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Thread: reading metric tape measure

  1. #1
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    reading metric tape measure

    When reading a metric tape measure. Do you record a measurement as, for example, 12MM or 1cm and 2mm. Reason for my question, If giving a measurement to someone who is use to the metric system, what will they expect to hear?
    Last edited by Dave Lehnert; 07-28-2014 at 12:44 AM.
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
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  2. #2
    1.2 cm or 12 mm.

  3. #3
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    In that case, 12mm

    Eh ..

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Lehnert View Post
    When reading a metric tape measure. Do you record a measurement as, for example, 12MM or 1cm and 2mm. Reason for my question, If giving a measurement to someone who is use to the metric system, what will they expect to hear?
    I never know what to expect, sometimes it's millimeters, sometimes centimeters, sometimes its meters. People use whatever they feel like, I also swap between units all the time, it depends mostly on what the scale I am using says, I tend to use cm if the scale is graduated in CM.

    In the end it doesn't really matter because converting between them in your head is super easy.

    1000mm (thousands of a meter, or tenths of a cm)
    100cm (hundreds of a meter)
    1m

  5. #5
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    I think if you look at the dimensions for common metric products you will find that they are always stated in mm. Centimeters are a largely unimportant denomination since the mm value provides you everything you need to know. If the dimension is over a meter then use the convention m,mm; for example 1 meter, 66 mm - 1,66.

  6. #6
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    I don't have that problem...... I'm too old to mess around with a metric system.
    Army Veteran 1968 - 1970
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pat Barry View Post
    I think if you look at the dimensions for common metric products you will find that they are always stated in mm. Centimeters are a largely unimportant denomination since the mm value provides you everything you need to know. If the dimension is over a meter then use the convention m,mm; for example 1 meter, 66 mm - 1,66.
    In European and Latin-American countries (and perhaps much of the rest of the world), usage of the comma and decimal point is reversed from what we know in the U.S. That is, two hundred thousand and thirty-four hundredths would be written, "200,000.34" in the U.S., but written, "200.000,34" in other countries. It's kind of weird if you ask me. But, then again, if someone said, "two hundred thousand and thirty-four," most of the time in the U.S., they would mean, "200,034".

    I see plenty of dimensions from foreign companies listed in mm, even somewhat larger ones--plywood might be 1200mm x 2400mm, for example. I don't think I've ever seen a dimension listed as "1cm and 2mm" though--that kind of defeats a major purpose of the metric system--the easy decimal point manipulations.
    Jason

    "Don't get stuck on stupid." --Lt. Gen. Russel Honore


  8. #8
    In school we were taught ,as an example, "3 meters,2 decimeters, (etc)". Many of us have seen dimensions such as
    " 36,652 milimeters ".

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Von Bickley View Post
    I don't have that problem...... I'm too old to mess around with a metric system.
    That is the long answer to "record it as 0.472441 inches"

  10. #10
    It drives me nutty when I read dimensions on architectural blueprints in foot and inches so I often convert to inches only. For example, if the print says 4'-11 1/2", I find it easier to read it as 59 1/2" and I will write that in on the print. Practically everything I do in woodworking is in inches with fractions. Easier for me. I sure if you put down metric dimensions in meters, centimeters and millimeters, I'd have a brain attack! Keep it simple!

  11. #11
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    That is, two hundred thousand and thirty-four hundredths would be written, "200,000.34" in the U.S., but written, "200.000,34" in other countries. It's kind of weird if you ask me. But, then again, if someone said, "two hundred thousand and thirty-four," most of the time in the U.S., they would mean, "200,034".

    In the Uk. the number would be written 200,034

    Large whole numbers have a comma placed every 3rd number counting from the last number on the right

    eg 10000000000 becomes 10,000,000,000

    length if in a whole number of centimetres would be written 45cm or 450mm If the length was not a multple of 10cm then the length would be written in mm eg. 452 mm and not 45.2cm

    If the length was greater than a metre then either 1.5m or 1500mm


    regards Brian

  12. #12
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    A part of our life is design work for molded plastic components, and for the tooling and fixtures used in their manufacturing. Our customers are scattered around the world and in the US. The metric system predominates throughout (even in the US), and the millimeter (mm) is the unit of choice. The CAD program that we use allows two default units: Inches, or millimeters.

    Size wise our projects are not so large so that may be why we all use mm. Probably someone designing a house (or a bridge or a city) would use some other unit. I don't think I have ever seen centimeters or meters used in our world even though injection molds can be several thousand in mm's.

  13. #13
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    Construction and design drawings are mostly in mm over here, but in daily practice meters and/or centimeters are often used. It's just a habit, as anything else.....
    what looks weird depends on the eyes looking.. :-) Some of us works in "mixed" environments, and really have no problems doing both systems-
    And - BTW 45,2 cm is a very common way of speech and writing for most people outside professional environments.
    I think it is also correct that meters and millimeters are wordlwide dominant, whether some of you guys like it or not... ( OMG - here we go again.......)

    EDIT: 36,652 milimeters, - thousands of a millimeter is a mighty tight tolerance..... 0.001mm equals 0.0397 mils......
    Last edited by Halgeir Wold; 07-28-2014 at 4:25 PM.

  14. #14
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    Since I am sitting here working on prepping my Fall classes, I happen to have my Chemistry professor hat on. The metric system is really not that hard. I acknowledge that folks are comfortable with what they are used to, but in terms of ease of use metric has it hands down.

    Here are two questions that illustrate my point.
    1) How many inches are there in 1.5 miles?
    2) How many centimeters are there in 1.5 kilometers?

    You can calculate both easily, but with the second the math is so trivial that is easily done in your head.



    John
    (in the spirit of full disclosure, my shop is in imperial since the tools are in imperial)


    That's what is great about standards, everyone has their own.

  15. #15
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    We use metric down here but when it comes to a person's height it is very common to use imperial units....

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