My tape measure betrayed me on a 12-foot ceiling job

So I'm up on stilts finishing the last board on a big commercial job in Denver last Thursday, feeling good about wrapping up early. I reach back into my pouch for my tape measure to check a corner gap, and the tab just snaps clean off. Like, I'm talking the metal hook flew across the room and I heard it clatter somewhere near the dumpster. I'm 12 feet up holding a tape with nothing but a floppy ribbon end, trying to eyeball a 1/8 inch gap. Ended up having to climb down, dig through my truck for a backup tape, and by the time I got back up the mud on my gloves had started to set. Whole thing cost me 20 minutes and a ruined pair of gloves. Has anyone else had a tape measure just straight up fall apart mid-job like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricia9051mo ago

Get a Fat Max or a Craftsman next time. That Stanley hook thing is a known problem, I had one snap on a ladder about 8 feet up and it scared the hell out of me. The little rivets they use now are junk, you can actually drill out the old one and replace it with a small screw and nut if you're in a pinch. Keep a backup tape in your truck and an extra stubby one in your bags for tight spots.

elizabeth_gonzalez1mo ago

Isn't that just how everything's built these days? @patricia905 it really is frustrating.