Using metric?
I met a coworker in a 3 week class in Milwaukee, WI. He was the lead engineer on the south island of New Zealand. Some years later my wife and I were gifted by a son and DIL with a 10 day trip to NZ. My friend/coworker gave us a very thorough driving tour of Christchurch (before all the earthquakes). As we drove by a gas station, my wife noted the price of gas on a sign and said "The price of gas is about the same as it is at home in Idaho.". My friend, Ken, asked "Are they selling it by the liter now?"
Ken
So much to learn, so little time.....
In the US, materials are bought in units of fractions of inches, inches and feet. Most equipment is marked in distances of fractions of inches and inches. Nearly all plans published in magazines or by furniture designers are in inches. I can mark 60 inches on a board to within a few inches without the use of any measuring device. I would have to convert from centimeters to inches or feet to be able to do the same thing using the metric system. I will change to the metric system when it becomes more convenient for me to do so, not when somebody on a woodworking forum thinks it is smart. This is coming from an engineer who spent his entire career using the metric system.
Last edited by Pat Barry; 06-29-2016 at 1:09 PM.
Its not a well known point of knowledge, but one of the key issues that caused Britain to last week opt out of the EU was that the general population did not want to convert to metric currency! They are perfectly happy with their pounds, and pence and quid and what not and didn't want to be forced to convert to Euro's. Thats a fact.
Rich,
Since metric is everywhere from plywood thickness to lawnmowers, we would each be wise to use it or at least become more familiar with it. I think the problem is not logic but inertia.
I found that over the years the metric system has become as familiar to me as the imperial without even trying. I can estimate a millimeter or 20 cm, I can stride a meter when estimating ground distances, when giving meds to llamas it's nice that a cc is the same as a ml, and I'm finally starting to recognize various metric wrench and machine threads. I'm certain that we would be all benefit from using it. 4mm is a lot easier to read and measure than 5/32"; less chance of mistake measuring 10mm than 25/64".
JKJ
When I was installing fixture in CVS Pharmacies we would get some OSF from Canada and had to adjust the wall fixture to fit. There were some crews that didn't know that 4 ft Canadian fixture is just a little bigger than American Lozier fixture and it wouldn't fit in the spot that they had left.
That Ken, is funny.
When I was in England I found most things cost the same as in Canada, except they were in Pounds Sterling instead of Canadian dollars............Rod.
"we don't use weight in the metric system at the level of the average person, we use mass, (Kg)."
Precisely, Rod. Metric uses mass. Imperial uses lbs = weight = force. So, when I sell 400 lbs of liquid to my customers, but need to convert it to kg for the shipping label, and then gallons or liters to figure out how to efficiently package it, it's just a pain.
The British changed their currency on "Decimal Day" February 15, 1971. In effect they already have 'metric money.'
The farthing was demonetized on the January 1, 1961.
The British in general may not want to convert to the Euro. That is a different story and likely wouldn't happen before the year 2020 if they stayed in the EU.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
The US Customary units diverged from the British units in 1824. The US customary units are based on the pre-1824 British units. The Imperial system, enacted in 1824 modified the previous British system (notably consolidating the multitude of gallons used to one based on the Ale Gallon). An imperial pint is about 1.2X a US pint.
John
I converted in daily life years ago, the only significantly non-metric part of my life is my shop, and one day soon I will pitch all my old rules and tapes and convert there as well. The combination of the insistence on staying with bizarre fractions with the demonstrated inability of 85% of the population to manipulate those fractions defies any semblance of logic or sense. If I want to I can figure out how many quarts are in that 2 l bottle of soda, but why should I have to care? To Prashun's point above the ability to trivially convert between mass and volume (and weight if we're somewhere close to the surface of the earth) for liquids is really nice.