Have you ever surveyed with a cut chain, or a broken tape?

I have surveyed with a cut chain. Real PITA if your not used to it.

I have surveyed with a broken chain with the first 10 foot missing. Subtract 10 feet when measuring and add 10' when laying out. Or is it the other way? What really bothered me was the boss had no intention of replacing it. I moved on.

I have surveyed with a 200' Lufkin tape with the 113th foot missing. Came from the factory that way. Took us a month to figure out why we couldn't close a traverse. For years I carried around a photo of the 112th to 114th foot.
Everything is so easy now !!!

I have surveyed with both. I have also surveyed with a broken chain that was spliced. We calibrated it. The spliced chain was almost a tenth short.

Nate The Surveyor, post: 416506, member: 291 wrote: A cut chain, has a the first foot, graduated. Zero is at the END of the tape.
To measure off 1.25 feet, 2 ft is held at one end. And, .75 at the other end.

An add chain, has ZERO, then an additional graduated foot, What you read, is what you get. 1.25 feet, is read directly. 1 ft in increments, and .25' is directly read. 1.25'

A broken tape, was the curse, of not paying attention, when cars were coming by. They run the tape over, and IF it is not laying flat, on the pavement, it breaks it.
This leaves you to survey with the longest piece. Maybe a 200' tape becomes a 67' piece and a 133' piece. You can find this in field books
first part of day:
200.00+
125.87'

Then, a later entry, says:

132.00'+
132.00'+
25.87'
Well, the tape got broke.
It's the antique version of dead batteries.
We have come a long way, baby!

N

I have surveyed with all 3. Prefer the add chain. Less confusing.

A few years ago, I bought some equipment from a guy retiring. He ended up throwing in a 200' cut tape.

Before I left, He asked if I knew what a "cut tape" was...I looked at him quizzically and said/asked slowly "a tape that was broken and then fixed?". He got a good laugh.

Back in 2001 I started out on actual staff compass and 66' chains at school, before gradually moving up the ranks to modern equipment, but I have never had the pleasure of using a "cut tape" or "add chain".

I have always wondered why a cut tape was ever manufactured... what advantage is it?

Peter Ehlert, post: 416518, member: 60 wrote: I have always wondered why a cut tape was ever manufactured... what advantage is it?

The proponents, mostly public agencies back when they had survey crews, said because people kept measuring 101 ft when they intended to measure a 100 ft. Also, since they were shorter they where cheaper.
I call bull dung, but they were hardcore about it.
Whatever you do don't try switching back and forth between the two.

Steve

PS: Don't confuse surveying with a broken chain (bad equipment ) and actually breaking chain.

Steve

sjc1989, post: 416534, member: 6718 wrote: The proponents, mostly public agencies back when they had survey crews, said because people kept measuring 101 ft when they intended to measure a 100 ft. Also, since they were shorter they where cheaper.
I call bull dung, but they were hardcore about it.
Whatever you do don't try switching back and forth between the two.

Steve

or maybe the manufacturer made a mistake in production, and then came up with some brilliant creative marketing...?

Most of my early years (both head and tail chainman) was with a cut chain...that's just what we used. I always wondered about the reasoning and never could figure out why.

But to this day I'm still quick with figuring stationing in my head due to so many years of figuring "change" in my head.

Was I the only one who carried a chain repair kit in the truck? I believe a cut chain caused more problems than it ever solved.

sjc1989, post: 416534, member: 6718 wrote: The proponents, mostly public agencies back when they had survey crews, said because people kept measuring 101 ft when they intended to measure a 100 ft. Also, since they were shorter they where cheaper.
[SNIP]
Steve

Reminds me of a few years back when we had a secretary/receptionist who sought to pinch pennies to the point of total absurdity. We had to order some 25' pocket tapes and I explained to her that the "engineer's tapes" were cheaper because they had only ten inches to a foot... I think she actually might have believed me on that one.

Back on topic- I've never used a cut chain but I have heard a few stories of errors resulting from their use. I think it would be neat to have a "survey camp" like we used to have in the old days, where the WSDOT crews from around the state would get together and attend seminars, etc... do some old-fashioned chaining and throw in a cut chain for one or two of the crews... nah, I'm just mean 🙂

paden cash, post: 416543, member: 20 wrote: Most of my early years (both head and tail chainman) was with a cut chain...that's just what we used. I always wondered about the reasoning and never could figure out why.

But to this day I'm still quick with figuring stationing in my head due to so many years of figuring "change" in my head.

Basically used for construction or if someone ordered the wrong tape.
Cut chains were used in construction because it took two to collaborate the distance. The chainmen communicated with each other so there was an agreement on the reading.
Discount double check sort of

I have used all three, the add chain is what I get my guys now, but they also insist on nyclad steel direct read tapes. Mostly they sit in their truck and collect rust now. I carried a chain repair kit back in the day! I remember a couple having to use it, if you did it right, it would still measure correct, no "calibration needed"....At least that's what I did.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

lmbrls, post: 416545, member: 6823 wrote: Was I the only one who carried a chain repair kit in the truck? ............

we always repaired our chains, maybe once a week if we were in rough conditions
not once did I see anything but a butt repair (same length and markings)

does anyone remember how to throw a chain? I do!
I just was out in the garage practicing... for old times sake (and to see if I could still do it)

my wife thought I was doing some form of witchcraft 🙂

I spent several years on the add. Used a cut chain once for a few hundred feet. I walked back and got the add chain.

The only thing that makes sense to me for the cut tape, is that it made it easier to set center line of highway curves. All you needed to know was how much to subtract for each chord. Other than that little tidbit, I think the cut tape probably caused more mistakes than the add tapes. I only use add tapes now.

Robert Hill, post: 416548, member: 378 wrote: Basically used for construction or if someone ordered the wrong tape.
Cut chains were used in construction because it took two to collaborate the distance. The chainmen communicated with each other so there was an agreement on the reading.
Discount double check sort of

Same reason I liked the add a foot chain. It kept the whole crew in the game. Rear chainman yelled 162, head chainman yelled .61 and chief yelled 162.61 as he booked it, and then a discussion ensued ... I said 61 not 51 and so forth.... When I went to work for a guy that used a fully graduated tape he was kind of a control freak and wanted to be in control of feet and hundreds'. Jp

100ft babbit cut chain is 100ft long from end to end and cost near half of what an add chain cost.

100ft highway chrome clad is probably close to 102ft from end to end and has a 100ft mark, zero mark and and extra foot with hundredths marks and close to a half foot of blank extra chain on each end.

Have brand new Lufkin nubian add chain in box plus a rarely used K&E 100ft inch chain on a reel and a 50ft tape and a 100ft tape. There may be more.

Every once in a while, I would gather a chain up left handed and throw it so I would have plenty of time to drink my coffee the next morning.

My personal chains have always been on a reel.