Inches, feet, yards and the like ? We did okay with Dollars and Cents but this age old system should be retired…
I could lighten the load in my tool box by dumping the 1/64, 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, 1/4 and the rest by going Metric totally.
What’s the holdup doing away with this odd ball stuff ?
Maybe I don’t really want to know !
Cheers,
As I recall, the metric conversion project was started in… 1968 or around there somewhere, and was blasted from all sides. As I recall, this was when they first started with display thermometers that showed Farenheit and Celcius. I think its funny that even England gave up the “english” system and went metric… especially as I am an ex-brit.
They did try here, I remember them trying to teach us in elementary school but the public in general still today seams to completely misunderstands feet, inches, miles per hour and logic in general…so add learning a new system and the results are predictable…
And we didn’t mind using 8mm and 16mm film. Oh yeah ! We are familiar with 45mm G track. In the military we used 7.62 mm ammunition…And the big guns, 105 etc ? Where oh where is it going to stop ? Hey my hat size is 6 7/8, what does that convert to ?
Ah phooey, I don’t give a damn…
I’ll take my bheer in a pint, 1/2 litter or 12 oz. Whatever as long as it is STOUT.
Cheers,
The problem has to do with us old geezers. Yes, I was taught the metric system back in the 50’s. But where the problem occurs is that if I need something that’s 8 feet long, I can visualize that. My mind can view that length. But, if I need something that’s 50cm long I don’t have a clue how long that is without double checking on a ruler. If the speed limit is 35mph I know exactly how fast to drive, but if it’s 35kph I have no clue without constantly looking at my speedometer. This is where the resistance to change comes in.
Warren
A big problem was how they tried to teach it in school.
“A mm is .03937 inches. A cm is .3937 inches. A dm is .3281 feet. A meter is 39.37 inches. A gram is 0.035 ounces. There will be a quiz tomorrow.”
Now, if they’d handed out meter sticks and said, “this is how long a meter is. See how big a cm is?” And then measured things that way, the situation might be a little different. As it was, the cm side of our rulers was something we ignored.
Then there was this machinist guy who was explaining, “it’s impossible to do precision work in the Metric system.” I thought, “anybody ever tell Mercedes that?” Seemed to me a hundredth of a mm would be a really fine measurement.
Tom Ruby said:As a Draftsman don't even get me started on the idiot machinists I've dealt with and still do to this day. Union or non-union doesn't matter (Wow one instance where that doesn't make much of a difference!) they all seem to think in their own unique way. Each one wants something different on the drawing and if the dimension is to be calculated they will walk a mile to my office to have me calculate it for them. Heck we were asked recently to change all dimensions to the nearest 1/8th of an inch! LOL! Yeah that would work!
Then there was this machinist guy who was explaining, "it's impossible to do precision work in the Metric system." I thought, "anybody ever tell Mercedes that?" Seemed to me a hundredth of a mm would be a really fine measurement.
Tom Ruby said:
… Then there was this machinist guy who was explaining, “it’s impossible to do precision work in the Metric system.” I thought, “anybody ever tell Mercedes that?” Seemed to me a hundredth of a mm would be a really fine measurement.
A hundredth of a millimeter is handy for everyday work, 
but precision work is usually measured in thousandth of a millimeter. Having worked in the high precision machine tool field for 30 years I have a pretty good idea where all the top machinery originated from.
W. Chas. Ronolder IV said:
… Heck we were asked recently to change all dimensions to the nearest 1/8th of an inch! LOL! Yeah that would work!
Do you work in a piano factory???
The trouble in the USofA is that they keep trying to convert it to inches feet etc Forget that stuff
a meter is a meter not almost so many feet. I am also a Draftsman and have to do both>
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Do you work in a piano factory???
LOL! Nope. Currently a knife manufacturer or Cutlery as it would be, although we aren’t strictly making knives anymore. Still a retired drafter from here told me to remember we aren’t making watches either! Good thing to remember at times!
Ed DeVinney said:Ed,
The trouble in the USofA is that they keep trying to convert it to inches feet etc Forget that stuff a meter is a meter not almost so many feet. I am also a Draftsman and have to do both>
Yes, that is the BIG problem.
And the BIG guys will try a few things to make “it” fit their own scheme.
Years ago when the auto industry went ISO - urban legend has it - that GM tried to convince the Standards organization that a 6.35mm thread would be stronger than a 6mm thread. 
BTW not to rain on the Imperial parade, for most of the wood work I do I use inch measurements.
Use the seaman’s eye. It’s more accurate, anyway. That silly millimeter is for whimps!
madwolf
While I admit I still think in inches and feet, I have no problems (beyond visualization) with the metric system. What REALLY, REALLY frosts my butt is when I go to work on my car and it’s a hodge podge of metric and US standard nuts and bolts…all mixed together. I look and say to myself; Grab the 3/8 wrench…only to find that it’s 10mm instead…
Warren
Ed is correct, and that’s why we’re stuck with this goofy mess in USA.
You should have heard the furor in the Aristo Craft forum when I said, “If you design it in metric, tell us the length in metric instead of saying, ‘about 3 ft.’ We all know what a meter is!”
Tom,
That is just “terrible”!
The whole shebang needs to fit in the “Suitable for G” drawer.
“About”, “Substantially”, “Mostly” etc. etc. fit better than defined dimensions; those suckers seem to hang up on whatever corner.
WHAT!?!?! I thought the metric system WAS working!!! I buy my soda pop in the two liter bottle. It’s much cheaper than buying it in the 20 oz. bottle. (Tongue stretching cheek ever so slightly)
Mark
Yeah, and how about both phillips and straight blade screwdrivers, what’s with that? And what’s with this Allen Wrench thing and who does he think he is. And now they have star bits. My Dad always felt that nails were for carpenters that couldn’t cut or measure close enough. And what’s with glue, when mud and water used to be good enough? I’m fed up with all of it. I’m going to just sit in front of my confuser and quit doing anything. Yeah, right.
I hear your pain and glad you are worrying about it. I’m still trying to resolve world hunger and my wife says I can’t take on any other causes until I get that one resolved. Gotta go, time for lunch.
Ric,
Up here in the Great White North, we really like those Robertson screws. Man, they stay on the bit even at odd angles. Still come in funny dimensions, like #8 x 1" and such, but that’s OK, they really stay on the bit!
About World Hunger: yep it’s Lunch time!
I said that I would be good, and so I will.
Beside, I have to go in for supper.