About Lesson
Steel Band
- The steel band, also called the band chain, consists of a ribbon of steel with a brass swivel handle at each end.
- It is 20 or 30 m long and 16 mm wide.
- It is wound on open steel cross, or on a metal reel in a closed case.
- The graduations are marked in two ways: (a) The band is divided by brass studs at every 0.2 m and numbered at every l m, the first and the last link being subdivided into cm and mm, (b) The graduations are etched as meters, decimeters, centimeters on one side and 0.2 m links on the other.
- Brass tallies are fixed at every 5 m length of the band. It is best adapted to general field work and rough usage. For accurate work, the steel band is now preferred.
- It is lighter and easier to handle than the chain. It is practically unalterable in length. It must be protected from rust by frequent cleaning and oiling.