Metric/imperial

Esperanto! :-)

Nick

Germany

Even your own CIA says that. But don't let facts get in the way of the argument.

No, the USA consumer accepts the quirks of China.

Yes.

Just a few ones. Even in Germany -centuries ago- there existed a lot of different units for whatever.

OK, I wasn't sure about the date. I can well accept the 60s.

My arm? I span nearly 2m with my arms, so the meter is natural. My steps are -if I make them a bit bigger- 1m. So *that* is natural. :-) No, I don't think discussing about what is "natural" and wether it helps nowadays is worth continuing.

Complex? First of all, I don't use it. Second, it doesn't look that complex if you have a metric leadscrew. I could use your argument with my metric lathe that making imperial screws is a pain, because I have to change so many gears.

So I don't know what sizes you have. But I never missed one. On the small sizes (between M1 and M2) there are some sizes in between.

Why is that easier? If a M5 is to small, I pick a M6, then an M8, then M10. Oh, remembering what sizes exist? If *that* is a challenge for you, ... :-))

1m. That is one meter. No really, it's not an argument. You'll find good numbers with the metric system too. A thump is 2.5cm, that's a forth of 1dm. Handy, isn't it? :-)

It's OK if it isn't logical. It just has to work. There is an optimum relation between diameter and pitch. All standard screws are close to it. So they had to use a 0.45 pitch for M2.5

Ah, there is nor argument for one or the other system. Accuracy has nothing to do with the system used. You could etch ICs with lightyears if you want and don't get lost in zeroes.

Nick

Ack. It now is tied to the meter. Isn't that frightening for you? ;-)

What was wrong is that the meter was defined by the block in Paris not by some -more or less- wrong math. And what do you suggest they should have used as reference at that time? Could they come up with something more stable?

The master reference *is* the reference. Even if they made something wrong with calculating the equatorial length.

Now I need a suggestion what they could have made better at that time.

What sizes are you missing?

So that wasn't an argument? ;-)

The prefixes don't make a new unit. They are just handy factors. Placeholders for zeroes.

Should I? :-)))

Would be interesting to see wether more metric than imperial fasteners are produced worldwide and how that influences their price.

I hope these numbers don't shock you:

They look even worse if you see them relative to the population.

And all screws were imperial? :-)

They do have to follow local laws or facts. Like crash-test, quality of gas, ... and the unit on the speedometer.

Did you actually measure them? They sound too much like 10mm, 12mm, 16mm,

20mm and 25mm. Exactly the sizes of my ER25 collets (except the 25mm).

Anyhow, if you wouldn't ask them for these "odd sizes", they wouldn't exist. It's you who has to pay for special runs. Not that relevant in high-volume goods.

OK.

Nick

Sure and try to tell the Chineese that. :-)

Or try to convince all the former British locations to drive on the right side of the road. :-) :-) ...lew...

I think Nick needs a "history lesson". It was near the beginning of WW II (not sure of the exact date). ...lew...

The issue was resistance from US Industry, which didn't want to have to throw out *all* their tooling and machines.

I think that the problem is being solved by the advent of CNC in just about everything. The distinction is reducing to a button - inches or millimeters? Screw threads are more complex, but not that much more so for a computer.

A number of US auto companies have already gone metric, or at least are on the way.

Because the rest of the world either didn't have that much industry by comparison, or the metric system was already well ensconced. Or simply ordered by the national government, never mind the cost to their industry. Smaller countries switch to such standards faster, because smaller countries export a higher fraction of their total production.

I still think in inches, but I have to agree with the Russian.

Reminds me of a story from the 1970s, when I worked for a year in Sweden. I was at a party, and a bunch of us were comparing social systems between Sweden and the US. Upon hearing about a particularly extreme provision (I don't recall the details), my reaction was to say to the woman who had just explained the provision that "You (meaning Swedes) must be *very* rich". She answered that no they weren't rich (in Sweden, everybody must be more or less equal, so that cannot be), but why do you say this? Because, only a very rich country could afford such a system! Silence.

I hasten to add that the Swedish population was at the time perfectly happy with their combination of very high taxes and very generous social services, voting for it by 60-40 margins year after year. (They later trimmed thing back somewhat when the economy went south.)

It's true.

The semiconductor industry went hard metric some years ago.

We've lost more than one billion-dollar spacecraft because of a feet-meters confusion.

Joe Gwinn

You mean a DECIMETER. :-) ...lew...

Dan sez:

"> There is a need to change. It is because using two systems costs

Hey ! Dan, I think you might be on to something, here !! Whyn't we raise the standards of stuff we import from the EU?. We could only import things made to "metric standards" and test them to Imperial standards. Sure, I know, some things would be stronger and some would be weaker but it would be great for business here in the colonies and back home in the EU. Besides, it'd drive the Chinese crazy.

Bob Swinney

Here its mentioned as July 1959

9/10 a centimeter for the ratchet drives

9/10 decimeter for the floppy drive.

metric is just as confusing as any other system :)

John

I think he ment a pound sterling.

John

A pint hasn't been a pound for many a year maybe 20?, one of my favourite tipples 'Old Peculiar' is currently about £2.70 a pint at the local pub.

Inflation rears its ugly head again. :) I wonder when the Chinese start importing beer?

John

A pint of pure water weighs a pound and a quarter!

Mark Rand RTFM

As long as they don't *export* it to Bavaria, I don't care.

Nick, who just had half a liter while waiting for the furnace to come up to temperature for stress relieving.