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
It's work good ,just a $20.00 filter not much better than a bag
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.
THe Fat Max are my favorites too!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Yeah, Frank, Menards is nice to have around. I have seven of them within 35 miles of my adobe. ;D
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.
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on December 05, 2024, 06:36:23 PMAnyone got a good saltwater proof tape measure?
Maybe one of these measures (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dritz-60-Tape-Measure/861010167?classType=REGULAR&athbdg=L1102) would work. They also make a retractable one, but I suspect the winding spring may fail.
Quote from: jgp12000 on November 06, 2024, 07:21:02 PMIf 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
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
I never knew that Ted
My personality won't tolerate more than about a 1/64" variance, so, even though I have 25 or 30 tape measures scattered around the place, whichever tape I start a project with is the tape I use throughout until said project is completed. ;D
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on December 05, 2024, 06:36:23 PMAnyone got a good saltwater proof tape measure?
Get a 5 ft. taylor's soft tape. They're really inexpensive too.
Ha! Never thought of that. I have one in my sowing kit(don't like to buy new clothes, would rather make carpet thread modifications/repairs). Too bad they don't make 'em as a spring loaded roll-up. But then the spring would corrode, maybe a plastic spring?
Quote from: Gfish on December 15, 2024, 07:26:41 PMtoo bad they don't make 'em as a spring loaded roll-up
I think I mentioned they do make retractable measures. (https://www.amazon.com/Dritz-943-Retractable-Measure-60-Inch/dp/B0019KHG0C)
I had the same comment on the spring possibly rusting.
Quote from: Gfish on December 15, 2024, 07:26:41 PMHa! Never thought of that. I have one in my sowing kit(don't like to buy new clothes, would rather make carpet thread modifications/repairs). Too bad they don't make 'em as a spring loaded roll-up. But then the spring would corrode, maybe a plastic spring?
The spring is always the first thing to go. We have some Lufkin metal tapes with no housing any more.
Just throw the taylor's tape over your neck like a real taylor does. It's an iconic look when sewing.
Quote from: jtwill98 on December 15, 2024, 07:59:56 PMQuote from: Gfish on December 15, 2024, 07:26:41 PMtoo bad they don't make 'em as a spring loaded roll-up
I think I mentioned they do make retractable measures. (https://www.amazon.com/Dritz-943-Retractable-Measure-60-Inch/dp/B0019KHG0C)
I had the same comment on the spring possibly rusting.
Gee, I "think" I must have passed over that one on page 1. My bad.
I got a new snap-on and the paint peeled off first time it got wet,,,,, >:( snap-on gave me a new one and i gave it away ,,, ;) i use taylors,,very old wooden fold ups and the cheepest tape i can find,,,,, ;D
What I like about the wooden fold-ups is the little brass piece that can extend out from the end for measuring inside distances. A metal tape measure cannot do that quite as precise.
So when I asked about a tape that wouldn't rust out, I guess I should have been clear that I was referring to the spring, which is the first thing to fail. A metal ape that won't retract is dead.
I kinda wanna take a tape and roll it all the way out then put it in a bowl of corrosionX and retract it slowly. The. Blow out the excess and see how it holds up.
Please report back if you do.
Quote from: oc1 on December 17, 2024, 05:51:43 AMPlease report back if you do.
And good luck with that experiment. Let us know how much residual leaks out on other stuff.
Quote from: Midway Tommy on December 17, 2024, 05:45:35 PMQuote from: oc1 on December 17, 2024, 05:51:43 AMPlease report back if you do.
And good luck with that experiment. Let us know how much residual leaks out on other stuff.
Yeah that's my biggest concern here. There may be an extended "let it drip out" period where I'd have to leave it resting at different angles so it all can escape.
With that said my fishing backpack has 3+ tapes in it at all times. If one fails it won't hurt me. ...unless it cuts me or something.
This is starting to feel like more work than it's worth. But I'm still curious.
For fishing I get those super cheap 6' tapes measures for a buck or 2
I went to Home Depot to get a new filter for my shop vac and saw the bucket head. Genius!!! Clips on a 5 gallon bucket, weights hardly anything, wet/dry and about $25 which wasn't much more than the filter. I don't know if the still make them the 2 I have are going on 20+ years and still going strong
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on December 17, 2024, 06:50:21 PMQuote from: Midway Tommy on December 17, 2024, 05:45:35 PMQuote from: oc1 on December 17, 2024, 05:51:43 AMPlease report back if you do.
And good luck with that experiment. Let us know how much residual leaks out on other stuff.
Yeah that's my biggest concern here. There may be an extended "let it drip out" period where I'd have to leave it resting at different angles so it all can escape.
With that said my fishing backpack has 3+ tapes in it at all times. If one fails it won't hurt me. ...unless it cuts me or something.
This is starting to feel like more work than it's worth. But I'm still curious.
Agree with Tommy. You also need to do a laundry test :) The tape itself never comes in contact with the spring, so I am guessing not much protective effect. You would just be creating a spring loaded Corrosion X applicator.
If you cut the point off a small nail, heat it, and melt a hole in the case over the spring, you will be able to drip, or better yet spray a bit of the stuff right on the spring. Plug the hole with a small rubber plug or a dab of grease. I don't know if will help the tape measure survive any longer around saltwater, but at least you will be putting the stuff on the spring and the process is simple. You could also just try to take one apart and give the spring a good grease coating. This would be the most protective, but it might inhibit the spring too much plus the difficulty in snapping it all back together.
-J
I hope you didn't ruin that pretty tape. Recoil springs are a beach to work on; be it a mower or tape measure. Also, they have to be spring steel which is notoriously prone to rush.
Maybe you could fill a metal tape measure with light pneumatic tool oil through the mouth, let it soak to penetrate and then empty and let it drip for a week or so.
Quote from: Gfish on December 16, 2024, 06:16:43 AMGee, I "think" I must have passed over that one on page 1. My bad.
Don't feel bad. It was easy to miss! :d