What is happening with metrication?

Yes... When I design something I use the proportional formula as do most engineers. When a calculation is made I can visualize in foot pounds, inches, yards... whatever and make a quick check of my calculations which are made in PSI, Ft/lb and so on. So if I see my figures simply don't make sense... a 50 ft blond with eyes are blue... I know I've screwed up and go back to the start. Try visualizing a blond five ft two in metrics. I can't, so I don't go there.

I want to be able to use both systems. You have a great point there! Some things are better visualized and worked in the Imperial, and some are better in the metric... like when I'm working with small amounts of plastic or stuff in the chemistry world. I don't think governments should impose one system over another. I think we, individually, should be able to use whatever system works for us. And if I can't sell what I make in inch/pounds then it's my problem. If I have to convert nuts and bolts to metric in order to sell, well then, that's what I'll do. We are in a supply/demand economy, Thank God!

It's late... I've had a few beers... you may get your blond in a shoebox and it may be labeled Barbie! But well proportioned!

I'm going to call BS on you here - sorry. I agree that the US has too much inertia in imperial units (and associated hardware) to change to metric just to do it, but mks units work just fine.

The Mars landing screw up was the result of laziness: it is all too common to use numbers w/o units, and it hit home in a big way because they botched the initial burn as a result of just such malpractice. I will admit that the risk is slightly higher when exchanging data in electronic form, but that's all the more reason they should have checked.

Units will all cancel out, but the numbers left behind are valid only if the units indeed match.

Bill

That's ok; you can send the metric blonds my way ;)

Bill

I found that on a Volvo engine I rebuilt (US version). The stuff on top, that you might get at on a weekend repair, was all English (maybe we don't say that anymore). Once you got inside the engine, it all turned metric.

Steve

William Wix>that metric time link is funny, what a thing to get used to THAT would be.

Drats! If she's going to be that size, then better the talking Ann Coulter doll ;)

Bill

The imperial system came about in a long protracted need for a common measurement system. The units were created out of necessity and therefore fit better for commerce and general use. The metric system was designed without realizing the subtleties of the english system that was around for centuries. The metric system was designed by the french. They probably were drinking too much wine at the time.

John

You have already lost any advantage that it might have given you at least 35 years ago when the rest of the world went metric. No engineer would be silly enough to allow an Imperial spec machine into his plant unless it was a LOT cheaper than the metric equivalent, as its just to much trouble. Just buying replacement bolts is a hassle in the rest of the world so forget about growing your export business. Besides, China is metric so that's where 80% of machinery will come from in the future.

Have you heard about the dinosaurs?

To quote Marvin again "Sounds to me like the fault lies in your visualization capabilities and not in the measurement system."

cars have been a horrible failure, lots of american cars are still a mish-mash

we did work for a caterpillar OEM, and cat is all metric.

er, sort of.

We supplied electrical enclosures with 10-32 screws, hehehe

All of our inch dimensions were drawn into funky metric combinations

I do a fair amount of creating knock-off components, for 70's european dirtbikes, and wartime german electronics.

I measure in inches, try to determine a nominal metric dim, then draw in cad using inches to 3 or 4 decimals, depending on the feature.

I guess I am one!

I believe the whole country was supposed to be converted by the time I got to ninth grade...but that was thirty five years ago so it should be any day now.

I think I need some beans and they better be magic beans Maybe I just need fiber I ain't no nutritionist I just climb beanstalks How many ways can you measure a beanstalk?

It was a very foolish thing to do but they tried, and now we have a mess. Metric was supposed to be easier to use. well Spanish is an easier language to learn, so why don't we get rid of english and all use spanish. I think the movement is starting already.

John

Before SI people start criticize us for not wanting to give up our units, I think it would be fair to ask why they didn't go all the way in the first place and make time metric. As you say, it's too late now to make amends. Evidently, that was one that the French themselves had difficulty coming to terms with. Brent.

Came in late on this discussion due to a computer crash, but ........

I have a tape with inches on one side and metrics on the other side. When I want to measure, I find myself going to the metric side a LOT more. Look and see a number even I can remember in cm or mm, and then transpose it to a piece of metal.

Now, I look at the inch side, and it's , duh, 8 and uh three eighths, but just a little short er than three eights by about a third of a mark .........

Now, to transpose ............ uh, what was that again .........

remeasure ..........

If it comes out and fits, what's the squawk?

YMMV

Steve