# Question Of The Week... (2022 week 16)



## ripjack13 (Apr 17, 2022)

*Metric System vs Imperial measurements.
Pros and Cons of each and What do you use and why?*







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**Rules**
There is no minimum post requirement,
primates, woodticks, wood spinners, and leprechauns are welcome to post an answer.
You mean we're supposed to sell our stuff? - Lou Courrier


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## Tom Smart (Apr 17, 2022)

Metric, because I failed math largely because I can't add and subtract fractions.

Reactions: Like 3 | Funny 1


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## David Hill (Apr 17, 2022)

I'm at home with both.
Since I used to teach Science I had to be "fluent" with both and taught the kids that way too--no sense to fear it. 
For some reason when I taught, it was deemed necessary that the kids could convert from one to the other---showing my age there-- there used to be a push for the US to go metric.

Reactions: Like 4 | Agree 1


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Apr 17, 2022)

Likewise. Taught school including mathematics and science. Conversions in measurements were required. I use whichever is handy at the time. Metric does lend itself to being broken into smaller parts more easily. As long as they are 10ths. Standard lends itself to breaking into quarters.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Lou Currier (Apr 17, 2022)

I used both, just depends how accurate the measurement needs to be. If I need accuracy I tend to lean towards the metric.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Mike1950 (Apr 17, 2022)

In USA you have very little choice if you are in construction industry. Products are in imperial. Conversion on jobsite is beyond description.
I bid on 2 rest stops. Feds had decided it was time to start adapting. OMG. Nothing was right. concrete had to be demoed for plumbing. And the real funny thing is we finished first one. Then went across the freeway and make same mistakes again. 
metric would be so much easier math wise but you cannot partially convert.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Apr 17, 2022)

Ouch

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Mike1950 (Apr 17, 2022)

2feathers Creative Making said:


> Ouch


Yes- the good thing is most everyone assumed there would be troubles. So most bid to not get job. All contractors agreed it was a change/order paperwork nightmare. The feds fought every change as not being their fault. But in my case the building area I was covering was 2 feet taller than drawn. Building was very close to right height but wainscoat was shorter. Determined in the end that the architect and engineers had as much or more trouble with the metric system as workers. and the federal inspector used a imperial tape to point out our errors in beginning. Clint's Cluster.... would be a huge understatement. 120 miles out from here, I had lots of freeway time...

Reactions: Like 2


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## woodtickgreg (Apr 17, 2022)

Funny question for me, Betty and I where just talking about this yesterday. I was ordering staples for her upholstery stapler and asking her what sizes she needed, of course it's all fractional, lol. She's Canadian so understands metric. Me I have to use both. I have measuring tools for both, I have to sometimes convert imperial to metric so I use a website for that. Bit if I had to choose one over the other I would choose metric, it is much simpler and based on 10. All my bike parts are metric, most fastners today are metric, your autos are all metric, plywood is starting to be sold in metric thicknesses. And it goes on and on. What little machining I do is still old school decimal and fractions, I have charts that cover fractions to decimal for the most common sizes of drills and taps etc. I do actually wish this country would fully adopt the metric system.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1


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## Mike1950 (Apr 17, 2022)

woodtickgreg said:


> Funny question for me, Betty and I where just talking about this yesterday. I was ordering staples for her upholstery stapler and asking her what sizes she needed, of course it's all fractional, lol. She's Canadian so understands metric. Me I have to use both. I have measuring tools for both, I have to sometimes convert imperial to metric so I use a website for that. Bit if I had to choose one over the other I would choose metric, it is much simpler and based on 10. All my bike parts are metric, most fastners today are metric, your autos are all metric, plywood is starting to be sold in metric thicknesses. And it goes on and on. What little machining I do is still old school decimal and fractions, I have charts that cover fractions to decimal for the most common sizes of drills and taps etc. I do actually wish this country would fully adopt the metric system.


the other 2 dimensions of plywood are still imperial. i think thickness is only in metric to make it thinner, and not have people complain

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## DLJeffs (Apr 17, 2022)

Being an engineer and having lived in Australia for 3+ years, I'm comfortable with either. Frankly, the metric system is way easier to work with. More difficult for my wife and I was many recipes were done using weight rather than volume. A small kitchen scale kept readily handy on the counter was a necessity. And I still struggle picturing a fish when someone gives the weight in kilos rather than pounds. I have to make the conversion in my head.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Mike1950 (Apr 17, 2022)

DLJeffs said:


> Being an engineer and having lived in Australia for 3+ years, I'm comfortable with either. Frankly, the metric system is way easier to work with. More difficult for my wife and I was many recipes were done using weight rather than volume. A small kitchen scale kept readily handy on the counter was a necessity. And I still struggle picturing a fish when someone gives the weight in kilos rather than pounds. I have to make the conversion in my head.


And besides that a 5 lb rainbow sounds a lot bigger than a 2 1/2 kilo rainbow, it is not but.....

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Funny 5 | Way Cool 1


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## trc65 (Apr 17, 2022)

I use both. Imperial for larger measurements, and metric for smaller. If it's under an ounce, grams are used (weight and volume). If it's under an inch, mm are used (sometimes I use both at the same time e.g. 4" and 3mm long). Distance is always imperial. Area mostly imperial. Most of the conversion factors were memorized years ago, so it's not a problem going back and forth as necessary.

Reactions: Like 1


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## phinds (Apr 17, 2022)

I REALLY wish the US had converted to metric before I was born since it's clearly superior. BUT ... we didn't so now we're left w/ both. I use Imperial where possible just because it's what I've used for many decades. Since I don't use metric unless necessary, using it is generally an occasion for cuss-words.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Nubsnstubs (Apr 17, 2022)

David Hill said:


> I'm at home with both.
> Since I used to teach Science I had to be "fluent" with both and taught the kids that way too--no sense to fear it.
> For some reason when I taught, it was deemed necessary that the kids could convert from one to the other---showing my age there-- *there used to be a push for the US to go metric.*


Sorry David, there still is that push, otherwise we wouldn't have to make the conversion to fractions nowadays. Try working on your supposedly 'Made in America vehicle'. I'm very comfortable with using thousandths, but when using 5/16, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16 and 3/4" knowing that they are 8mm, 11mm, 13mm, 14mm, and 19 mm works, it is still a pain in the butte. I'd rather they leave metric to the world that uses it. .......... Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Like 2


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## phinds (Apr 17, 2022)

Nubsnstubs said:


> but when using 5/16, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16 and 3/4" knowing that they are 8mm, 11mm, 13mm, 14mm, and 19 mm works


Every tried putting a 1/2" machine bolt in a 13mm threaded hole, or the other way 'round? This is where the cuss words come into heavy use.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 1


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## Gdurfey (Apr 18, 2022)

My Honda Motorcycles are all metric, so I have lost the "eye" for 7/16, 1/2, etc..........now it is 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, etc. Honda is at least nice and only has certain sizes........but I go to work on my antique JD or other older US items, it takes me a while to get the eyecrometer adjusted. In the wood shop, strictly imperial fractions. Just don't want to convert!!! I am very comfortable in metric; just don't want to make the change in the wood shop.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Mike1950 (Apr 18, 2022)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Sorry David, there still is that push, otherwise we wouldn't have to make the conversion to fractions nowadays. Try working on your supposedly 'Made in America vehicle'. I'm very comfortable with using thousandths, but when using 5/16, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16 and 3/4" knowing that they are 8mm, 11mm, 13mm, 14mm, and 19 mm works, it is still a pain in the butte. I'd rather they leave metric to the world that uses it. .......... Jerry (in Tucson)


 "I'd rather they leave metric to the world that uses it" I think that is the problem- everyone except USA uses metric. Just means we need 2 sets of tools. Well- now that I think about it 2 sets a tools aint a bad thing!!!!

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## Mike Hill (Apr 19, 2022)

As for me - I'd be shot or thrown off the roof of a high-rise, if metric was imposed on my jobsites. As for me, I would care less which was used, but since I have used imperial for a few decades, I'd rather keep it imperial for now. One is not "better" than the other. One is not more accurate than another. Which is more accurate 12 mm or 0.4729", or 3.7795/8 ths? And what does it matter anyways - if your nut is 12 mm you need a 12mm socket. If your nut is 3/8" - you need a 3/8" socket. Metric is only better, if one did not bother to learn or just refuses to or too lazy to add, subtract, multiply, or divide fractions or if writing down a / between two numbers is too difficult. Besides, it shore is easier to divide, and probably more accurate, a foot into equal 2 parts, or 3 parts, or 4 parts or 6 parts. Do that with something on the workbench with a system based on 10! Making a mark every 4" is certainly easier than trying to consistently and precisely mark 3.33mm, 1.6667mm or cm's. It's the same question as what is better - red or green? Neither is intrinsicly better, just one or the other is what you are used to and it seems better --- to you! For me, I can look at a nut and go back to my tool drawers and select the socket that I think is correct. If working with metric - I have to bring out the whole set - I have little concept of what the different metric sizes are. I built and worked on a VW dune buggy a long time ago - I have had two sets of tools for 50 years now. Had to find em and dust them off a few weeks ago when I had to get my honda-clone powered wood chipper going again.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1


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