Imperial vs Metric

[raffo]

Actually.... it isn't, and never was.

It's not the same in different mediums. Once that is fixed, it is the same regardless of your frame of reference. I think that is the reason, or one of the reasons, why you can't move faster than the speed of light.

 

[Cabinetman]

That article on slowing down the speed of light, – – – don’t get me started, absolute zero was in Fahrenheit, haha.

 

[J-G]

However, although I am perfectly happy in both systems, I grind my teeth when I use my favourite graphics program, Serif DrawPlus. This lets you choose either imperial measurements or metric for your drawings. But when you choose the metric scale, you find the sub-divisions are halves, quarters and eighths! Ye Gods!

In that case change your favourite graphics program - get CorelDRAW! - even an older than current version - say 11 - (I'm using X5) will be so much better than any Serif product.

 

[J-G]

That article on slowing down the speed of light, – – – don’t get me started, absolute zero was in Fahrenheit, haha.

Only if you decide to declare it in °F - you could say it is -273.15°C or be totally accurate and say 0 Kelvin - note that is Zero Kelvin NOT zero degrees !! if you must put a degree symbol then you could also use Rankine but then you would be using the Fahenheit increments.

 

[stuartpaul]

That point has come up quite a few times. IMO the more you can liberate yourself from numerical measuring of bits of wood, the better the work proceeds. Sometimes it is of course handy to have a number e.g. if for some reason you can't use one piece of wood to mark another and then, as you point out, the System used doesn't matter.

I think that measured plans should only be taken as rough guides e.g. if something is specified at 125 x 63 x 67 mm (unlikely but it could reflect the writer measuring what he has ended up with), then it makes sense to be able to say, "OK, roughly 4 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot". Then you might want to measure your first rough cut of the pieces to 4' 1" but really after the cut to precise length (whatever you may finally settle on e.g. to fit a space) the rest of the measuring is probably a matter for dividers as you are going to be looking for proportionally harmonic bits of wood e.g. 1/2, 1/8, 1/16 of the inital roughly 4' length.

And that's exactly what happens when you mix measurements! (sorry Andy, - couldn't resist!)

 

[Felix]

No they don't

I can smell a wave/particle duality debate in the ether.......

 

[bjm]

I can smell a wave/particle duality debate in the ether.......

No, it's just that if they had mass they couldn't travel at the speed of light?

 

[glenfield2]

It has always amused me that metric timber and sheet sizes seem to be exactly converted from the old Imperial equivalent (2440 x 1220 being 8’ x 4’ etc).
Does this apply in Europe too where the Imperial conversion has no logic?

 

[bjm]

It has always amused me that metric timber and sheet sizes seem to be exactly converted from the old Imperial equivalent (2440 x 1220 being 8’ x 4’ etc).
...

It makes perfect sense if you're in the renovation game. If you had to renew the sheathing on a wall with 16" centres a 1200mm board isn't going to do it! Metrication didn't undo history

 

[Just4Fun]

It has always amused me that metric timber and sheet sizes seem to be exactly converted from the old Imperial equivalent (2440 x 1220 being 8’ x 4’ etc).
Does this apply in Europe too where the Imperial conversion has no logic?

Not here (Finland) at least. A common size is 2500 x 1250.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I remember being told decades ago that 10' x 5' sheets of ply were available on order in this Country. I never saw one, though.

Flooring sheets and ceiling sheets in different systems (one in one and one in the other) were a nightmare.

 

[bjm]

I remember being told decades ago that 10' x 5' sheets of ply were available on order in this Country. I never saw one, though.

They are readily available but I've only ever needed two in the last ten years.

 

[Andy Kev.]

2500 x 1500 seems to be the standard size in Germany.

BTW: 14 pages and no mention of dark matter yet. Very sensible.

 

[AES]

Yup, 2500 x 1500 seems standard for sheet goods here too.

 

[D_W]

It's dawned on me that some tools I have are metric and some imperial. Now I don't particularly see an issue with it, given that the conversions by 16ths are a maximum of less than 0.5mm out either way and the average is about 0.25mm

Given the only time that these seemingly come into play for accuracy purposes is for chisels and some specialist planes because their blades are imperial, does it actually matter that much or do most people pick one or the other for their tools and stick to it?

it doesn't matter at all unless you're dealing with parts already made and matching them.

there's a term in the US that must be something similar to what power toolers do - "tool slaving". As in, if you cut a groove with a plane ,then the chisel must match or no work can be done. There's always a way around it.

I've got gobs of stuff that's probably metric and others that's standard and unless it's marked, I have no clue if something is one or the other.

 

[Cabinetman]

I remember being told decades ago that 10' x 5' sheets of ply were available on order in this Country. I never saw one, though.

Flooring sheets and ceiling sheets in different systems (one in one and one in the other) were a nightmare.

I was under the impression, probably totally wrong, that they were for making ping-pong tables from!

 

[glenfield2]

It makes perfect sense if you're in the renovation game. If you had to renew the sheathing on a wall with 16" centres a 1200mm board isn't going to do it! Metrication didn't undo history

Our present house - Victorian with ‘60s renovations (more like butchery) - seems to have been worked on without the aid of a tape measure, metric or otherwise.
And on the older timber frame places I’ve done sheet sizes were the least of my problems
But glad to learn that Europeans don’t follow our weird Metriperial system.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Our present house - Victorian with ‘60s renovations (more like butchery) - seems to have been worked on without the aid of a tape measure, metric or otherwise.
And on the older timber frame places I’ve done sheet sizes were the least of my problems
But glad to learn that Europeans don’t follow our weird Metriperial system.

Ahhhh ............... your house has been Bucknelled.

 

[glenfield2]

Ahhhh ............... your house has been Bucknelled.

Oh yes I remember Barry Hardboard on tv from my youth. The butchery on our place was largely hidden under chipboard floors (how I hate those!) where joists had been attacked by plumbers and electricians seemingly working with hatchets and chainsaws. And had anyone invented the spirit level in the ‘60s!?
Anyway, all sorted now.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

In NZ chipboard floors are very common - left bare and varnished, usually with water based PU. They don't actually look bad.

My house (1899) had joists that had been badly notched out, sometimes the notching alternated between the top of the joist and the bottom.