Converted the shop today!

[Ian Radin]

OK, I'll shut up but, I thought calling the SI system commie was obvious (Silly me), It's called humor, as in a joke, you are supposed to laugh. As nobody commented on my force times distance joke maybe an explanation is in order. Applying a force through a distance ( in same direction i.e. dot product) is work, which is energy in transition and has the same units, Just as a Newton-meter is a Joule in mks (meter kilogram second) units in cgs (centimeter gram second) units, force is a dyne (i.e. dynamite, dynamo) and the unit of energy is an erg. So a dyne (dying) centimeter is an erg. Well I think it's funny. Of course when I tell my girlfriend that it's not love, money, hate, greed etc. that makes the world go 'round, but conservation of angular momentum, I'm the only one laughing (not really).

[Bernie Kopfer]

OK, I'll shut up but, I thought calling the SI system commie was obvious (Silly me), It's called humor, as in a joke, you are supposed to laugh. As nobody commented on my force times distance joke maybe an explanation is in order. Applying a force through a distance ( in same direction i.e. dot product) is work, which is energy in transition and has the same units, Just as a Newton-meter is a Joule in mks (meter kilogram second) units in cgs (centimeter gram second) units, force is a dyne (i.e. dynamite, dynamo) and the unit of energy is an erg. So a dyne (dying) centimeter is an erg. Well I think it's funny. Of course when I tell my girlfriend that it's not love, money, hate, greed etc. that makes the world go 'round, but conservation of angular momentum, I'm the only one laughing (not really).

Good that you can laugh at yourself and hope you are the only one laughing. Perhaps you should put off your funeral.

[Mark e Kessler]

Working in engineering labs from jet engines, tribloigy and hotrunners/moldmaking (not that kind of hotrunner...) I am only exposed to metric/micron measurements and I have always worked in imperial for woodworking, however I am finding I like metric for smaller dimensions like under 12" and metric for planer work. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around something like 72" I know what that looks like without measuring, if you asked me what 1829mm looked like i'd be like...

Mark

[Mike King]

Woo hoo! I just installed Brian Lamb's digital readout on my slider. I can now go metric or imperial at the touch of a button! This definitely makes it easier to transition to metric....


Mike

[Flamone LaChaud]

A couple of years ago when I first started getting into Japanese tools, I did what seemed to be the most logical thing (for me). Printed out a spreadsheet (and laminated it) that has equivalent decimal, metric, and Imperial on the same line, so if I know what I'm looking at for one, i can easily cross reference the other two.

[Rob Luter]

Decimal inch guy here. Taking it with me to the grave.

[Derek Cohen]

Chris, I was fortunate that the set of rules that I already had in the shop were already "dual" metric/Imperial. For my Starett squares, I only needed the replacement rules which I was able to source from Lee Valley. So I got lucky for the most part in that respect. Pretty much all of my power tools are metric by default or are dual scaled.

Decimal was introduced when I was 10 or 11 years old, and it was a breath of fresh air after £, shillings and pence. On the other hand, I have always found it easier to visualise feet rather than metres, and height (as in 1.78m or 5'9 1/2", my height) is too difficult. In the shop, it is easier to use Metric to measure, but it is easier to use Imperial to visualise.

For many years I would simply swap between the two. The Starrett combination gauge I use have a dual metric/imperial blade, as do all my tape measures. Much of the time all this is irrelevant anyway, since I avoid measuring where I can and use cutting gauges to transfer cut marks from one piece to another. A chisel is a chisel, unless it is a mortice chisel meeting a plough plane blade, where slaving is important.

However, in recent years the European machines I use (Hammer) are all marked in Metric. Thicknessing to a specific dimension not only is possible and repeatable, but it starts to take on a life of its own. For example, if making a dado by hand (as I still prefer), in the hand tool world one makes the dado first and then you fit a panel to it. In other words, size the panel to the dado or groove. In the power world, this is forgotten or ignored. If you follow the power line, then you need to match to the dominant tool, which may turn out to be the Metric Euro machine. In the end it then just becomes easier to choose one measuring system to fit all.

Having two measuring methods will keep you on your toes .... and either keep your mind active and young ... or age you prematurely

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Becker]

In the shop, it is easier to use Metric to measure, but it is easier to use Imperial to visualise.

I don't disagree, but then again, I grew up only knowing Imperial so it's quite natural to visualize things easier that way. Had we grown up in metric only...that would be just as natural, IMHO. I'm getting there in a reasonable way at this point with the metric, however, simply because I'm working with it and that's how my mind adapts. In generally, I can switch between them pretty easy when it's necessary. Most of my gear has combo metric/Imperial scales (SMC/Minimax) and all of my Festool is marked Metric. (all acquired before they started to switch scales for NA sales) The CNC is setup for "inches" post-processor and obviously most of my tooling is in Imperial because that's what's readily available, but I design mostly in metric now. But it's easy to use either metric or decimal inches on that tool.

[roger wiegand]

Not trying to convert anyone else here, gave up on that (on many fronts) decades ago. I decided long ago that worrying about conversions would only drive me crazy, so I try never to convert units. I find I can think equally well in inches or centimeters, degrees farenheit or centigrade-- but if you ask me how many cm in three inches I have to reach for a calculator. I visualize weight and volume in grams and milliliters for small volumes, but gallons and pounds in big volumes. It's weird-- if you ask me to pour out 50 ml of liquid I can usually eyeball it to less than half a ml accuracy, but if you ask for on ounce I'm lucky to be within a factor of two. Shows what 40+ years in the lab will do to you.

[glenn bradley]

OK, I'll shut up

I thought the post was funny and enjoyed it ;-)