Shop Vac & Tape Measures

[foakes]

After 25 years of steady operation in the shop and around the homes —- my shop vac finally called it a day.  Motor was whining, and I could smell electrical burning.

Ordered a new Ridgid 6hp, 14 gallon wet/dry vacuum.

Came with all hoses and accessories, plus an additional free bonus of an auto detailing kit with all of the hoses, brushes, accessories, etc.  $109.  Lifetime guarantee.

Cut the 8' cord off the old shop vac to use for some other project down the road, kept the attachments and hoses since they fit the new shop vac at 2.5", just for spares.

Been filling up the dump trailer with junk from the reel shops and workshops that I do 't need anymore.  This  old vac just went right on top for dumping tomorrow or Friday over in Northfork.

It has a few new seemingly small features like —- more powerful, 20' power cord, place to wind the cord neatly, better on/off switch, holders to keep the hose in place when stored, better casters, easy & convenient holders for all of the attachments.

Like most of us, I also have about a dozen tape measures.  One is kept at each power tool station in the shops on a quick clip.  But my favorites —- the FATMAX's have always seemed to disappear when on a project or jobsite with other workers.

So HD had a special going on a pair of 25 footers for less than $25.  The (3) things I like about these is the durability & feel, the simple and clear visibility markings, and especially the 12' "stand-out" before going limp.  These are actually 13' before breaking over.  This last feature is really helpful when framing, layout, or doing projects by yourself.  Saves a lot of time and effort.

Most folks take tape measures and speed squares for granted —- or don't really appreciate their qualities.  These FATMAX's are pro quality tools seen on most jobsites.

Best, Fred

[quang tran]

It's work good ,just a $20.00 filter not much better than a bag

[jgp12000]

Nice toys Fred! Old timer told me he used the same tape measure when building cabinets or any project.If the rivets get loose they vary between tapes I am sure you already know this.

[MarkT]

THe Fat Max are my favorites too!

[Midway Tommy]

I prefer the Stanley 25' Powerlock, especially when doing framing/rough work. I'll opt for 16'x3/4" Powerlock for finish and cabinetry work. The 16'x3/4 tape measure is much more accurate for finite work, at least it seems so to me.

[Gfish]

I have an older Ridgid, but looks like that one. No need of a regular house vacuum, we only have a couple of small throw rugs and alota tile. I guess a wall to wall carpet is good to keep a higher latitude house better insulated and to trap some of the dirt. I just don't like plastic hoses and implements that squeeze on/off, but they are lighter.

[oc1]

We have that same vacuum.  We spliced the hose from its Craftsman predecessor to the Rigid hose so it's about 15 feet long now which works well for our needs. 

No tape measure lasts very long in our salty humid environment.  We usually get the Power Lock because they're about half the price of a Fat Max.

[Hytekrednek]

My favorite tapes are a 16' Fisco Big-T, and also the old Lufkin 16' Hi-vis tapes. The Lufkins are my backup. The Big-T lives on my belt or pocket rim. I mostly do cabinet and furniture work. I got some bigger tapes  for large jobs but dont use those heavy things often.

[happyhooker]

For a long time, here in the upper Midwest, many of the hardware-type stores had "free after rebate" offerings that included nice tape measures.  There is also a store up here called "Menards" that is kind of a Home Depot lite, and has stuff once in awhile free after rebate.  Some of this stuff is store brands, and a lot of it is made overseas.  Popular stuff includes small screwdrivers, hex keys sets, boxes of screws, shelf brackets, utility knives & blades, grill lighters, magnetic pickup tools, foil tape and the list goes on and on.  Some goodies I have gotten include Ryobi "Dremel tool"-type stuff (does Ryobi still make this?), Black & Decker drill bit and fastener bit sets, Irwin drill accessories, and, since we were talking about tape measures, Stanley & Lufkin models, including a dandy hi-vis 25 ft. Lufkin Ultraloc.  I have so many tape measures around that I don't even go after the free ones anymore.

Frank

[Midway Tommy]

Yeah, Frank, Menards is nice to have around. I have seven of them within 35 miles of my adobe. 

[JasonGotaProblem]

Anyone got a good saltwater proof tape measure?

Currently I just get cheapos and promotional giveaway tapes to take fishing because they all rust out anyway, might as well throw away a cheap/free one.

[jtwill98]

Anyone got a good saltwater proof tape measure?

Maybe one of these measures would work. They also make a retractable one, but I suspect the winding spring may fail.

[Maxed Out]

If the rivets get loose they vary between tapes I am sure you already know this.

 The rivets are supposed to be loose, so you'll get accurate measurement when hooking the end over, or when butting it up against something. This allows for the thickness of the grabber on the end of the tape measure

[foakes]

In the outer shops, I have 6 non-moveable large power tool stations —- table saw, lathe, Shopsmith, bandsaw, miter saw, jointer, drill press, etc. —- plus 6 layout or work benches.

I keep a tape measure on each tool and each bench within easy reach on a metal clip at 4' off the floor.

Stanley, Lufkin.  They may vary slightly —- but if they do, it has never been an issue for the type of work I do.  Probably either dead-on or maybe 1/16" difference.  Not doing rocket science —- and good quality brands are nearly all the same.

Best, Fred

[jgp12000]

I never knew that Ted