Greg Guarino wrote:

I've got a Rockler flat-back tape measure that been very handy for (for
instance) marking the dadoes for my bookcase uprights.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gdguari...1493/lightbox/

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=22205

It wouldn't be much use for framing and general handyman work around the
house as it won't support itself at all, but it makes it very easy to
mark things accurately when you're working from a plan. I treat it pretty
gingerly because I'm sure that it would crease easily. But when that
finally happens, it's cheap enough to buy a new one.

One issue is that it seems to be designed for outside measurements only;
the "hook" doesn't slide to compensate for its own thickness. The hook is
flat (just a 90 degree angle, no curved hook) and thin, so the inaccuracy
would be small (1/32" maybe), but I haven't run into that because so far
I have only used it "outside", marking up pieces from a drawing.

I use my flats often when marking joinery. What you want to watch for with
the FastCaps is pulling them out full length and then they won't retract
fully. Have had to replace two of the flat ones in the last few years.
Rocker will replace them for nothing, except the aggravation of having to
do so.

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