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Imperial or Metric

Metric or Imperial

  • I work exclusively in Imperial Units and my tools are mostly calibrated in Imperial Units.

    Votes: 64 61.0%

  • I work exclusively in Metric Units and my tools are mostly calibrated in Metric Units.

    Votes: 2 1.9%

  • I am equally comfortable in both and have tools calibrated in both.

    Votes: 37 35.2%

  • I never measure anything. ;o)

    Votes: 2 1.9%
  • Total voters
    105
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On the few occasions when I do actually measure things, I use imperial units because that's what all of my analog devices are marked with. In the past I've done a fair amount of civil engineering stuff using decimal feet, but I'm still not familiar enough with the metric system to be able to look at something and say "that's a couple centimeters" the same way I can say "that's a couple inches", or even "that's a couple tenths of a foot".

This applies mostly to flatwork, though. For the vast majority of my turning, the only actual measurements come after the piece is done and I'm writing about it on the forum. I do use calipers to check sizes, but only comparing the turned piece to things like chucks and tenons, not a ruler.
 
I used strickly imperial until about two years ago. I started building Cigar box guitars and used metric to mark the frets. I found the metric was actually easier and really made more sense. Now I try to use metric as much as possible while living in an imperial world.
 
I have worked in both for years but still don't see what all the big deal is. Anyone that can't work in imperial I probably don't want doing anything too important anyway..


What drive is your metric socket sets. All of my metric sockets have imperial drive.

I worked for a government contractor for 33 years and we did some pretty complex tasks from time to time. Our main customer was the DOE or what ever it was called at any point in time. (AEC,DOE,ERDA). Any way one time we had a drop tester for a switch that activated a device when it was dropped from the wing of an airplane. The spec called for measuring the force required to activate the switch at the end of the lanyard when the device was falling at 3 feet per second. Well we were big on going metric at the time and the 3 feet per second spec morphed into 0.9144000000000001 meters as a result of the equipment qualification process. Oh such an improvement over imperial...:doh:
 
I marked that I'm comfortable with both... I'm more comfortable with the metric weights and volumes than linear though... from 40 years in traffic and transporation, converting lbs to kgs, cubic meters to cubic feet, etc... I agree with those who think metric is simpler and easier to work with since it's on a base of 10, like making change... it was mandated back in the '60's that the U.S. would go to the metric system, but 50 years later, we are still struggling with a dual system... they did convert our liquor bottles to metric....
 
I use both, but i prefer imperial for woodworking metric if i am looking at temp i dont know farenheight apart from the movie, but Jim is correct when he says there are easily errors created when using the fractions.

What i dislike is when dimensions in inches are given in decimal places and oh i prefer mm to microns. :rofl:

I think you Americans stuck with imperial as part of a trade issue with Europe. But you will come round eventually.:rofl: Just like you did to GSM mobile and sim cards.:D;) Viva la France.
 
No matter what measure that you use the material is still called by the emperial measure of 2x4, 2x6, 2x8 here and in the US. Sheets of ply are refered to as 4x8 x 1/4, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4. The government does push for the conversion on plans and they are easier to do calculations in metric but with most of our export market going to the US they don't have the machines set up for two different measures. So we still get the material in emperial. No one on the job site calls out for a half dozen 38x89's, or get me 4 sheet of 12 x 1200 x 2400. It just takes too long and with all the loud machines going on a job site it would just get confusing. Ok it might happen somewhere in the country but I am sure it is rare.
 
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Drew Watson said:
No matter what measure that you use the material is still called by the emperial measure of 2x4, 2x6, 2x8 here and in the US. Sheets of ply are refered to as 4x8 x 1/4, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4. The government does push for the conversion on plans and they are easier to do calculations in metric but with most of our export market going to the US they don't have the machines set up for two different measures. So we still get the material in emperial. No one on the job site calls out for a half dozen 38x89's, or get me 4 sheet of 12 x 1200 x 2400. It just takes too long and with all the loud machines going on a job site it would just get confusing. Ok it might happen somewhere in the country but I am sure it is rare.
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You're exactly right, Drew, and that's why I've elected to stay in Imperial units. All the materials I buy are in Imperial, so I'm working in Imperial too. And that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. :D :thumb:
 
I've always thought it might be fun to try metric, but I'm not half bad with fractions.

My problem has never really been figuring the fractions wrong, but rather just clerical errors in measuring or cutting incorrectly... :rolleyes:
 
Brent Dowell said:
I've always thought it might be fun to try metric, but I'm not half bad with fractions.

My problem has never really been figuring the fractions wrong, but rather just clerical errors in measuring or cutting incorrectly... :rolleyes:
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I have same problem... I measure a board, cut it off, remeasure it, cut it off again and it will be still be too short... :dunno::huh::rofl::rofl:
 
Cynthia, I can tell from your avitar that this was before your time.

Way back in the dinosaur age circa 1970 there was movement in the USA to switch from Imperial to metric exclusively. It pretty much didn't take hold universally.

However, some of it did stick - ie We now buy bottled coke by the liter, the speedometers on US cars are marked in Kilometers as well as Miles, thermometers are marked in C as well as F. However we still buy gasoline by the gallon, paint by the gallon, etc. Most measuring devices are marked in Metric as well as inches. IMHO, if we would have tired harder back in the day we could have switched to all metric. Especially since the US monitary system is in units of 10, ie metric!! Maybe this is something Pres. Obama can work on.

As for me, I tend to use story sticks/devices. Real men don't measure. hee hee
 
I grew up and went through school in the US learning the Imperial system. That said, I still don't like doing mixed fraction math at anything more complex than simple addition and subtraction.

I learned the metric system (except for temperature) while I was still in high school back in the early 70's. At that time, I got interested in off road/motocross motorcycles and motorcycle racing. Most if the motorcycles came from outside of the US and were built with the metric measurements and fasteners. I quickly learned that the bolt head was a 12mm or a 14mm and not a 1/2 inch. Before long, I was thinking in metric when I was working on a motorcycle. Spent almost 3 years making a (small) living as a motorcycle mechanic before I moved on to other things.

I believe that the problem most people in the US have with metric is that they try to think in imperial and convert to metric. They falsely believe that they have to understand how to convert from imperial to metric units to understand metric.

Meanwhile, as Walter points out, some things around them have converted to metric and they do just fine. Purchase soft drinks in liter and 1/2 liter bottles, etc.

All of this said, since I live in the US and most of the materials and tools are imperial, I do most of my woodworking in imperial. But since I use rough cut lumber that I run through the jointer and planner, I tend to use story sticks or relative measurements more than actual measurements. Anyone that has attempted to cut a 3/4" dado will attest that 3/4" plywood is not really 3/4". :huh:
 
If the U.S. ever switches completely to metric, we would have to say:

Twenty-eight grams of prevention is worth 453 grams of cure; and

Give a man 2.5 centimeters and he'll take 1.6 kilometers; and

Peter Piper picked 8.8 liters of pickled peppers.
 
Just a question in regards to this is what other country in the world still uses the emperial system besides the US?

Ok went on line and found this after posting.


The U.S.A, Liberia, and Burma and the United Kingdom use the Imperial System. Miles, Yards, Feet and Inches for road signs. Almost everyone weighs themselves in Stone and Pounds. Though in The UK the EU tried very hard to 'Metricate' the UK, and turned it into an Imperial-Metric society. In the UK, you buy fuel in Litres, but refer to a car in Miles to the Gallon (MPG). Official recordings must be in Kilograms but people use Stone and Pounds. You can buy loose food in Pounds and Ounces as well as Metric. Only Roadsigns, and Draught Beer can be measured in Imperial, Miles and Pints. Milk is still sold by the pint.


The USA is completely Metric Free! =]
 
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Drew Watson said:
J

The USA is completely Metric Free! =]
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Actually Drew thats not completely true. Highway 19 from Tucson to Nogales there are no mile markers, all distances on road signs and speed limit signs are in Kilometers, KPH. The highway was built during that time that the US was trying to go metric so the signs were set up that way and never changed.
 
Don Baer said:
Actually Drew thats not completely true. Highway 19 from Tucson to Nogales there are no mile markers, all distances on road signs and speed limit signs are in Kilometers, KPH. The highway was built during that time that the US was trying to go metric so the signs were set up that way and never changed.
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I think it is more of a generalization. So I guess the cops in that area get lots of people whipping through there as they go from 30 mph to 50 Kph. Great speed trap excuse.
 
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