going metric

[glass1]

I really want to make the plunge and go metric. Anybody do this ? Any tips ? thx Bengt

 

[Frank Pellow]

Do a search on threads with metric in the title.  You will get lots of hits.

Once you statrt to use metric, you will wonder why any country still sticks with imperial.  ;D 

 

[cflansbaum]

I'm seriously thinking of making my next project a test for doing this.  The biggest hurdle I see is that all my measuring devices are imperial...

Carl

 

[sw1211]

I would print off some charts like this, for quick reference. http://www.metric-conversions.org/c...th/inches-to-centimeters-conversion-chart.pdf

Get a Fastcap tape that has both metric and imperial and put away all imperial measuring tools. Start with a shop cabinet or some other not so fine furniture and jump in and proceed in metric only.  See how it progresses, where you get hung up and come up with new methods of working around these obstacles.  It just takes some time to visualize the measurements in your head, until it becomes second nature.

Other useful measuring tools would be digital calipers and the Pinnacle metric story stick (Woodcraft), I'm sure there are others.

 

[jaegerhund]

Do a search on threads with metric in the title.  You will get lots of hits.

Once you statrt to use metric, you will wonder why any country still sticks with imperial.  ;D 

I know this is all in good fun ----- but the United States was actually one of the "first" countries to adopt the metric system --- and has been metric since 1866 --- and in 1875 was one of the "original signers of the Treaty of the Meter" which established the International Bureau of of Weights and Measures (BIPM) which administers the International System of Units (metric).  Since 1893, the metric system has been the standard by which all customary units are defined (Mendenhall Order) in the U.S. ---- however this did not force U.S. citizens to use the metric system.  With the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, the government tried to push the metric system but the people did not want it ------ and the government wasn't going to force it. 

I had to look all of this up myself -------   

Justin

 

[Jeff Magnus]

Do a search on threads with metric in the title.  You will get lots of hits.

Once you statrt to use metric, you will wonder why any country still sticks with imperial.  ;D 

I couldn't agree more.
So I guess the question would be, "How many folks you know can add/subtract/multiply/divide fractions? Even though this is our method as Americans, I cant say I know many that can perform this simple task. On the other hand, everyone(say 90%) can do all this by the magical number of 10. Metric is BY FAR more accurate then Standard. I say do yourself a favor and learn metric. You will be pleasantly surprised on the accuracy.
If your performing anything on a finished scale, metric is THE way. Rough capentry I still use standard. Only because our materials are setup for it.

 

[richard.selwyn]

I've mentioned this before on metric/imperial threads, but I'm still amused when I buy sheets of ply here and they measure 1m22 x 2m44 (or 8' x 4') and are nominally 19mm thick - ie 3/4 inch.  The one advantage the imperial system does have is that 12 is a more "flexible" number than 10 - you can divide it by 2,3,4 and 6.  I'm glad I work in metric tho' but still have enough trouble not getting confused between something like 1 metre and 4 centimetres and 1 metre and 40 centimetres.  I try to always work in milimetres, but clients don't and thinks are sold in varying ways.  But all that pales into insignifance compared with trying to fathom out prices when people still talk to you in old centimes - meaning that they regularly go on about millions and tens of millions and they're not talking about bank bailouts..........

 

[Red Lion]

In Canada, which is supposedly metric, most of the materials I come across are sold in imperial measurements. Rough carpentry is my bread and butter and I really think that imperial is the way to go for the rough stuff. The imperial units are much nicer to use and its equally if not easier to divide by two with fractions. Saying that ... I feel that metric measurements are better when designing anything like furniture or small products. My first festool project will be designed in metric for sure...(coming soon hopefully). It will take a while for metric to take over the building industry because the Americans are so resistant to this one change. Understandably, when considering the amount of infrastructure and tooling invested.

M@

 

[Frank Pellow]

In Canada, which is supposedly metric, most of the materials I come across are sold in imperial measurements. Rough carpentry is my bread and butter and I really think that imperial is the way to go for the rough stuff. The imperial units are much nicer to use and its equally if not easier to divide by two with fractions. Saying that ... I feel that metric measurements are better when designing anything like furniture or small products. My first festool project will be designed in metric for sure...(coming soon hopefully). It will take a while for metric to take over the building industry because the Americans are so resistant to this one change. Understandably, when considering the amount of infrastructure and tooling invested.

M@

I have no idea why you claim that "The imperial units are much nicer to use ".  They may be more familiar to the general public, but there is no way at all that they a nicer to use.  I have built buildings in Canada using imperial and I have built buildings in Canada using metric and, in spite of the fact that our wimpy government is dragging our heals over forcing dealers carry material is real metric measurements, metric wins hands down. 

(  ;D If I were to be elected benevolent dictator of Canada, I would put a stop to all this archaic imperial stuff.  ;D )

 

[Red Lion]

[/quote]
I have no idea why you claim that "The imperial units are much nicer to use ".  They may be more familiar to the general public, but there is no way at all that they a nicer to use.  I have built buildings in Canada using imperial and I have built buildings in Canada using metric and, in spite of the fact that our wimpy government is dragging our heals over forcing dealers carry material is real metric measurements, metric wins hands down. 

(   ;D If I were to be elected benevolent dictator of Canada, I would put a stop to all this archaic imperial stuff.  ;D )
[/quote]

I'll admit your point here only because I have not built anything large with metric.

 

[pingvinlakrits]

Metric is so easy even I can use it,
everything revolves around easily understood increments or divisions by the magic number of ten.

For small stuff the millimeter is accurate and yet again, easy to use. Very seldom one needs precision greater than half a millimeter.

The least used I think is the decimeter, which is used more casually in vague terms of "maybe it should be moved a dec or two" where as (meters and) centimeters and millimeters are what counts. 

I usually size thing up in cm and mm and there is no confusing which is what, and it is more or less dependant of how accurate things need be. Some one might say "I want a shelf which is 2.40m high" and to me he says 240cm and if he wants millimeter precision I just measure it up and it might be 2408mm. What I am trying to say is that when you rough up a measure you usually say like around One-and-twenty, meaning 1.20(m), and when you mark it up you are just thinking 120(cm), but not necessarily thinking 1200(mm). The millimeters are just added on a need to know basis. The long meters - kilometers and "real" miles - are just for getting to the site.

An mdf board being 16mm or 19mm or 22mm poses no problem when calculating sizes. If the denominator of 10 works for currency, then you can work out your small change easily when it comes to subtracting or adding for material thickness. Just think "small change" on your dollars and cents and it is not harder than that. That is why I think imperial is harder, you can't think "small change" on something you divide by 12.

I am as you probably figured out, not Imperial savvy. 

For metric savvy people it becomes second nature and becoming metric savvy is very easy.   

 

[tallgrass]

i have to agree with some of this forum that if you can not handle fractions (to tough for modern man) and if everything you measure is exactly described by the ten base multiple system, than the metric system is for you. The metric system has some fantastic features, the simplicity of limited divisibility, because you should not design anything too complex for the fear of needing a unit that is not a derivative of 10.   Let us all sing a rousing chorus "cum by ya" the metric system is here. ;D ;D ;D I am an ME and use both systems and do not care which i use for what calculations. Though i do find the MM is too large of a minimum unit in my wood working, i find that i am using 32nd and 64ths all the time or story sticks or gauges which are about as anti-metric as possible. so here is my question, to all of those who sing the system metric. How do you  divide anything  by three or any other factor non  divisible 10, and how do you handle measurements that are less than a mm with accuracy?

 

[jaegerhund]

It seems to me that metric is easier to use ---- but I can visualize imperial better.  I see no reason for not being proficient in both ----- like being bilingual ------ no need to limit yourself or your knowledge.  But metric seems to  be an improvement ........

Justin

 

[glass1]

I think I just finished my last imperial project. Thx for the input, Bengt

 

[monte]

Well, we can't go anywhere here without talking about the "French Inch"  !!!  ;D

see........... http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/A+Short+History+Of+Measurement.aspx

 

[nickao]

The best system is the system the craftsman is most comfortable with.

How anyone can say metric is easier to use or vice versa is ridiculous, it is an individuals opinion on what is simpler for them.

My grandpa used imperial all his life, do you really think learning metric at 93 would have been simpler for him? Actually, correct or not and really nothing to do with woodworking or ease of use, he equated using Imperial as being American. To his generation that was very important. So I doubt he would ever have admitted it was simpler for him, even if it was.

 

[mastercabman]

so here is my question, to all of those who sing the system metric. How do you  divide anything  by three or any other factor non  divisible 10, and how do you handle measurements that are less than a mm with accuracy?

The same way that you would divide anything by 1,2,4,5,6...... and so on!

mm not accurate enough?    use micron.

 

[petiegolfer]

Im 37...grew up in NZ now live in the UK. I measure everything in mm. Even big measurements. The best way to move over....chuck all imperial stuff away...remember that 300mm is approx 12inchs. Then get on with it!

 

[meldgaard]

Micron not accurate enough? - Go nano  ;D

micrometre = 1⁄1000000 of a metre or 1?10−6 metre
nanometre  = 1⁄1000000000 of a metre or 1?10−9 metre

Being danish it would be really nice if you guys went metric too : . Then I wouldn't have to print my homemade "imperial cheat sheet's" anymore. I usually print one and use it for bookmarks when reading books from Taunton etc.

I don't look up 3/4" and a few of the more common ones anymore but the more advanced ones yes. Its like wrapping measuring in an added conceptual layer. Just like when you look on a digital clock where you automatically converts 10:45 to a quarter to eleven ... not difficult but still an extra layer

Here in Denmark we officially shifted to the metric back in 1907 but when I was a young boy in the sixties it was still normal to hear people buy a pound of coffee instead of half a kilo. Modern flatscreen TVs are still sold by the inch'es

Wood for framing or construction is still mostly mentioned in the spoken language as 4x4, 2x4 etc. Not on the signs in the lumberyards though. Sheets are still sold in 2,44x1,22 meter plates (4x8) and I could go on

 

[Frank Pellow]

The best system is the system the craftsman is most comfortable with.

How anyone can say metric is easier to use or vice versa is ridiculous, it is an individuals opinion on what is simpler for them.

My grandpa used imperial all his life, do you really think learning metric at 93 would have been simpler for him? Actually, correct or not and really nothing to do with woodworking or ease of use, he equated using Imperial as being American. To his generation that was very important. So I doubt he would ever have admitted it was simpler for him, even if it was.

Having used both systems almost all of my life and being fully conversent with both (and I can even do arithmetic with fractions  ;D), I can say it and not be riduiculous.  What is riduculous is the verty few countries in the world that are sticking all or in part with Imperial. 

Perhaps you have a point with your 93 year old gradndfather but, even then, the mental stimualtion would probably been good for him. 

If you want to equate using an antiquated and inefficient British system with being American, then go ahead and do so -but it seems to me (as an outsider) to be almost unAmerican.