Thread: Metric vs Imperial: Who Would Win ?

Originally Posted by gbent

There are two types of countries, those that use the metric system and those who have augered a multi-million lander into Mars because of a units conversion error.

Fixed that for you, no charge.

You're welcome.

PDW

Originally Posted by PDW

Fixed that for you, no charge.

You're welcome.

PDW

Eh, one (or two) of of thousands ain't too bad. Besides, if the Euro partners we had were using a proper units system (Inch) we'd have made the orbit just fine.

So who's the smarty-pants now?

Originally Posted by Milland

Eh, one (or two) of of thousands ain't too bad. Besides, if the Euro partners we had were using a proper units system (Inch) we'd have made the orbit just fine.

So who's the smarty-pants now?

Shrug. Don't care.

You guys will change eventually. All you're doing is making your own transition slower and more painful. Not my problem.

PDW

OK, I'll admit that it makes sense for the US to commit to SI units. No real argument there.

BUT!

There is one area where our inch/traditional units rule supreme:

High-strength fasteners at attractive prices.

Due to our militaristic might, the US has an incredible range of MIL/NAS, Boeing (back when that meant something), etc. grade fasteners available, many at prices below equivalent hardware store grade junque.

From 2-56 socket caps in A-286 to 3" plus in MP35N, we have got quite literally tons of great, inspected hardware surplus from original use. From satellites > racecars. From missiles > bicycles. From submarines > sex toys.

Err, scratch that last one. It's only a rumor.

I've tried buying metric specialty hardware. Either very limited ranges of sizes, materials, and strengths, to simply megabucks and "et qui êtes-vous, monsieur?".

So keep your 8.8 M12's. Give me an NAS6208-xx that will kick its foriegn hiney back to The Olde Country!

Originally Posted by Milland

There is one area were our inch/traditional units rule supreme:

High-strength fasteners at attractive prices.

Any fasteners at any prices. Metric sucks balls, inch is functionally superior.

And don't get me started on gear teeth. Whichever adolescent twit came up with module teeth should have their balls removed and jammed down their throat. What garbage.

Other than that, what a lovely system ... if you've got your head up your ass. No metric units fit anything practical. What a brilliant way to measure things in the real world.

Lets keep in mind, the termite is one nasty individual, and has caused great damage to this forum with his piss off attitude.
The termite insulted the tech from Monarch, and chased off many qualified machinist that discover he has lied about his past experience for all these years.
Its a disservice to working machinist to encourage this termite troll.

The 8 yrs I was here before this fake were much better!

Originally Posted by donie

Lets keep in mind, the termite is one nasty individual, and has caused great damage to this forum with his piss off attitude.
The termite insulted the tech from Monarch, and chased off many qualified machinist that discover he has lied about his past experience for all these years.
Its a disservice to working machinist to encourage this termite troll.

The 8 yrs I was here before this fake were much better!

He'll, you don't know how much I've missed you.

I like the inch system - it makes sense to me and is based on easy references as past threads have attested. That being said - who cares which system is used - as long as it is used correctly. It is no different than learning another language. Being fluent in more than one makes you a more useful person.

My bigger gripe is working with engineers or designers who do not have a good grasp of whatever system they are using. They have no concept of the difference between .005" and .0005" or .1mm and .01mm.

Originally Posted by PDW

Shrug. Don't care.

You guys will change eventually. All you're doing is making your own transition slower and more painful. Not my problem.

PDW

Does that mean I am going to have to throw away all of my inch based adjustable wrenches and slip joint pliers?

Originally Posted by Oldwrench

it's an offensive term to many Americans.

Uhhhh, no it's not. I've never once heard anyone say that term is offensive until now.

STOP LOOKING FOR THINGS TO BE OFFENDED BY!

There is no term, word, or phrase that offends me because I'm not a pussy.

Originally Posted by Oldwrench

Referring to the Inch system as "Imperial" smacks of leftover Commie phrasing, e.g. "Imperialist running dogs and their lackeys."

Perhaps that's what the OP's middle-school teachers called it. So depending on the OP's age, perhaps it's unfair to blame him. But whether he realizes it or not, it's an offensive term to many Americans.

On second thought, never mind. Anybody who would use the expression "drill out the boring head" or, for that matter, think anybody could be dumb enough to confuse 1/2 inch with 12 mm isn't qualified to comment on machining.

I don't think I could see by eye (at any distance) the difference between 1/2" and 12mm, but that's why they make micrometers/calipers...?

On a related note, i can tell the difference between metric and inch shcs as the metric have a slightly larger head dia to thread size ratio.

Originally Posted by Mtndew

Uhhhh, no it's not. I've never once heard anyone say that term is offensive until now.

STOP LOOKING FOR THINGS TO BE OFFENDED BY!

There is no term, word, or phrase that offends me because I'm not a pussy.

Did you remove tongue from cheek while reading that post?

I read that as sarcasm.........

Originally Posted by Oldwrench

But whether he realizes it or not, it's an offensive term to many Americans.

I can't believe that anyone would ever find that term offensive.

Originally Posted by Peter from Holland

Several organisations with the inch system changed to metric Never heard of a metric organisation that wanted to change to the imperial/inch system

So if I must point a winner it would be the metric system Not saying it is the best though
In this thread at least

Peter

The big point for the OP is what system is he most likely to find offered for sale, and at what prices. If I lived in Europe I would buy metric tooling but around here the inch stuff is widely available at competitive prices.

IMO there is far too much fuss from "elsewhere" over the USA not going fully metric. We were taught the basics of the metric system in the 1960s and most Americans, especially in technical fields are "bilingual". When I write a test report on a product the units are always metric, even if some measurements were taken using our system. As do most, I can switch seamlessly back and forth as needed. In my home shop it is mostly inch, although I use metric hardware and dimensions when needed to suit an existing item.

Originally Posted by EmanuelGoldstein

Any fasteners at any prices. Metric sucks balls, inch is functionally superior.

And don't get me started on gear teeth. Whichever adolescent twit came up with module teeth should have their balls removed and jammed down their throat. What garbage.

Other than that, what a lovely system ... if you've got your head up your ass. No metric units fit anything practical. What a brilliant way to measure things in the real world.

EG, you surprise me that you landed on this side of the argument. One 10 millionth of the distance from the equator to the north pole. What a wonderful basis for a unit. One place where it fits pretty well is dilation before child birth. Only the doctors and nurses back in the 80s universally called them sonometers instead of centimeters. Even spell check here says I spelled centimeter wrong. No use wasting my typing on the argument cause my opinion will not change a thing.

Originally Posted by FredC

EG, you surprise me that you landed on this side of the argument.

Metric gears are upside-down and backwards, it's ghastly. The thread system is not too lovely, either. I don't care that much about the units, hell, why not choose 1 gazillionth the distance from the north pole to god's nose ? But in practice, I end up doing all gear stuff in DP then translating back, cuz, you know, DP makes sense.

And I don't care if the numbers work out cutesy on threads, I care if the stud doesn't pull out of the block. Their fine-pitch coarse-pitch situation is awful. Plus jap metric and german metric fasteners don't interchange, which I thought was the point of the whole damn system ...

As far as regular dimensions, no matter, but in those two areas I think metric sucks

Originally Posted by crazygoat

Does that mean I am going to have to throw away all of my inch based adjustable wrenches and slip joint pliers?

Absolutely not! They can be converted, by an ingenious process that I have developed. For only $1 apiece - preferably in Bitcoin - I can convert them right over the Internet. Happy to help.

Originally Posted by rabtrfld

If you had a 1/2-inch boring bar and a 12 mm boring head, would you

* Turn the bar down to 12 mm?
* Drill the head out to 1/2 inch?
* Be more careful next time you bought stuff?

The later I think. :-)

am I being obstinate or just boneheaded?

:-) Definitely the later. :-)
...lewie...

Originally Posted by Scottl

The big point for the OP is what system is he most likely to find offered for sale, and at what prices. If I lived in Europe I would buy metric tooling but around here the inch stuff is widely available at competitive prices.

IMO there is far too much fuss from "elsewhere" over the USA not going fully metric. We were taught the basics of the metric system in the 1960s and most Americans, especially in technical fields are "bilingual". When I write a test report on a product the units are always metric, even if some measurements were taken using our system. As do most, I can switch seamlessly back and forth as needed. In my home shop it is mostly inch, although I use metric hardware and dimensions when needed to suit an existing item.

Ya, I don't see why we have to "pick" one. The only thing that occasionally trips me up is converting a metric pitch into TPI (I got a 50/50 chance of doing the conversion backwards and getting some stupid number for TPI ) to run in the cnc mills for rigid tapping. Thread milling, no problem, see a dim like .1181" I know that's 3mm, etc etc

Originally Posted by ChipSplitter

Did you remove tongue from cheek while reading that post?

I read that as sarcasm.........

lol is it sarcasm? hmmm perhaps we will never know.