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Fixing a bent tape measure

raybrowne | Posted in Tools for Home Building on April 24, 2006 05:44am

Alright..so I don’t like throwing tools away when I think there’s some possible way to fix them. I bought a new Starrett tape measure a few weeks ago(already lost the receipt of course) and somehow ended up bending the end of it(about 2.5 inches in) so that when hooking it to the end of a board it slips off all the time. It’s bends up and to the right on it’s own..I tried leaving it extended to where the kink appeared to be with the stop pressed down on that spot in an attempt to straighten it but that didn’t work. Anyone have any suggestions before I end up trashing this thing?

 

Thanks,

Ray

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  1. User avater
    MarkH | Apr 24, 2006 02:06pm | #1

    Everytime I tried to straighten a tape was a failure.  By the way, starrett tapes are junk, unlike most of their other stuff.  Stanley max steel tapes are pretty tough, but the recoil springs are cheap goobers.

  2. floorheater | Apr 24, 2006 02:30pm | #2

    Buy the craftsman, you'll never have to buy another tape ever!!

     

     

      

    1. DonCanDo | Apr 24, 2006 04:43pm | #3

      Buy the craftsman, you'll never have to buy another tape ever!!

      Apparently, they're changing the warranty on their tape measures.  The last time I was there, the sales person told me that they can only replace it if it was completely broken or if the hook got bent (he hold me this with a wink-wink).

      I bought another.  The damage to mine was entirely my own fault so I didn't bother bending the hook and saying "look what happened".  I just put the old one where I can always use an abusable tape measure.

      They are good tape measures, though.

      -Don

      1. User avater
        skip555 | Apr 24, 2006 05:50pm | #4

        craftsman warranty seems to vary between stores and clerks I have been truned down and taken the item to another store and had no problem . same thing same store diffrent day/clerk

        1. Piffin | Apr 24, 2006 10:25pm | #5

          LOL, since the whole purpose of that warrantee on the tape is to get you into the store so you canbuy something else, they are getting double value on their advertising dollar by getting you to walk into two stores!I used to use Crapsman tapes until they closed all the local outlets hereabouts 

           

          Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

  3. junkhound | Apr 24, 2006 10:33pm | #6

    Ya gotta heat it with a propane torch at the bend, very judisciously apply the heat to at least a straw color on sanded off back and you can bend back and still read the face.

    I buy 10 at a time of the $1.97 HF 1" 25 ft rules when on sale, lose more than I break.

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