Inches or Millimeters?

Or Bobs, don’t forget those Gary.

I haven’t got one yet but have always thought the concept was interesting. I think I’ve read some entries on here where people have used this method.

Good question though.

-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX

good question

-- Tyler, Illinois

I wish this country had gone to the metric system along time ago, I hate working with fractions every time i gotta add and subtract different denomenators.

-- DocK, WV

I worked with mining engineers doing drafting, & we measured in 10ths, & 100th of feet, & inches.

I wonder why wooden builders have always used this system of fractions?

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

GaryK,

I have picked up a couple of woodworking magazines for across the pond (they are available at the local Woodcraft) and all o the plans in the magazine are in metric. Bobs system looks to be a very cool solution, that will never (sadly) be adopted.

-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"

I started out life as a machinist, so the only fractions I ever use are in increments of 1/8”. and those
I convert automatically to decimal. I will use a scale in 10ths and 100ths any chance I can. I use dial
calipers for everything under 6”.

So basically I never use fractions. I think in decimal so 4 feet, 3 3/8 inches to me is 4 feet 3.375 inches.
The math is a lot easier.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

I work in decimals too. started life as a apprentice machinist too.

-- ..... smalll army of cast iron wingnuts !! cool photo in FORUM

In Malaysia, I have seen a combination of metric and US standard. When I buy wood, the dimensions are always in inches and feet. Same with when I buy bolts, screws or nails from the local hardware store. Drill bits are sometimes in metric and sometimes in fractions. Stanley exports a lot of stuff here (or maybe contracts someone in this part of the world to make it) so the fractions are alive and well.

I have a few different rulers, and almost all of them have centimeters on one side and inches on the other. I have one that has inches but in tenths, which is occasionally annoying (when I forget) and occasionally useful (just another interval option).

-- Eric at http://adventuresinwoodworking.com

Interesting question. I may not be outside the US, but I may still have an unconventional answer. I use an engineers scale whenever possible, which is inches divided into 10’ths and 100’ths. It’s much easier to do the math on a small scale and seems more precise. I like measuring the width of a box side at 5.6”, etc.

I guess it combines the best of both worlds. I wish the entire world would go metric. But since we Americans insist on using inches, at least I can still divide them into decimals.

-- Dust collectors suck.

Hello from Europe, and no UK Europe. For me your system is completely ununderstandable. I know what feet or inch is. But the combination and fractions?? Must use calculator.
But on the oter hand – we buy wood of the same size only call it in different way.
Instead 2×4 ve say 5×10 and so on.
Sorry for my English.

-- Jiri

I lived in Brazil for 10 years and have traveled for business to more than 60+ countries. Most countries use metrics. Tools have metric scales on them and wood is purchased by the cubic meter. Metrics have a strong advantage for simple calculations, but in the inch system, it is easy to work off of the calculations of a kerf equal to 1/16th…. If I had to choose, I would work metric, but the equipment I have only has inch scales.

-- making sawdust....

I live in the Uk and use both metric & imperial.
I think millimetres are best for fine meaurements – thickness of box sides etc.
When I think sizes (height,width, length) for my boxes I think in inches because that’s what I was taught at school.

i use feet / inch mostly . i have used metric a lot as well . metric is easier for small stuff . longer i think is easier with ft./ in. . i allso have a bobs rule wich is a combination of both without fractions and i think its a very good system

-- if you aint the lead dog the scenery never changes

we use metric and standard.
Me? I use the “one little line past the big line” method.

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Like Ms Deb, I’m in Canada. I grew up at a time when the Imperial system was in use, so that is what I was taught in school. We went metric back in the early seventies I think. For me this has been a problem mostly because we are so close to, and trade so much with the US. Life would be a lot easier if just one system was in use world wide.
I use both system often. As most of the plans for the toys I like to build come from the US, sometimes I make my own little rules..great for scaling up or down from drawings. But for the most part, I would have to say I use the imperial system, because that is what I learned in school.

-- Brian's Table Top Toys http://home.mountaincable.net/~bgraham/

I use imperial- I usually even buy my tapes in Ohio because a lot of the ones on the market that I like have one side metric, one side imperial.

For really fine work or set-up I use a dial caliper or dial gauge. I spent a lot of time in a T&D shop when I had a “real” job, and got used to using decimals.

-- The only easy wood project is a fire

In India Metric is now common although sometimes Inches are also used. The older generation is still more comfortable with inches.
Sharad

-- patanjali

LOL at MsDebbieP. I sometimes do that same thing! “Okay, so that’s 4 and a quarter and a tick.”

-- Eric at http://adventuresinwoodworking.com

I spent 25 years as an aircraft mechanic and I’ve always worked in 10ths. My son, the math genius, taught me some short cuts for fractions, which come in handy. I’ve been trying to convert to metric for smaller measurements, but usually drift back to the 10ths.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

Gary – Hello from Finland – The country and most of Europe use Metric, with mm or cm being the normal reference for measurements.

In the work shop I use a combination of both metric and imperial, having been brought up on both systems at the same time – sometimes I even mix them on the same project. I have real problems working in decimal inches and prefere to use fractions, which plays havoc on my brain when I get the digital calipers out (mm & Decimal Inches)

Lumber here (Finland) is sold in mm thickness and we use the cubic meter as the volumetric measuerment (423.78 bf – 1 cubic meter) – But they also use the imperial measurement for thickness of lumber 3/4, 4/4,6/4 etc..

I hope this is what you were looking for !

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

Since I am familiar with both systems I use the most convenient for the task at hand. If involves any mathematical equation, most likely will be in metrics.

-- Zipsss

Great topic Gary. In Australia we use the metric system which is very simple. The weights and measures are all related, eg 1 litre of water is 1 kilogram which has a cubic measurement of 1000 cubic centimetres. As I understand it, it is not legal over here to sell or market anything in imperial measurement but the die hards like me still talk in acres, feet & inches when it suits.
Tools are sold with metric measurements although dual metic & imperial tape measures are not hard to find & are very handy.
Timber is measured in, US terms, as 4X2 as against your 2X4 but we would (or should talk metric) ie 100mmX50mm.
I use both systems because I grew up with imperial, but the young ones know little about feet, inches, acres & gallons.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Grumpy – You could use 10cm X 5cm for a 4×2 couldn’t you?

When do you use centimeters?
Is a decimeter ever used?

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Gary, centimetres are used but not frequently, timber yards usually talk in millimetres and metres, like a 2.1 metre length of 75mmX50mm. electronics like TV’s are sold in cm’s. I don’t see any use of decimetres here, usually metres & kilometres. The confusing bit at the timber yard is when you want some dressed timber (DAR) many of to merchants talk in sawn sizes not finished sizes, do you have that problem over there?.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Grumpy – Rough sawn lumber here is measured in 1/4’s of an inch 4/4 = 1”, 8/4 = 2” and so on.
S2S Lumber (surfaced 2 sides) is usually 1/4” under the rough sawn lumber. It’s usually SLR
(Straight line Ripped) to give you one straight edge to work with.

If you buy it at a home center it’s ripped to width, usually 1/2” under what they sell it as.
a 1×6 will be about 3/4×5 1/2.

What does DAR stand for?

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Im in the Great White North with MsD.

I monstly use fractions . . . but my calipers are in decimal feet. But I have worked in metric.

For accuracy I prefer metric.

LOL MsD . . . I used to use the “2 strokes past the second little one” before I got into wwing.

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

This might seem odd to some out there, but the other day I made up the following and carry it in my little note pocket book: I haven’t checked it out 100%, so if it’s wrong, let me know.
1”=2.54cm=25.4mm
1/2”=1.27cm=12.7mm
1/4”=0.64cm=6.35mm
1/8”=0.32cm=3.18mm
1/16”=0.16cm=1.6mm
1/32”=0.08cm=0.8mm
1/64”=0.04cm=0.4mm

1cm=10mm=25/64”
1mm=3/64”

1 foot=30.5cm=304.8mm

1 meter=39.4”

-- Ron in Osseo, Minnesota

now HallTree . . . if you had decimal inches added to that . . . it would be excellent.

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

Gary, it looks like you have a similar system on the sawn & dressed measurement criteria. DAR stands for “dressed all round” or more correctly “dressed all around” or dressed all sides.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

I use mm and Imperial at work, but at home its imperial.

-- Andy Stark

I think in inches and feet, but I use both inches and metric, depends on the plans. I have a lot of measuring devices.

-- Maplewood, MN

I use Imperial. Canada’s supposed to be metric, but most lumber here is still measured in ft/in. People born after 1970 will tend toward metric. But I started out in Imperial and it’s what i relate to.

-- Sawmill Lodge - http://sawmill-lodge.com

I was a land surveyor in Alberta, before the change to metric in umm76 or 78. We measured in tenths or hundreths of feet depending on the accuracy needed, because it was so much easier than calculating with fractions. One time we were running levels across a school yard at recess; one of the kids looked at the level rod & said: “Hey mister, your ruler only has 10 inches”
So we were used to working in decimals by the time we converted to metric.
Incidently some of the imperial ratios aren’t as weird as they first seem; they made pre-calculator calculations easy. i.e. one acre = 43,560 square feet seems pretty awkward but using a couple of once common units it’s not so bad:
1 chain = 66 feet so 80 chains = 1 mile, 1/4 chain = 1rod or 16 1/2 feet; (and 10 chains is a furlong or 1/8 mile for the horse racing fans)
1 section of land = 1 square mile or 80×80 chains or 640 acres
So: 10 square chains = 1 acre.
If a farmer was working a 1/4 section (40×40 chains) and had set his fence posts 1 rod apart then every time he seeded the length of the field by the width between two posts he knew he had covered one acre.
But I still prefer metres and hectares.
(sorry for the length of the post but I just joined the board this morning so I need to catch up)

-- Daibach on the Wet Coast