The Knotted Rose: Fixing A Broken Tape Measure Tutorial

My cheap little sewing tape measure keeps auto disassembling at the slightest bump. Its easy to fix if you have a basic understanding of how springs and tension work.

What a tangled mess.

So for all those other cheap people like me who would rather fix it then chuck it and buy a new one, here is a tutorial!

First find all of the parts. Most of the time, half of the pieces of my tape measurer go flying to parts unknown when it comes apart. You should have:

1- large razor sharp spiral spring

2- out case pieces

1- plastic button

1- tape

1- plastic spool type thing

1- very important and very tiny spring. The retraction button will not work with out this!

First untangle the razor wire spring. Seriously, it is very sharp so be careful!

Tangled

Should be in a untangled continuous swirl pattern.

Now my spring was still attached to the spool, so all I had to do was rewind it and place it back in the interior of the spool. If yours is not attached then place the exterior end of the spring in the two slots that are farthest from each other. The spring needs to be able to fit inside the spool going counter clockwise.

Spring to go counter clockwise.

Fitted neatly into the interior of the spool counter clockwise.
I had to remove the tape to do so easily.

Now the interior end of the spiral spring slides into the slot of the plastic peg in the larger part of the casing. Peg with the spring now in it should continue out of the hole in the center of the spool. The is what causes the spring to tighten when pulling the tape out.

Slide spring in to slot and out of the center hole.

Now the tape needs to be reattached. The tape should have a narrower part that widens to the main body of the tape.

Narrow part up!

Now attach it in the two slots that are closest together. Wrap the tape clock wise to pull the spiral spring taunt when pulling the tape out.

Wrong way

Right way

Now when you pull the tape you should be able to see the spiral spring tighten in towards the center.

You can see some of the spring though the holes.

Now its time for that little spring. Hope you didn't lose it!

Itty bitty tiney tiny spring

Put the spring in the cenittypeg that you slipped the interior spring into and the spool around.

In the hole!

The button has wing shaped tabs on it. These are to make it so when the tape is pulled, it will slide out and then stop. Pressing the button pus the thicker end lower; which lets the spiral spring lose its tension causing the tape to recoil.

Place the button on the center peg and spring. The plastic tab on the interior of the spool acts as a brake for the button.

Yellow arrows shows how the narrower end of the tabs should be able to slide under the yellow highlighted tab. The red arrow shows how if the tape is spooled incorrectly the thicker end of the tabs on the button will make it so you can not pull the tape out.

Put the other part of the plastic casing in place. It should click in place,