Will 2020 be the year?

[Rod Sheridan]

I have used more metric in woodworking, partly due to buying festool, but for quick and dirty I use standard measurements. The one thing that bothers me is if you are building a cabinet with 16" sides, that is 406.4 mm, you can't locate .4 on any metric tape measure I have used. I know it's a really small amount, but you are basically guessing.

Bryan, that's why you don't build cabinets with 16" sides, you build them with 410mm sides ( or some other reasonable number).......Regards, Rod.

[Wade Lippman]

I thought it was significant in 1974 when they started selling gasoline in liters. Obviously I was wrong. Now I don't think it will ever happen; Americans seem to delight in being unique, even if that requires them to be inferior.

[Mike Kreinhop]

I've been metric out of necessity for the past 21 years. I'm building my shop miter workstation using the Jay Bates plans as a starting point, and converted his SketchUp dimensions to metric. The overall differences in finished size are slight, and the rack slides he recommended from a U.S. vendor are already metric.

I recently bought a used 2003 U.S. model Ford Ranger from someone who was returning to the States and didn't want to ship it. I was pleased to learn while replacing the clutch that all of the hardware is metric and I don't have to buy a set of SAE tools to maintain it. My other Fords are European models, so one set of tools works for my fleet. Unfortunately, I have to order all of the Ranger parts from the States, since the German dealers don't stock them.

[Jim Koepke]

I was pleased to learn while replacing the clutch that all of the hardware is metric and I don't have to buy a set of SAE tools to maintain it.

If one has a metric wrench set there are only a few SAE sizes they need to purchase.

Metric to SAE .png

In some cases like 1/2" and 9/16" it is best to have the SAE and metric wrenches for the equivalents. One 1/2" bolt on the tailgate of my truck is pretty much in need of a six point half inch box wrench when working with it.

One of my American cars appears to be mostly metric and the older truck seems to have a mixture.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

BTW, in 1866 President Andrew Johnson signed into law an act of Congress allowing the metric system to be used in all contracts, dealings and court records.

My recollection is Congress also adopted a resolution in the 1790s to move forward with use of the metric system.

Though there is not a problem for me with the metric system, old dogs like me are going to stick with what is on our tape measure. Why should all my good ones be tossed to only go out and buy a bunch of new ones with different marks? Actually there is one that has been in my pocket almost every day for the last 30+ years that is a bit worn and missing the markings for the first few inches.

jtk

[Pat Barry]

Anyone else but me sick and tired of metric conversion discussions? Seriously, probably the biggest waste of time you can think of as far as I'm concerned. LOL

[Jim Koepke]

Anyone else but me sick and tired of metric conversion discussions? Seriously, probably the biggest waste of time you can think of as far as I'm concerned. LOL

There must be something more wasteful of time, though nothing comes to mind at the moment.

It seems when it comes to metric people are of two minds, those that already use it and those who say, "why bother."

jtk

[Jim Becker]

It seems when it comes to metric people are of two minds, those that already use it and those who say, "why bother."

Absolutely true...for individuals. Manufacturing, science, health care, et al...the conversion is pretty much already done. As I noted earlier, the "assimilation" remaining is really just for us mere mortals. Some folks will decide to change, some folks will die before they make the change...

[Scott Donley]

Was it not confusion over imperial or metric that had the Hubble telescope sent up with the wrong grind on the lens making it unusable until a house call in space to fix it ? Opps.

[Chris Parks]

I definitely agree with that. Imagine explaining to your framing crew that instead of 16"oc, the wall is to be 40.6 cm oc. Oh, make sure that the 6 mm is used, otherwise that 4x8 sheet of osb won't fit. No sane person would screw with that system.

As discussed last time, conversion does not work and only leads to confusion and stupid measurements. Imagine saying 400mm centres instead. All building measurements are quoted in mm in Australia and cabinetry has followed suit.

[Chris Parks]

That the US heads towards the metric system?

W/Ford switching over to an almost all truck lineup, that takes a huge chunk of the market off the table.

As it is now, most manufacturing is done overseas where metric is the standard.

What little manufacturing we have left here, really needs to be metric to compete in the export market.

For the record - I don't care one way or the other - since my favorite bar and grill - where I get my every other Tuesday night hot wing and 32 ounce beer - could easily switch to a liter instead of a quart

it will happen by erosion of the imperial system from the top down. Five years ago it was very hard or impossible to buy tools from US suppliers and manufacturers such as Woodpeckers in metric. Today just about every tool is supplied in both versions which is expensive and doubles up everything.

[Jim Koepke]

Five years ago it was very hard or impossible to buy tools from US suppliers and manufacturers such as Woodpeckers in metric. Today just about every tool is supplied in both versions which is expensive and doubles up everything.

Imagine, in time all of our old yardsticks and tape measures will be collector's items.

jtk

[Chris Parks]

Imagine, in time all of our old yardsticks and tape measures will be collector's items.

jtk

It seems like you think metric is inevitable.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Imagine, in time all of our old yardsticks and tape measures will be collector's items.

Hot diggity dog!!! I'm sitting on a fortune w/all the free Harbor Freight tape measures I have!!

[lowell holmes]

Well, I can do metric. As a designer draftsman I had to deal with all measurement systems.
In my shop, there is only feet and inches. I think it is called U.S. Imperial.