Reel from a meter tape

[topflowerrubberforever]

you know those meter tapes that you can buy from hardware stores? the ones u use to measure windows or other things.. and then as you let them go they zoom back into the reel they were coiled into? well i am planning to open that thingy up and remove the meter rule part, place a large reel around the first one and place some reel line and let it coil back. a 5 meter tape with a much larger reel would get me (i didnt do the math yet ) around more than 15-20 meters. as i make the second reel bigger.. the line will get longer..
of course there is a stopper on the meter rule that i expect to try to use..

anyone tried that? any suggestions?

 

[cool_hardware52]

you know those meter tapes that you can buy from hardware stores? the ones u use to measure windows or other things.. and then as you let them go they zoom back into the reel they were coiled into? well i am planning to open that thingy up and remove the meter rule part, place a large reel around the first one and place some reel line and let it coil back. a 5 meter tape with a much larger reel would get me (i didnt do the math yet ) around more than 15-20 meters. as i make the second reel bigger.. the line will get longer..
of course there is a stopper on the meter rule that i expect to try to use..

anyone tried that? any suggestions?

Diver371,

If what you are describing is a "measuring tape" or self retracting rule I'd guess your going to have two major problems.

These tapes use a steel "clock" spring that you "wind" as you pull out the tape. Steel + salt water = grief.

Second problem is the lenght of retraction. The spring only winds so far, so even if the steel spring didn't rust you's still have only 5 meters of retraction.

Regards,



Tobin

 

[topflowerrubberforever]

Tobin,

i plan to make a bigger reel that will be placed around the coil inside. the coil inside moves a certain amount of revolutions.. hence increasing the circumference will only create more line going around it.

for the salt part.. i would rinse it as soon as i got on the boat.. and try to spray some rustproof material before immersing in water

Diver371,

If what you are describing is a "measuring tape" or self retracting rule I'd guess your going to have two major problems.

These tapes use a steel "clock" spring that you "wind" as you pull out the tape. Steel + salt water = grief.

Second problem is the lenght of retraction. The spring only winds so far, so even if the steel spring didn't rust you's still have only 5 meters of retraction.

Regards,



Tobin

 

[DeepTrip]

for the salt part.. i would rinse it as soon as i got on the boat.. and try to spray some rustproof material before immersing in water

I tried it once with my SS knife (not dive knife). It still rust. Hope you have better luck.

Benny

 

[hecker-the-wrecker]

I have been trying to come up with a cheap way for a retracting line (for my dive flag) but i haven't come up with anything yet, it sounds like we are looking for the same thing. Anyone else have any bright ideas??

 

[topflowerrubberforever]

I have been trying to come up with a cheap way for a retracting line (for my dive flag) but i haven't come up with anything yet, it sounds like we are looking for the same thing. Anyone else have any bright ideas??

i just saw another thing... a kid's toy that has around 1 foot rectracted.. just make the radius of the wheel itself bigger and it should work and that is easier than measuring tape since i believe the inside is plastic..
i asked a physics teacher of mine.. he said "just buy the darned thing!"*smack on my head*.. but it should work..