mastercabman said:
joe i don't think you need to retro any of your tools so that you can convert to metric.i would keep what you have.i had a hard time when i came here,inches?feets? yards? what the @#$%? but i learn! i still (sometime)have to think twice when i have to calculate in imperial it's hard for people to go metric when all they know is imperial,but i think that it is harder for those who learn the metric first and then work with imperial. maybe i'm wrong,but i can tell you it took me a long time to get use to it. but for you joe ,just stick with what you know best and when you use your festool,just do the best you can. i know it can be a pain to have to use both system at time.that's why i use a chart all the time,not just for lumber but other thing like accessories,and other stuff.maybe lumber yard could label their products with imperial/metric.so that some of us can get use to what we working with.i mean that, if you see 1x material that say 3/4"/19mm than we will start to register the conversion. after all, when i walk in lowes or home depot everything is label with english/spanish. a lots of products out there have english/spanish description. everything is now english/spanish, so how hard could it be to have metric information on the lumber? p.s. does mexico use the metric system?
WOW, I must not be communicating clearly;
1) I love the metric system
2) I think the metric system is easy, and I fully understand it.
3) I think the metric system is superior to the imperial system
4) I think the rest of the world is much smarter to be using the metric system
5) I wish the US used the metric system
6) Unfortunately most of my tools and tooling are imperial
7) Living with both is harder than living with one or the other (I think it would be hard to argue otherwise)
8) Yes, you can use charts, but heck, if I only had to live with one system or the other, I would even need a chart. Which is harder, no chart, or chart? Which is faster?
Does this make sense, or will I get even more posts telling my how much easier metric is? One more time. Metric is easier, using both on every project is not easier than just using one or just using the other.
To convert to metric, I would need to do the following;
1) Find an adhesive metric tape for the Biesemeyer type fence on my Sawstop saw.
2) Find left hand and right hand adhesive tapes for my Biesemeyer Radial Arm Saw cutoff system which is no longer produced.
3) Find or fabricate a metric scale for my Powermatic Model 100 planer
4) Find some way to fit a metric scale on my Rockwell 6" Stroke drill press. This will be hard since the imperial scale is etched into the depth stop which is a rod which is treaded with an acme thread.
5) Replace about 5 expensive precision stainless steel rulers with metric versions
6) Stop using all the nice bridge city tools squares with imperial scales. I don't think they make metric versions.
Router bits would still require conversion tables, and I doubt that measuring 1/8" in metric as (3.175mm) will be hard. 3/8" is easier at 9.525mm, but I don't think I'd get as tight a fit as if I measured to 3/8".
Or, I could use a conversion chart for every single cut I make. Lets see, I need to rip 21 3/32" wide. Isn't that conversion table quick?
Now, after all this ranting, I have purchased and enjoy the Festool TS75 and I won a Domino. I will deal with the metric thing, but it is not as easy or simple for me as if I could stay entirely in one system...joe
