Ironically, the Imperial System was better. Perhaps they thought that the whole Metric system would be rejigged every time the circumference of the Earth was remeasured. And there was no independent control over the bits of metal the French hid away and said, "Fais-moi confiance."
We haven't yet changed properly to a metric system. Go and buy a new interior door for your house, it will be advertised as some stupid numbers if mmxmm (cos you can't use a "." in trade stuff as they get lost so it's all mm) but more likely it will be 30inches by 78inches or some other round number of inches, you can't change millions of existing houses, manufacturing machines and other stuff with a different ruler! Computer stuff is almost all imperial of course. Car tyres are great, a mix of metric with diameter in inches.
JH: When I was building the boat, I was ordering in feet and inches. My rulers were the same, I was working on sixteenths and thirty-seconds. Generally, the older guys were pretty supportive, they smiled.
The metric system is easier all round for dimensions that need calculation. For example, its less of a problem to program a CNC machine in base 10 than in base 12. Standardised measurements like car wheels could remain with the sizes that everyone is familiar with.
I learned both systems and to convert between the two, so being partly metric works for me. In my own projects I will use whichever is most convenient at the time and as a result the finished product has some metric and some imperial dimensions.
Things like work on cars was a nightmare with the imperial system, we had so many thread types it was unreal - we had BSF, Whitworth, the American UNF and BSP to name only some. The Metric sizes simplified everything, having only fine, standard and coarse in each size. Back in those days it was a matter of hunting through a box of spanners to find any random spanner that would fit the nut.
Incidentally, tyres are completely metric. The imperial dimension refers to the wheel rim, not the tyre.
The wheel rim not the tyre? The number in inches on the tyre refers to the wheel rim size it is designed to fit. It isn't the actual size of the tyre because there is the sealing bead section that fits within the rim but the info embossed on the tyre mixes metric with inches. Oddly so do tyres sold and advertised in France, they still show rim size in inches.
Those are great. Now, where are the adjustable socket sets... I have a non adjustable spanner set called Metrinch, but those only do AF or metric.
I still have a habit of going into DIY stores and looking for things like 30 inch doors. The assistants tend to just give a blank stare when mentioned, as if I just got here in a space ship. At the timber yard, I get told "you can't have 8ft lengths, I can do 2.4 metre" (2.4m is 38mm or about 1.5 in short of 8ft). So I say, "ok, cut me 50% off a 4.8 metre length please".
Woodsy - yes, this is what I was trying to say, the imperial dimension on the tyre refers to the wheel rim which it fits, not the actual measurement of the tyre. That dimension would be the tyre profile (height minus fitting bead I think), which is in metric.
Those adjustable spanners - they are for metric nuts, being that nowadays they have an indicator showing the gap between the jaws and that's always in mm. Yep, that's something I've always found odd too. For me, its Stiltsons all the way. :-)
Talking about adjustable socket wrenches, I forgot all about these..
Ironically, the Imperial System was better.
ReplyDeletePerhaps they thought that the whole Metric system would be rejigged every time the circumference of the Earth was remeasured.
And there was no independent control over the bits of metal the French hid away and said, "Fais-moi confiance."
We haven't yet changed properly to a metric system. Go and buy a new interior door for your house, it will be advertised as some stupid numbers if mmxmm (cos you can't use a "." in trade stuff as they get lost so it's all mm) but more likely it will be 30inches by 78inches or some other round number of inches, you can't change millions of existing houses, manufacturing machines and other stuff with a different ruler! Computer stuff is almost all imperial of course. Car tyres are great, a mix of metric with diameter in inches.
ReplyDeleteJH: When I was building the boat, I was ordering in feet and inches. My rulers were the same, I was working on sixteenths and thirty-seconds. Generally, the older guys were pretty supportive, they smiled.
ReplyDeleteThe metric system is easier all round for dimensions that need calculation. For example, its less of a problem to program a CNC machine in base 10 than in base 12. Standardised measurements like car wheels could remain with the sizes that everyone is familiar with.
ReplyDeleteI learned both systems and to convert between the two, so being partly metric works for me. In my own projects I will use whichever is most convenient at the time and as a result the finished product has some metric and some imperial dimensions.
Things like work on cars was a nightmare with the imperial system, we had so many thread types it was unreal - we had BSF, Whitworth, the American UNF and BSP to name only some. The Metric sizes simplified everything, having only fine, standard and coarse in each size. Back in those days it was a matter of hunting through a box of spanners to find any random spanner that would fit the nut.
Incidentally, tyres are completely metric. The imperial dimension refers to the wheel rim, not the tyre.
JH: These are quite fun:
Deletehttps://www.screwfix.com/p/bahco-adjust-3-90-adjustable-wrench-set/9650f
The wheel rim not the tyre? The number in inches on the tyre refers to the wheel rim size it is designed to fit. It isn't the actual size of the tyre because there is the sealing bead section that fits within the rim but the info embossed on the tyre mixes metric with inches. Oddly so do tyres sold and advertised in France, they still show rim size in inches.
DeleteJH - are they for metric or imperial nuts?
DeleteThose are great. Now, where are the adjustable socket sets... I have a non adjustable spanner set called Metrinch, but those only do AF or metric.
DeleteI still have a habit of going into DIY stores and looking for things like 30 inch doors. The assistants tend to just give a blank stare when mentioned, as if I just got here in a space ship. At the timber yard, I get told "you can't have 8ft lengths, I can do 2.4 metre" (2.4m is 38mm or about 1.5 in short of 8ft). So I say, "ok, cut me 50% off a 4.8 metre length please".
Woodsy - yes, this is what I was trying to say, the imperial dimension on the tyre refers to the wheel rim which it fits, not the actual measurement of the tyre. That dimension would be the tyre profile (height minus fitting bead I think), which is in metric.
DeleteThose adjustable spanners - they are for metric nuts, being that nowadays they have an indicator showing the gap between the jaws and that's always in mm. Yep, that's something I've always found odd too. For me, its Stiltsons all the way. :-)
Talking about adjustable socket wrenches, I forgot all about these..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285033093704?hash=item425d4bda48:g:aEgAAOSwE2Jja-k0&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAwBaueLDNfNz31GCaO7LLYopovEMnUD4hW1c%2FhcJmtcvn54376mXPOjLaR5QEe4foF9KkLYJTtCu80G3MkPOXKI4QJJS8i7pzmnSc0354OQtyRR4N8RTz%2B83QuHdzFXWGPNNbWpL4zioOoUiA3xlXBxffy9tuCqId3S7nRyyccquwCu%2BdncOSIqZsF%2FkprXVlqJeOstEZgPkYhcOGDolLRJAOIMZvQ2uQsYbClKj9DSOmFSZNUAYfdB8Hxd19a2vh3w%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABlBMUIra3OmaYQ
JH: Memories of timber yards, they were nice days. The smell of the wood ... I was in woody heaven.
ReplyDelete