Category: Pipe Diameter Tapes

News about Pipes and Drilling

Here Is The Only Pipe Diameter Tape Measure You Need (Plus A Bonus One!)

It’s pretty safe to say that we’ve entered the 2020 Holiday Season. What will your Thanksgiving and Christmas look like this year? COVID has put quite a damper on the holidays, but I’m sure we can figure out some modified ways to celebrate.

As you’re planning your company’s holiday gift list, don’t forget to include this #1 pipe diameter tape measure!  ——>

Lufkin Pipe Diameter Tape Measure
Lufkin Pipe Diameter Tape Measure

 

And this one comes in at a close 2nd!  —–>

Lufkin Pipe Diameter Tape Measure W606PD
Lufkin Pipe Diameter Tape Measure W606PD

The Diameter Tape Measure: A Calculator Without Batteries

Diameter Tape Measure Does The Calculating For You
A Diameter Tape Measure Does The Calculating For You

Why do we call the diameter tape measure a calculator? Because when you wrap it around the circumference of a pipe or a post, it “calculates” the outside diameter instantaneously. It’s a calculator that never slows down because it doesn’t use batteries. The special scale is in inches or millimeters, and it is stretched out by the factor of pi (3.14159). That’s how it does it for you.

Diameter Tape Measure Does The Calculating For You
There’s No Need to Divide By pi

 

 

How to Solve Problems with a Pipe Diameter Tape Measure

I Can Solve It With A Pipe Diameter Tape Measure
I Can Solve It With A Pipe Diameter Tape Measure

A tape measure can solve basically one problem….How long is the item? But a pipe diameter tape measure can solve a short list of problems for you.

  • What is the outside diameter (OD) of that pipeline, without having to cut into it. You don’t even have to divide by pi.
  • What is the diameter of a tree trunk.
  • What is the accurate diameter of a tire.
  • What is the diameter of a beach ball, when fully inflated.

Even if the pipe is distorted, and the cross sectional diameter would be different in different directions, you can do it. The pipe diameter tape measure can tell you what the diameter would be, if it weren’t distorted. That’s because the measurement is based on the circumference. The tape automatically divides by pi (3.14159) for you.

Lufkin Makes the Best Pipe Diameter Tape Measure
Lufkin Makes the Best Pipe Diameter Tape Measure

 

 

 

Ask Me Anything: 10 Answers About the Diameter Tape Measure

The select few people that need to use a diameter tape measure have questions before they order. Here are the top 10:

10 Answers About the Diameter Tape Measure
10 Answers About the Diameter Tape Measure
  1. How soon can we have them? 2 to 3 weeks is the production time.
  2. Can you print our logo in full color? Yes.
  3. What kind of art file do you need?  .eps and .ai files are the best art files. If you don’t have those, just give us a high resolution art file, and we can convert it.
  4. Will the imprint last forever? Yes
  5. Where is it made? The vinyl labels are made in the USA, and the tapes are made in Mexico or China.
  6. Is the case strong? Yes. It is very strong.
  7. Is the zero mark at the very end of the tape? The zero mark on a diameter tape needs to be away from the end, for easy use.
  8. Can you print on both sides of the case? Yes, but only on some brands.
  9. How big of a pipe can you measure? That depends on the brand of tape. Some are 23″. Some go as high as 38″ diameter.
  10. Does it come in a gift box? Yes. Each brand has a different type of box.

The Pipe Diameter Tape Measure That’s the Black Sheep of the Family

The pipe diameter tape measure that is frequently overlooked, has more to offer than all the others.

This forgotten child gives you the outside diameter of a pipeline in both inches

The Black Sheep of Pipe Diameter Tape Measures
The Black Sheep of Pipe Diameter Tape Measures

and centimeters. It is valuable to both Americans (using the inch system) and those who use the Metric system of measurements. It goes up to 38″ diameter (955 millimeters diameter). The only thing it doesn’t offer is the ability to measure straight objects. You would have to have a regular tape for that.

Who would use this tape? Inspectors who travel and deal with both systems. Any drilling companies that use both metric and imperial systems of measurement.

Pi-Cobra Diameter Tape, Metric & Inch Pi-Cobra Diameter Tape, Metric & Inch

Happy Birthday To The Diameter Tape Measure!

Diameter Tape Measures for #TapeMeasureDay
Diameter Tape Measures for #TapeMeasureDay

Today may seem like a regular old Tuesday in July, but did you know that today is the one day a year we can officially celebrate the diameter tape measure? Today is Tape Measure Day!

Some fun facts:

  • William H. Bangs received the first patent in 1864 for a spring return pocket tape measure
  • 1920s: the concave-convex tape measure was invented (the current standard design of tapes); these become mass-produced
  • 1956: longest tape measure made- 600’ long!
  • Any of these retractable tape measures & diameter tape measures can be imprinted with your logo:
Lufkin OD Tape Measure
Lufkin OD Tape Measure
Barlow 25' Gripper Tape Measure
Barlow 25′ Gripper Tape Measure
Lufkin 25' Chrome Legacy Tape Measure
Lufkin 25′ Chrome Legacy Tape Measure

7 Diameter Tape Measure Tips For the Pros

If you are already a user of a diameter tape measure, these tips are for you.

Tips on Using a Diameter Tape Measure
Tips on Using a Diameter Tape Measure
  1. Keep it clean. If you keep sand and dirt from inhabiting your tape, it will look good longer and last longer.
  2. Line it up straight on the pipe. If you put the tape on a little crooked, you will get an erroneously high reading.
  3. Clean the pipe. This makes sure that surface contaminants aren’t interfering with your measurement.
  4. Use a felt tip marker to mark common measurements directly on the tape. Don’t be a hero. This tip will make your job easier.
  5. Put your name on it. Valuable and handy tools have a way of walking away.
  6. Buy only the best pipe diameter tape measure. Lufkin is a trusted brand name.
  7. Keep one in every location that you work (and leave it there). I keep one in the office, my shop, my tool box, and in all my vehicles and boat. A diameter tape doesn’t measure only diameters. The other side is a regular inch tape (or metric tape). So it comes in handy many times.

Please post your own tips in the comments here. I’d be interested in what you come up with. Thanks.

Become an Expert at Using a Pipe Diameter Tape Measure in 5 Minutes!

If you need to find the diameter of a pipe or a pipeline, here’s a 5 minute crash course..

Using a Pipe Diameter Tape Measure
Using a Pipe Diameter Tape Measure
  1. Buy a pipe diameter tape measure.
  2. Notice that one side is probably just a regular inch tape measure.
  3. The other side is also in inches, but it seems to be stretched out about 3 times longer than normal. It’s actually stretched out by a factor of pi (3.14159). This is the diameter tape side.
  4. Use the diameter tape side for this lesson.
  5. Clean off the pipe of any dirt or other debris.
  6. Simply wrap the tape around the pipe, keeping the diameter side out, so you can read it.
  7. Note where the zero mark lines up on the tape. That gives you the outside diameter of the pipe.
  8. It may be hard to read the markings. They are probably not marked the same as a regular tape. They may be in 64ths of an inch or 100ths of an inch. Either way, you have just learned how to use a diameter tape!
Can I help, too?
Can I help, too?

 

 

The Pipe Diameter Tape Measure Takes on a New Function During the COVID-19 Situation

The pipe diameter tape measure is normally used by pipeline workers and inspectors. They wrap it around the circumference of the pipe, and read the

A New Use for a Pipe Diameter Tape Measure
A New Use for a Pipe Diameter Tape Measure

diameter size on the tape. Now this useful tape can take on a new use during the COVID-19 lockdown.

For those of you who are forced to stay at home every day, you may have discovered the comforting appeal of the refrigerator. It’s always there with food for when you are hungry. It’s even there when you are not hungry, but just need some comfort. If you have a bathroom scale, you may have noticed that the spring might be getting weaker this month. Or, could it be that you are actually putting on weight?

A Lufkin pipe diameter tape measure can be a fun way to try to prove that your bathroom scale might be broken. Wrap it around your waist or your arm, and see for sure if you are getting too chummy with the Frigidaire.

LOL

5 Myths About The Pipe Diameter Tape Measure

Myths About the pipe diameter tape measure
Myths About the pipe diameter tape measure

The history of the pipe diameter tape measure is probably darker than its future. Once these 5 myths are explained, this little tape measure will experience much success.

  1. Nobody needs a pipe diameter tape measure (OD tape).
  2. It is too hard to use. Only an expert can use it.
  3. It is probably too expensive.
  4. A regular tape measure can do the same job.
  5. My customers don’t want one with my company logo on it.

Here are my answers:

  1. The “outside diameter tape” is used by plumbers, pipeline workers, electricians, car and boat repairmen.
  2. All you do is wrap it around the pipe, and read off the diameter.
  3. It compares to the price of many other pocket tapes.
  4. Maybe so, but you would have to correct for the fact that you can’t readily see the zero mark. You would have to use the one inch or two inch mark, and subtract that from the total, then divide by pi. A pipe diameter tape measure has the zero conveniently located away from the end of the tape, to make it easy to line up.
  5. Your customers would love a gift with your corporate logo. It would be a symbol of your generosity.

Here is the most popular “pipe tape”:

Lufkin Y906PD pipe diameter tape measure, not Barlow W906PD Lufkin Diameter Tape