialists") when using the imperial system don't add, subtract, multiply & divide using fractions (5-13/16 + 2-53/64 etc.) but rather convert to the decimal system. 
It's been so long since I've used fractions in math I'm not sure I even remember how...  [huh]