mm vs inches

[Brian Holcombe]

Curt, that is typical of hardware store pricing on most things. I usually buy from McMaster Carr, except recently I decided to buy some bolts at the BORG and paid $2.80 for two bolts, not much until you consider that McMaster sells a pack of 50 of the same rated (8.8 4mm bolts) with a detail on COI for $8.50. If I bought 50 at the BORG I'd pay $70 for the same qty of bolts.

[Rob Luter]

I've used decimal inch for 40+ years. I'll take that to my grave.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

These little rulers are very helpful. Now if I can learn to keep track of my glasses. I need to find a metric ruler and metric tape measure. A poster size cheat sheet would be nice to have too.

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[Jim Becker]

Maurice, both dual scale rulers and tapes are readily available as are metric only. For the tape, I like the FastCap (yellow label) as it actually stays out until you hit the button to retract. My dual scale rulers are from Lee Valley and are excellent. I acquired replacement metric rules for my squares from Lee Valley, too. I find having dual scale to be very helpful, even though I primarily work in metric. Not only does it mean the same measuring tools can be used regardless it also helps with visualizing the odd longer lengths which are "less natural". It's like learning a language when one didn't grow up speaking it (which is the case for many of us in the US, despite metric being heavily used in industry and science for a very long time now)...you learn a whole bunch of language up front but some of the more advanced grammar takes longer.

[Harold Patterson]

I think in inches so decimal inches have worked for me as I don’t have to deal with fractions.

[Chris Parks]

Maurice, both dual scale rulers and tapes are readily available as are metric only. For the tape, I like the FastCap (yellow label) as it actually stays out until you hit the button to retract. My dual scale rulers are from Lee Valley and are excellent. I acquired replacement metric rules for my squares from Lee Valley, too. I find having dual scale to be very helpful, even though I primarily work in metric. Not only does it mean the same measuring tools can be used regardless it also helps with visualizing the odd longer lengths which are "less natural". It's like learning a language when one didn't grow up speaking it (which is the case for many of us in the US, despite metric being heavily used in industry and science for a very long time now)...you learn a whole bunch of language up front but some of the more advanced grammar takes longer.

When Australia went metric visualising the measurement was the hardest thing to do but I found using familiar items helped. A 6" rule is 150mm and a 12" is 300mm, a yard is very close to 39" etc. I was dragged into metric when the plans for my workshop arrived and by the time I finished I was convinced that metric was the way to go.

[Jim Becker]

When Australia went metric visualising the measurement was the hardest thing to do but I found using familiar items helped. A 6" rule is 150mm and a 12" is 300mm, a yard is very close to 39" etc. I was dragged into metric when the plans for my workshop arrived and by the time I finished I was convinced that metric was the way to go.

Yes, that's how I've managed the migration over the past 4+ years. It's only the "long lengths" that remain challenging, but it's not a concern because I measure things.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Maurice, both dual scale rulers and tapes are readily available as are metric only. For the tape, I like the FastCap (yellow label) as it actually stays out until you hit the button to retract. My dual scale rulers are from Lee Valley and are excellent. I acquired replacement metric rules for my squares from Lee Valley, too. I find having dual scale to be very helpful, even though I primarily work in metric. Not only does it mean the same measuring tools can be used regardless it also helps with visualizing the odd longer lengths which are "less natural". It's like learning a language when one didn't grow up speaking it (which is the case for many of us in the US, despite metric being heavily used in industry and science for a very long time now)...you learn a whole bunch of language up front but some of the more advanced grammar takes longer.

The FastCap looks perfect! Thanks, I ordered 3, one for me and 2 for the young men. Hoo-ray for Acme Tools!

[Jim Becker]

The FastCap looks perfect! Thanks, I ordered 3, one for me and 2 for the young men. Hoo-ray for Acme Tools!

I really like the FastCap tapes. I don't use tapes for critical work, but they still have a place for sure. And the dual scale version covers all the bases for me. I'll likely get another for in the house/garage at some point and donate a few of the old tapes that have seen better days. I bought my FastCap tape on Amazon.

[Bill Howatt]

Just to deviate bit from inches vs mm, what I love about the metric system has to do with weight/volume units perhaps more useful in the kitchen than the shop but still applicable to mixing shop things too.
In Canada, we are probably sitting on the fence (pickets, actually) because of our proximity to the US.
Add 5 ounces of x, is that liquid 5 ounces or weight ounces - this vagueness is not a metric issue alone, but using metric makes it go away.
Mix a gallon of banana oil into the dry ingredients - is that a US gallon (3.8 liters) or an Imperial gallon (4.54 liters)
Pour in 1 cup of water - is that a US cup (1/2 US pint, 236ml) or an Imperial cup (250ml)

While I'm at it, another source of major confusion here is date format.
In US, the common form is Month-Day-Year so today (Feb 12) is 02-12-2024
In Canada, what is sort of the common form is Day-Month-Year or 12-02-2024 although officially we are supposed to use the metric form.
So when we see a numeric only date there is uncertainty unless the day is 13 and up because we get information both within Canada and the US.
If everybody standardized on the metric form of YYY-MM-DD it would help a lot but...

[mike stenson]

Just to deviate bit from inches vs mm, what I love about the metric system has to do with weight/volume units perhaps more useful in the kitchen than the shop but still applicable to mixing shop things too.
In Canada, we are probably sitting on the fence (pickets, actually) because of our proximity to the US.
Add 5 ounces of x, is that liquid 5 ounces or weight ounces - this vagueness is not a metric issue alone, but using metric makes it go away.
Mix a gallon of banana oil into the dry ingredients - is that a US gallon (3.8 liters) or an Imperial gallon (4.54 liters)
Pour in 1 cup of water - is that a US cup (1/2 US pint, 236ml) or an Imperial cup (250ml)

While I'm at it, another source of major confusion here is date format.
In US, the common form is Month-Day-Year so today (Feb 12) is 02-12-2024
In Canada, what is sort of the common form is Day-Month-Year or 12-02-2024 although officially we are supposed to use the metric form.
So when we see a numeric only date there is uncertainty unless the day is 13 and up because we get information both within Canada and the US.
If everybody standardized on the metric form of YYY-MM-DD it would help a lot but...

DD-MM-YY is far more common world wide. I don't think people want to deal with years first. Since I work in an industry in which timestamps are a thing, I'd just like them to be the same. I guess we could just use Epoch, in which case it is currently ​1707749123

[Rod Sheridan]

DD-MM-YY is far more common world wide. I don't think people want to deal with years first. Since I work in an industry in which timestamps are a thing, I'd just like them to be the same. I guess we could just use Epoch, in which case it is currently ​1707749123

Hi Mike, I thought the ISO standard was YYYY/MM/DD?

Regards, Rod.

[Michael Burnside]

DD-MM-YY is far more common world wide. I don't think people want to deal with years first. Since I work in an industry in which timestamps are a thing, I'd just like them to be the same. I guess we could just use Epoch, in which case it is currently ​1707749123

As a programmer I much prefer YY-MM-DD/YYYY-MM-DD as it will always naturally sort. As of this post current time is 1707751826

[mike stenson]

Hi Mike, I thought the ISO standard was YYYY/MM/DD?

Regards, Rod.

It is, however, ISO standards are not really what is in common use. We're still humans, and working in a completely international environment I've found that two things make things clearer in terms of day/date.

Using the more common DD/MM/YY format, and also using a 24 hour clock.

logs being consistent? if I ever see that it's time to retire.

[Doug Garson]

Yeah, the date format can be confusing, I recall decades ago I was at customs in London Heathrow airport. When I presented my passport the agent wished me happy birthday, when I looked confused he said yeah you colonials use a different date format. The date was Nov 3rd and my birthday is March 11th. Maybe alpha numeric format is the way to go, much less chance for confusion.