metric, imperial, both or neither

[promhandicam]

In response to ed's recent post about metric or imperial perhaps this poll might be more illuminating, particularly to see if there are those who don't use either! No need to repost all the arguments for and against.

Steve

 

[promhandicam]

As I suspected the majority of people, so far, use both. I'm sure that this topic like most has been discussed at length before with the general conclusion that for small measurements i.e. up to 300mm / 12" people woodworkers tend to use metric and over this size people tend to use imperial.

Steve

 

[Maverick.uk]

I dont know if it has been mentioned before, being a relative new comer to the forum but i would like to see the answers plotted against the age of the person completing the poll.

Cheers

Kev

 

[BrianD]

What I find interesting is that I prefer Metric. I grew up with both and am perhaps biased due to my Engineering background.

However, since most woodworking tools are Imperial (and this is continually propagated by the manufacturers due to the US market), I have found some comfort in adapting to thinking of everything in terms of ¼ and eighths and multiples thereof. It does not help with the materials though! Materials supplied are fairly random in accuracy - depends on the supplier's/manufacturer's interpretation of what constitutes a size. Quite frustrating.

My 1p worth.

 

[chipchaser]

Hi all,
Happily use both because I was in further education when UK changed to metric, well officially :wink:
A four foot length of timber is a more comfortable concept than 1.220m but for smaller work I probably prefer to use millimetres.
Regards
Graham

 

[speed]

i was all metric at school but i have to use both as some of the older fellas on site only use inch. so now i use whatever reads clearer on the tape :lol:

 

[graween]

I use moslty metrics (I'm french and I'm born with it :lol: ).

I also have to cope with inches and feets because so many people use them on the internet.

What I like more about metrics is that they can be divided in exact sections, chich is not the case with imperials (well at least it's more complicated). It make things easier.

Have a nice day.

 

[MIGNAL]

Both. You know it makes sense :shock:

 

[andrewm]

What I like more about metrics is that they can be divided in exact sections, chich is not the case with imperials (well at least it's more complicated). It make things easier.

I'm interested in why you say that. One of the advantages of imperial measurements is that they evolved from precisely the need to divide things up, hence being predominantly duodecimal (base-12). One foot can be divided into 2, 3, 4 and six while maintaining a whole number of inches.

I must add that I am not anti-metric - I can happily use either - and do think that Britain taking more than 130 years to fulfil its obligations is rather taking the Pee