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Thread: Should I learn Metric now? Beginning woodworker help.

  1. #46
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    Yea, I mill to 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 mm commonly now. Nice round numbers.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  2. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Jon, I generally measure to a half mil but the "detail" end of my rules breaks it down further if necessary. While it's good to have a decent metric tape measure for longer needs, woodworking projects benefit greatly from using metal rules for most measuring. Tapes can sometimes be less accurate over their length. (But even rules need to be checked, especially if they are different brands mixed) I have a set of dual scale rules from Lee Valley (Woodcraft also has them), a digital caliper and I retrofitted my Starrett combo square and smaller square with metric rules. BTW, story sticks are a really great way to work with consistency. I also tend to use fixed dimensions for the larger assembly and then measure intermediate components directly off that assembly so that they are exact...no scale needed.
    I've got a nice set of incra imperial rulers, not sure what I paid for them, but I'd certainly replace those.

    What brand caliper, is it wixey?

  3. #48
    Two months ago I downloaded a measured drawing from the UK. The measurements were metric, so I thought I'd give it a try. I found it sooooo much easier to use than Imperial. It just makes more sense, and (for me) 1mm as the smallest unit is about right for the kind of work I do.

    I have enough measuring tools with metric....except the adhesive rulers on my tablesaw and bandsaw.

  4. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Osvaldo Cristo View Post
    That advice from Rod probably is the key point to get a positive experience on adoption of the metric system coming from imperial one. I knew people.that got frustrated in the process just trying mathematical conversion.

    I live in a "metric" country. I prefer to work with metric only as I do most of the time but I am comfortable to work with decimal inches or even fractional (although it is odd IMO).

    Curiously I made a general inventory check in my router bits today accordingly to their chuck size: 1/8in, 6mm, 1/4in, 8mm (actually my main size), 12mm and 1/2in. Crazy.
    Are you saying those are all the different diameters of the bits shanks?

    Am I right in assuming just like you can buy a 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" straight bit, you can also buy 6mm, 12mm, 18mm straight bits?

    Routers and bits are one thing I don't own yet.

  5. #50
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    One of the things I converted, going from Imperial to Metric, was my Incra TS-LS Positioner. I initially bought it in Imperial and bought the retrofit kit about 18 months later. Here's a video of me doing the conversion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkyRYVj6aL0

    Yes the increments are slightly finer on the 1/32" Imperial system, but when I'm cutting on the table saw, really do I try and make something with an initial size that needs a partial millimeter. So if it needs to be 405mm, that's where my fence gets set.

    But as you know, one of the nice things about the Incra, you can dial in or out, thousandths of an inch or 1/10's of a millimeter, which for wood, on a tablesaw gets you there.

    As part of my metric conversion, I bought a 300mm, 600mm and 1000mm steel rulers from Amazon. I like these as they have very easy to read markings and have conversion tables on the rear.





    For tape measures, I use a FastCap flat metric unit. Again the scale is very easy to read.

    I bought an iGaging digital caliper when I first started my serious hobby woodworking, about 5 years ago. It was about $30 and I've not really found any real inaccuracy issues with it to date.

  6. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by roger wiegand View Post
    Not when I need to find a third of a measurement given as "2 ft 6-7/8 inches.
    But see, I never use math to do this. I use dividers. Either that or I hold a scale at an angle so there is an appropriate number if divisions and pick the appropriate whole division. I was thinking that in my woodworking, I rarely use math. I mostly use alternative layout methods.

  7. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Holcombe View Post
    Easy math to do in your head just double both numbers until it’s easily divisible by three. If that doesn’t work, raise it from .875 to .876 then divide by three and it is 10.292”.

    I prefer decimal inches and fractional inched for building stuff.
    For those who use decimal inches, where do you find a scale in decimal inches? The only such thing I've ever seen is my dad had an old pipe layer's tape that was in decimal feet.

  8. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChrisA Edwards View Post
    One of the things I converted, going from Imperial to Metric, was my Incra TS-LS Positioner. I initially bought it in Imperial and bought the retrofit kit about 18 months later. Here's a video of me doing the conversion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkyRYVj6aL0

    Yes the increments are slightly finer on the 1/32" Imperial system, but when I'm cutting on the table saw, really do I try and make something with an initial size that needs a partial millimeter. So if it needs to be 405mm, that's where my fence gets set.

    But as you know, one of the nice things about the Incra, you can dial in or out, thousandths of an inch or 1/10's of a millimeter, which for wood, on a tablesaw gets you there.

    As part of my metric conversion, I bought a 300mm, 600mm and 1000mm steel rulers from Amazon. I like these as they have very easy to read markings and have conversion tables on the rear.





    For tape measures, I use a FastCap flat metric unit. Again the scale is very easy to read.

    I bought an iGaging digital caliper when I first started my serious hobby woodworking, about 5 years ago. It was about $30 and I've not really found any real inaccuracy issues with it to date.
    much thanks Chris. I'm looking at getting the incra router table., that's why i was asking about the lead screw differences. I'll take a look at those other tools you mentioned. I need to get some kind of metric T-square and triangle too.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Ranck View Post
    But see, I never use math to do this. I use dividers. Either that or I hold a scale at an angle so there is an appropriate number if divisions and pick the appropriate whole division. I was thinking that in my woodworking, I rarely use math. I mostly use alternative layout methods.
    What dividers are these? can you post a link, or photo?

  9. #54
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    Difficult move to metric if you have been using Imperial all your life. I built a cabinet to hold some Festool drawers recently, and had to build in metric. Got to have a metric tape measure and ruler.
    I also subscribe to a UK woodworking magazine called Furniture and Cabinetmaking, and most projects are in metric. There are also conversion charts to aid in going from inches to millimeters.
    Good luck and have fun.

  10. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Jon, BTW, story sticks are a really great way to work with consistency. I also tend to use fixed dimensions for the larger assembly and then measure intermediate components directly off that assembly so that they are exact...no scale needed.
    what type of story sticks do you use? are you talking about the woodpecker ones? I thought story sticks were much more basic, but the video i just watched is pretty sweet.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-pV...ature=emb_logo

  11. #56
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    If you want to do accurate and precise furniture size woodworking use a story stick and a knife; that's as close to absolute as you will get; it is as close to idiot proof as you can get; and it is as easy as it gets.
    If you want to less accurate and less precise work, mark from a ruler and even worse use a pencil
    If you want to make mistakes use math.

    With a story stick and a knife you wont make errors. you don't need math, you don't need rulers and calculators and you don't need to choose between decimal, fractions or millimetres.
    You transfer marks with a knife and square directly from the parts.
    You don't need to know what size they are.
    Oh.. and one more benefit ( or deficit whichever way you want to look at it) you don't have to spend a cent. Of course if you like spending lots of money on shiny tools you wont be happy.

  12. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Ranck View Post
    For those who use decimal inches, where do you find a scale in decimal inches? The only such thing I've ever seen is my dad had an old pipe layer's tape that was in decimal feet.
    Machinist's rules can be had in decimal inches, from any machinist's supply -- Enco for instance. I have a six inch one, a twelve inch one, and I have 36" ones on my table saw and crosscut sled. I also have a decimal-inch ten-foot measuring tape which I bought from Lee Valley. Actually I have about five of them left. When Lee Valley briefly offered them, perhaps fifteen years ago, I bought a dozen. Some have gotten lost or damaged, and I've given some away.

  13. #58
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    I just watched the video and it's a joke. A Waste of money and less accurate then a stick of wood and a knife.


    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Steffen View Post
    what type of story sticks do you use? are you talking about the woodpecker ones? I thought story sticks were much more basic, but the video i just watched is pretty sweet.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-pV...ature=emb_logo

  14. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Hennebury View Post
    I just watched the video and it's a joke. A Waste of money and less accurate then a stick of wood and a knife.
    do you have a link to something I can watch to learn this story stick with knife method of putting stuff together?

  15. #60
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    I have the Woodpeckers Story Stick, had it for 3 years, think I've used it once and then it wasn't much of an advantage.

    It would be the last thing I would buy again, correct that, I wouldn't buy it again.

    I have lots of Woodpecker tools, most I like.

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