Imperial vs Metric!!!

[AlexThePalex]

And using zero Celsius as a starting point is arbitrary too. The only so called logical base is zero kelvin.... Enough said....

There is nothing logical about Kelvin, because that point is too far away from human experience to have any meaning for us.

You're right of course that a temperature scale is arbitrary, but as it goes, water is the most important substance for life as we know it, so basing it on water makes a lot more sense than anything else. And it also is water that influences our own temperature most, that of our body, and that of our surroundings, the weather.

 

[Slartibartfass]

Yeah but obviously depending on where you live elevation wise due to different atmospheric pressure that moves as well. Also I remember from a TV show that clean water (aka distilled water)'s freezing point is a couple degrees below zero due to the lack of impurities.....  Anyway whatever floats anyone's boat....

 

[Doug S]

I'm sure I once read that when you are talking about the dimensions of timber the number that comes first is the size of the side you would see in normal use. For example a floor joist would be a 2x8 but the floor boards would be made out of 6x1, this is so that in certain situations the joiner knows which way the timber is intended to be used. It kind of makes sense, has anyone else heard this or am I talking rubbish?

 

[Kevin McConville]

Growing up in Canada over the past almost 50 years I have "had" to transition from Imperial to Metric, it has been far from a clean transition here.  Most of us my age are not so much system bilingual as system bipolar (no offense to anyone who may actually be bipolar).  We all have some things we are more comfortable in working in imperial and some things in metric.  I for one measure large things in kilometres, medium things in inches and feet and tiny things in both microns and thousandth's.  Weight is pounds for me but grams for what I eat etc., the list of these goes on.  My backgroung is Engingeering and not one day in class in the early 80's went by without some confusing hodgepoge of units - all much simpler in S.I. (Metric). I dearly wish I was raised pure metric!

Couple of tidbits - North American as well as the rest of the world's Automotive industry has been metric for decades and and yes there is something very logical about 0 Celcius - its when the miracle fluid water freezes, Celcius comes from Centigrade with Centi being 100, each degree is defined as 1/100 of the diference between water's freezing point and boiling point and a change of one degree Celcius is the same as a change of one degree Kelvin.

 

[Paul G]

Untidy Shop, you forgot to add that some folks use decimal inches.

This reminds me of a printing ink salesman from France who wanted me to try some of his product, he asked how much I would need to sample and I said about 3 quarts. Confused he asked: "Quart? What is a quart?" To which I responded: "If you want to sell ink in America you better figure it out."

 

[gippy]

When I buy wood in Thailand the width and thickness are measured in inches, the length in meters. The price is per 'que', which after some time with the calculator I discovered is 12 board feet  [eek]

 

[semenza]

When I buy wood in Thailand the width and thickness are measured in inches, the length in meters. The price is per 'que', which after some time with the calculator I discovered is 12 board feet  [eek]

  Well now that's just weird. What's that all about?  ???  [huh]

Seth

 

[gippy]

When I buy wood in Thailand the width and thickness are measured in inches, the length in meters. The price is per 'que', which after some time with the calculator I discovered is 12 board feet  [eek]

  Well now that's just weird. What's that all about?  ???  [huh]

Seth

Beats me! Sheet goods are measured in millimetres, not even metres or centimetres, always mm!

 

[elfick]

What's the metric version of the board foot (12" x 12" x 1")? Or, I guess, more to the point, how are solid woods sold?

 

[Stephen B]

But the real annoyance for me is door sizing. There is something that just doesn't make sense... 3/0? Don't they know you can't divide by zero?  [big grin] (joking aside, I do understand the notation, but I still think it's dumb)

Agreed, and brings up an interesting point: What are common metric door sizes?

US doors are typically multiples of 2" - 2 foot 6, 2 foot 8, ...3 foot 0, etc. - expressed as 2/6, 2/8 ...3/0 as elfick noted above.

Are metric doors multiples of something? 32mm perhaps?

[size=14pt]

WOW do not get hung up on 32 here, unless I am about to be corrected, it is not directly related to the metric system and really applies to the standardisation of cabinetry, particularly that massed produced.

Regarding Metric doors. In Australia, off the rack a door's height is 2040mm and they are available in the widths of 520, 620, 720, 770, 820, 870 and 920 mm and all at 35mm thickness. The most common door size is 2040x820mm.

See - http://www.build.com.au/standard-door-sizes

Elfick, if I have understood you correctly, by the cubic metre. But this generally applies to sawmills.

Australian timber merchants/hardware timber is priced by the metre but sold in the following lengths - 1.8, 2.1, 2.4, 2.7, 3.0, 3.3, 3.6, 3.9. 4.2, 4.8, 5.4 and 6.0 metres.

However most timber yards only stock 3.6, 4.2, 4.8, 5.4 and 6.0 from which the other standard lengths may be cut (if the customer smiles nicely). The exception to this is Merbu decking which has a full pack with all the standard lengths plus 1.2 and 5.7 metres. Real pain if a customer only wants one size length - then they have to really smile. Some merchants, just refuse. You can order a certain length though, but this adds cost per metre.

Also some dimensions of hardwood such as Tasmanian Oak come in a mixed pack with lengths close to, but not always at a standard length.

 

[ArneF]

how are solid woods sold?

When I by wood (for building purposes) I buy it by the meter, i.e. each dimension has a price per length meter of the board.

 

[mo siopa]

Other than Honey Booboo and the like, I can't say why we haven't converted the masses over here.  Metric is obviously simpler.  This bloke however, can convert back and forth at ease.

One point of real conflict: we drive on the "right" side at all times- whether on land or sea.

 

[Kev]

Other than Honey Booboo and the like, I can't say why we haven't converted the masses over here.  Metric is obviously simpler.  This bloke however, can convert back and forth at ease.

One point of real conflict: we drive on the "right" side at all times- whether on land or sea.

That side of the road stuff baffles me. In Oz we obviously aligned as "part of the Commonwealth". What I can't fathom though is why the UK went the opposite way to Europe and America (though I'm sure there's some great stories / reasoning).

Let's hope we standardise before space flight becomes popular  [wink] [big grin]

 

[jacko9]

The "installed base" of Imperial and Metric tooling is a vast investment that has to be replaced if we standardize either way.

The same is true for AC vs DC power, you have what you already paid for as a country (or group of countries).

Get used to using multiple "so called standards".

Jack

 

[Stephen B]

[size=14pt]

Just realised that this thread is in
[size=18pt]Fun Games and Diversions!  [eek] [big grin]

 

[Kev]

[size=14pt]

Just realised that this thread is in
[size=18pt]Fun Games and Diversions!  [eek] [big grin]

... and I'm entirely ok with that [thumbs up]

 

[fdengel]

      Aside from the metric debate. In the USA it is a 2 x 4  not a 4 x 2 .    :    [tongue]

In some countries, drivers sit in the right side of the vehicle, while in others, they drive on the right side of the road...

I wonder if anyone has managed to get it all right yet?  If so, they must be feeling left out...

 

[elfick]

One point of real conflict: we drive on the "right" side at all times- whether on land or sea.

Except for St. Thomas, USVI... they drive on the left side even though they have been a US territory since 1917.
To make it even worse, most of the cars are mainland style so they drive on the left with the driver on the left...  [eek]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Thomas,_U.S._Virgin_Islands#Transportation

 

[waho6o9]

304.8 mm x 304.8 mm x 25.4 mm

is a board foot in metric. So is it a metric board?

 

[Kev]

304.8 mm x 304.8 mm x 25.4 mm

is a board foot in metric. So is it a metric board?

price per cubic metre isn't uncommon

423.776 board feet per cubic metre