Are you metric or not? Why?

[BAD HIDE]

I was raised to learn metric. I have wrenched on late model cars that require you to take both metric and SAE with you or you're screwed. However, I still think in inches and ounces. When laying out a pattern or measuring, I still talk fractions of an inch, because that's what I'm used to.

I'd love to switch to all metric, and I should just switch all my patterns over to it, it's so simple and logical. 36mm is much simpler than saying 1 7/16", now how long does it take to figure out half that? I come up with 18mm a lot faster than 23/32". It's just one of those confusing factors of society that we not only cling to old ways, but we've actually made it much harder to switch cold turkey. If we had forcibly switched over 30 years ago when I was a kid, there'd be much less stuff now that isn't metric. Even if we stop saying things are one and a half inch, it doesn't instantly make all the 1 1/2" belt buckles any bigger than 38.1mm. 'course it'd be easier to order 38mm or 39mm buckles, and from there forward, we could stick to those sizes, or just make it an even 35mm or 40mm. I seriously wish there wasn't 2 systems, it's going to be a hard long slog to fight it out, but imperial isn't going to come out on top.

Oh, and imo machinists using thousandths of an inch is just a calibration away from using thousandths of a mm. By using thousandths instead of fractions, it's an admission that decimal systems are superior to fractions, and from there, it's just taking thousandths from a different unit.

[Ellen]

It's a matter of habit, just as language you use and why you are using it.

I'm metric grown and educated, it was very difficult to use imperial system with 8 as a base, not 10. ...But everything is possible.

Still prefer metric (SI - System International, not so international as they told us), it's much easier, with no room for mistake.

[Stewart]

Well when I was selling car parts in the 60"s- a good cutomer- could not read the ruler. So I asked how many lines between the Numbers - he would cont them.

Than I asked how many lines past the las bigist # he would say 3 or what ever. Depending on the first question I would kknow if it was !/8 or !/16 or !/32.

The amazing thing is that he could read a nicrometer---- Soooooooooooo English is mt choice.

[groovytech]

I know both from science and math classes when I was younger. Metric weight was learned more from a misspent youth, than class. As a Millwright in the 80's, I worked mostly with Japanese Co's and you were lost if you didn't know both systems. In dealing with foreign and US suppliers I had to be fluent in both. Personally, you can use binary or you can't, I prefer dealing in 10's. Math & science education sucks today. Even after they slay the Arts with the sword of budget cuts.(slinking away from the soapbox..............)

[Janne]

Well, here in Finland (as in the most of the European countries?) we use the metric system.

Had to learn some English measures when bought my first bike (Harley). But really, I cannot memorize what is the equivalent metric measure for, let's say, 3/8" or 5/16" or whatever... And I just don't get the gallons etc.

[JohnBarton]

Pool cues are described as being 58" long with a 13mm tip. We use both and have the added confusion of having a Chinese inch which is longer than a western inch. I had to ban all the rulers in my shop with Chinese inches. When I go to buy leather they charge me in feet but use one meter floor tiles to estimate how big the piece is. I stopped this by carrying my own tape measure and insisting that they measure accurately.

[bluesky]

well i'm from the uk and grew up in the days of learning both, so for me it means if i'm say looking at a piece of leather and judging how long it is my 'thoughts' are in inches but when it comes to actualy measuring the piece i allways work in m.m. as it seems to be the 'cleaner' way to do it. but i have to admit my maths were never my strong point and fractions of an inch just mess with my head to much!!

[superchute]

Im with Bree we are the US why change. We like our hogs head (63 us gal of water ) and berrels ( that are 31.5 gal of water). Cant for get the bushel and peck for our wheat and corn . we might need a bolt and how hard do you want that grade 3 -5 -8 lol . some day I do have to use metric on my fait tractor well at least it is all metric. this contry was all survaied with rod and cains now here is where the fun start now we are doing it with gps and lines are moving up to 12 ft here on the ranch do i have to move all my fence and if we we go metric do we market where it is or redo more fence . lol

thanks just food for thought

Russ

ps still waiting for metric clock lol

[Jacobite]

And I've just remembered the military used both degrees and mils to describe an angle. 360 degrees = 6400 mils.

Everyone used degrees because it was easiest apart from the artillery who used mils.

Massive potential for confusion as an azimuth of 180 degrees (behind me) for indirect fire could be interpreted as 180 mils (almost in front of me).

Don't know if mils is a metric or scientific abberation.

Something to do with one mil angle at 1000 metres (or meters) measured 1 metre laterally.

A Mil is 1/64,000 of the circumference of a circle. It's exclusively used in the military as far as I remember from training. Pretty sure it's used because a degree is too rough a measure when dealing with

artillery and the like. I still have a prismatic compass that is in Mils rather than degrees. However we would still use degrees when navigating as it's more than accurate enough for that.

Even though everything is in metric over here most of the standard pack weights in grams are actually direct conversions of the imperial measures that things used to come in.

You might buy a pack of meat that has 450g in it but that is actually a pound and so on.

I seem to mix and match metric and imperial as well, it's a British thing, if I want plywood I'll ask for so many 8' x 4' sheets but ask for it to be 12mm thick. I was taught imperial and then had to change over to metric

though, my kids do things in metric because they never came across imperial measures.

[ramrod]

what a great read. i think we're not ready for metric over here. we haven't even learned how to spell yet.

have you ever noticed how everyone seems to use an apostrophe for everything?

"i have to take my kid's to school"

"that hotel has jacuzzi's in there room's"

"my car need's brake's"

rant over.