Deconstructed Stanley
Reverse Engineering
“Reverse engineering is the process of deducing how something works by taking it apart”. - Thomas Thwaites, The Toaster Project
The Stanley Tape Measure, is a tool I use frequently for measuring heights and lengths. At first, many of us overlook its intricate design and the components that come together to create this functional tool. We simply extend the tape, take our measurements, and retract it back into its housing.
By deconstructing this object, or in other words, reverse engineering, I began to reflect on each part’s function and how they integrate seamlessly.
In analyzing its anatomy, I discovered aspects I had previously overlooked. The screws, plastic moldings that securely encase the steel blade, the spring mechanism, and the thumb lock all play crucial roles, enabling the blade to retract and return to its original form.
During this process, I started to wonder about the design and functionality:
Why yellow and black? What significance do the colors hold in terms of visibility and safety? What mechanisms allow the tape to retract and spring back? When the thumb lock is engaged, what triggers the internal components to secure the blade in place? Why is the steel blade concave? What advantages does this curvature provide and how is the steel manipulated into its concave form? How is the steel blade wound? Recoiling mechanism? Retract button? Why is it mostly made of plastic? Are the plastic parts the same plastic material, or different plastics that look identical in yellow? Sustainable? Why are there ridges at the bottom? When the blade is extended, does the spring wind more tightly? What happens to the tension in the spring? How is the thickness of the zero hook determined? Why specifically 1/16 inch thick?
