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Thread: Why Not Convert to Metric?

  1. #61
    30 years ago trying to get us to go metric was like hiring a Chinese guy to teach us to speak Spanish... How could we learn metrics with no metric measurement tools readily available? Computers were new and there was no google to figure it out. And who knew enough about metrics to teach us?

    Then, and now, I could care less about metrics. I've been forced to use metric measurements because my Chinese built laser engraver's software has no 'inches' option. And after 2-1/2 years, about all I've learned is, 1mm is just shy of .040, 3mm is almost 1/8", 6mm is almost 1/4", 100mm is around 4"... So I have 1 to 4 inches "about" dialed in... but the other day on the boat board, there was talk of a damaged 157cm diameter propeller was being fixed-- so pop quiz, how big is 157cm? oh, right-- 1570mm, how dumb of me... But seriously, I have absolutely NO idea how to picture IN MY MIND what 157cm is, no clue whatsoever. Google tells me it's 61.8", or 5' 1-3/4", which BOOM!! my brain can immediately relate to! That's how tall my mom was! Just a little shorter than I am! And that's pretty big for a boat prop!

    --but 157cm means no more to me than la taille est que?
    (which I also had to look up)

    I'm fine leaving well enough alone. Last thing I ever want to ask for is a 305 hot dog...
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  2. #62
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    30 years ago trying to get us to go metric was like hiring a Chinese guy to teach us to speak Spanish... How could we learn metrics with no metric measurement tools readily available? Computers were new and there was no google to figure it out. And who knew enough about metrics to teach us?

    Then, and now, I could care less about metrics. I've been forced to use metric measurements because my Chinese built laser engraver's software has no 'inches' option. And after 2-1/2 years, about all I've learned is, 1mm is just shy of .040, 3mm is almost 1/8", 6mm is almost 1/4", 100mm is around 4"... So I have 1 to 4 inches "about" dialed in... but the other day on the boat board, there was talk of a damaged 157cm diameter propeller was being fixed-- so pop quiz, how big is 157cm? oh, right-- 1570mm, how dumb of me... But seriously, I have absolutely NO idea how to picture IN MY MIND what 157cm is, no clue whatsoever. Google tells me it's 61.8", or 5' 1-3/4", which BOOM!! my brain can immediately relate to! That's how tall my mom was! Just a little shorter than I am! And that's pretty big for a boat prop!

    --but 157cm means no more to me than la taille est que?
    (which I also had to look up)

    I'm fine leaving well enough alone. Last thing I ever want to ask for is a 305 hot dog...

    And millions before you have converted from imperial to metric and had thoughts exactly the same. I did it, Stewie and others have done it so what is different to anyone in the US doing it? It seems from a distance that the US thinks it is a protected species and the rest of the world is out of step which is clearly opposite to the reality.
    Chris

    Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening

  3. #63
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    Why characterize us as a protected species? It's insulting.

    Do you think all those former English colonies should convert to driving on the right side of the highway? Or should Americans not worry about it?

    Should the USA word pronunciation be changed to sound more Australian? Or not?

    Why shouldn't we all be speaking Esperanto, or what world-wide language would you suggest the USA be speaking?

    Should we spell it colours, or should Australians spell it colors?

    Do you think Australians should put down their knives and switch their fork to the other hand while eating, or should Americans not worry about that?

    When Australians want to export to a country of 300 million people is it wise to not use Imperial?

    Cricket? Really? Why not baseball?

    Shouldn't we all be using Bitcoin rather than having to convert between all that funny money?

    Why is there such concern over the USA's measurement system then?

    I am quite fluent in the parts of imperial that I need. (Furlongs escape me.) And fractions really are a pain, but I use them quite well.

    My use of metric is equally fluent, and the fraction calculations are easier.

    I'll use whichever the majority wants, but it's difficult to understand why others would find it necessary to denigrate us for using Imperial. It's a holdover from England. We just didn't hold onto left-side driving.
    Last edited by Tony Zona; 06-30-2016 at 6:41 AM. Reason: Why do I get two lines for each carriage return when I paste?

  4. #64
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    The rest of the world is metric apart from the US and two minor countries, you give it a name. To the rest of the world it is insulting that they should be expected to conform to one countries archaic methods. The rest of what you wrote is simply excuses to justify a position out of step with the rest of the world.
    Chris

    Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening

  5. #65
    Pretty much, the U.S. accepts imports, and even produces products which are metrically measured for export.

    Holdouts include:

    - paper — the presses I mostly work w/ at work are set up for rolls measured in inches, letter is 8.5 x 11, &c. — I have a nice old pair of wooden file cabinets which won’t accept unfolded A4 — FWIW, A4 wide, but letter tall is a nice proportion for paper.
    - gas and highway distances and speeds — they tried switching to selling gas by the liter when it first went over a dollar a gallon, but people joked about it being sold by the quart. Apparently other parts of the world still do speed limit signs in MPH
    - lumber stock — but a lot of things which are imported are in metric

    And of course there’s that little matter of all those 6.35mm hex bits and 12.7mm sockets in the world, as well as rulers &c. — as tempted as I am by the one I linked, it’s just not worth it to me to switch, and the weird decimals which result when dividing into thirds, sixths, &c. in metric annoy me to no end.

    Why don’t we all agree that everyone can use whatever measurement system is convenient, and that we will negotiate what system to use when interchanging / working together?

    Aren’t there web browser plugins which will recalculate measurements to a desired system? Install one of those?

  6. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gerry Grzadzinski View Post
    I haven't seen an imperial fastener on an american vehicle in 20 years. All of my wrenches are metric, and they fit every bolt I've ever had to remove.



    Those same 85% won't be able to understand metric decimal places either.
    LOL.................Great point, I'm still laughing.................Regards, Rod.

  7. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stewie Simpson View Post
    Pat; that's not fact; that's fiction. You need to do your homework.
    Ok. You are right! I was adding some additional comic relief.

  8. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Stenzel View Post
    The problem I have with metric is when the Canadien stations announce the temperatures in C, I don't know if I need shorts or a jacket.

    -Tom
    Tom, for Canadians, any positive Celsius temperature is shorts weather..................Regards, Rod.

  9. #69
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pat Barry View Post
    Ok. You are right! I was adding some additional comic relief.
    Pat; I can think of another word; I thought you were better than that.

  10. #70
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stewie Simpson View Post
    Here's a real fact.

    Of all the countries in the world, only three backwaters still use the archaic Imperial system of weights and measures: Liberia; Myanmar; and the USA.
    Stewie, we use plenty of metric in the good old USA. Most of the folks here will forever hate metric though, but we did accept 2 liter Coke bottles a long time ago

  11. #71
    Quote Originally Posted by Stewie Simpson View Post
    Those same 85% won't be able to understand metric decimal places either.

    Gerry; that's a bit of a sad indictment of our modern education system.

    And parents relying on the schools to raise their children.
    Gerry

    JointCAM

  12. #72
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pat Barry View Post
    ... we did accept 2 liter Coke bottles a long time ago
    As well as 1/2 Liter water bottles and 3/4 Liter Jack Daniel's bottles.

    Metric units can be counted in power of two fractions as well as decimals, the choice is a matter of arithmetic not unit systems.
    Beranek's Law:

    It has been remarked that if one selects his own components, builds his own enclosure, and is convinced he has made a wise choice of design, then his own loudspeaker sounds better to him than does anyone else's loudspeaker. In this case, the frequency response of the loudspeaker seems to play only a minor part in forming a person's opinion.
    L.L. Beranek, Acoustics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954), p.208.

  13. #73
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    it will all change as the old farts die off and the new generations accept it as fact. how many resisted seat belts but kids and grandkids don\t think twice about it. cell phones and drivimg may be another thing, but I imagine tchnology will take care of that
    I still use Imperial measure in everyday use, but have no problem using metric wherever. the younger generations are taught in metric but still have to use metric as they still have to deal with dinosaurs in their mind
    but in a sense the the US is different in that it doesn't subscribe to Imperial measure in that it's liquid measure is different. Gallons are smaller by volume.
    ron

  14. #74
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    We live in limbo between the two systems. Our cars are largely metric so we have to keep metric tools around. But we also keep Fractional tools around too.

    I would prefer to tear off the band-aid and start the process of conversion. Sure, I would have to acquire a collection of metric nuts, bolts and screws and who knows what else. As stuff wears out, we will see fractional goods get rarer and rarer.

  15. #75
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    I haven't seen an imperial fastener on an american vehicle in 20 years. All of my wrenches are metric, and they fit every bolt I've ever had to remove.
    There are not many inch sizes a metric wrench can not handle.

    3/8" is likely the most common inch size that doesn't convert to metric. The SAE sizes of 3/16", 7/32", 11/16" and 15/16" do not have metric equivalents and are not very common in automotive applications.

    In the other direction there are a lot of common sizes that do not convert to common inch size wrenches; 6, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17, 18 and 20mm. 21mm isn't very commonly used but also doesn't convert.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

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