Metric V Imperial Measurement

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 09/02/2020 12:26:00:

[…]

Best reason I know of to stick with Imperial is backward compatibility. Scale modelling Imperial prototypes, hobby working from Imperial Plans, mending Imperial machines, and making items to fit modern specifications based on Imperial all qualify. Otherwise, Imperial ain't smart.

Here's a challenge for Imperial supporters. Your mission is to use this forum to persuade France, Germany or Japan to dump Metric in favour of Imperial. What will you say to convince any of them to make the switch?

Dave

.

As I have mentioned before … Sometimes they just cheat to hide the embarrassment of knowing that some things will always be.

Would a true Metric devotee really be comfortable with 0.1” [or indeed 2.54mm] lead spacing on components ?

Metric time didn’t work out very well either.

MichaelG.

[GeorgineerParticipant @georgineer]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 09/02/2020 12:26:00:

One reason the great debate gets heated is because the two sides come to it from opposite positions. Support for imperial is emotional whilst support of Metric is logical.

…

Here's a challenge for Imperial supporters. Your mission is to use this forum to persuade France, Germany or Japan to dump Metric in favour of Imperial. What will you say to convince any of them to make the switch?

Dave, I couldn't have expressed it better myself. Take a medal!

George B.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 09/02/2020 13:11:27:

Would a true Metric devotee really be comfortable with 0.1” [or indeed 2.54mm] lead spacing on components ?

Metric time didn’t work out very well either.

MichaelG.

Base 60 for minutes in an hour and 24 for hours in a day was invented by the Babylonians some thousands of years BC, so I wouldn't call it Imperial

And yes I'm perfectly happy with 0.1" spacing on ICs, it's a world standard. No doubt in the Imperial nirvana some want to return to it will be changed to 1/8", can't have any of those nasty decimals can we

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Feel free, Duncan

MichaelG.

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 09/02/2020 12:26:00:

For example, force is often measured in foot-pounds, or ounce inches,

It is ?

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

C A V manufactured the Roosa Master injection pump as the D P A (Distributor Pump A )

Being an American design, all the dimensions were Imperial.

But C A V started by making Bosch pumps, under licence, pre WW2, so always worked in Metric.

The threads on the DPA were Unified, but the drawings for parts were Metric. As an instance, the Plunger in the Endplate, that regulated the transfer pressure, was 6.354 mm diameter!

At least the plungers were Metric, from 6 mm upto 10 mm in 0.5mm increments.

So we tended to think in whichever system seemed best suited to the task in hand.

Howard

[Gerard O’TooleParticipant @gerardotoole60348]

.The Americans actually use two different definitions of foot, , the customary foot and the US survey foot. But both units are defined in relation to SI units. There is no independent, primary, American or Imperial standard. All are simply defined as so many metres, etc.

For most of us, dealing in major divisions or multiples of the metre is easier. But I appreciate some people like to work in multiples ( or divisions) of 0.0254metres.

Edited By Gerard O'Toole on 09/02/2020 17:29:57

Edited By Gerard O’Toole on 09/02/2020 17:38:45

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by Bandersnatch on 09/02/2020 16:38:38:

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 09/02/2020 12:26:00:

For example, force is often measured in foot-pounds, or ounce inches,

It is ?

No, I picked up that one too. Force is just pounds, ounces etc., as weight equivalent in 1 g.

Foot pounds is either torque (force at radius), work or kinetic energy, depending on context. It worked well enough, but I have to agree that Imperial measure belongs with horsed cavalry, dreadnought battleships, coal-fired locomotives and a few social institutions I could mention but won't.

It still has a lot of emotional appeal, though – just like coal-fired locos and other childhood icons. And the appeal of metric isn't entirely logical, either – the wish to avoid conversion work is as emotional as the enjoyment of doing it fluently.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

My thoughts? There are some that can and some that can’t, just as there are some that will and some that won’t.

Things just get further muddled by those that can’t, saying they won’t.

Is it as simple as that?

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by not done it yet on 09/02/2020 17:46:21:

My thoughts? There are some that can and some that can’t, just as there are some that will and some that won’t.

Things just get further muddled by those that can’t, saying they won’t.

Is it as simple as that?

Not really. You forgot those that won't saying they can't.

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Mick B1 on 09/02/2020 17:39:36:

And the appeal of metric isn't entirely logical, either – the wish to avoid conversion work is as emotional as the enjoyment of doing it fluently.

Having been taught, at various times, CGS; MKS; "Rationalised" MKS; SI (and I'm sure there was another in there somewhere), I'll settle for a nice, stable Slug any day of the week.

[Mark Gould 1Participant @markgould1]

I work in aviation and we use knots, Mach, feet, nautical miles, statute miles, meters, liters, US gallons you name it. A right mess!

[GeorgineerParticipant @georgineer]

Posted by duncan webster on 09/02/2020 16:28:25:

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 09/02/2020 13:11:27:

Would a true Metric devotee really be comfortable with 0.1” [or indeed 2.54mm] lead spacing on components ?

Metric time didn’t work out very well either.

MichaelG.

Base 60 for minutes in an hour and 24 for hours in a day was invented by the Babylonians some thousands of years BC, so I wouldn't call it Imperial

And yes I'm perfectly happy with 0.1" spacing on ICs, it's a world standard. No doubt in the Imperial nirvana some want to return to it will be changed to 1/8", can't have any of those nasty decimals can we

I've got some veroboard based on a 5/32" grid, so can we have ICs on that, rather than 1/8" please? It will make prototyping so much easier.

Incidentally, as far as I know, the only international unit defined in British units (rather than metric) was the Russian sagène which was defined in 1833 as seven English feet. It didn't last long.

George B.

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

The worlds most staunch supporter of the Imperial System, the USA, was I believe in fact the first country to adopt the Metre Standard in the late 1800’s, so why their reluctance of the metric system ?
Dave W

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Bandersnatch on 09/02/2020 16:38:38:

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 09/02/2020 12:26:00:

For example, force is often measured in foot-pounds, or ounce inches,

It is ?

No it's not!

For the avoidance of doubt, Energy is measured in foot-pounds.

Think I should start a new thread for recording my mistakes. It shall be entitled: "What's the Clown Done Now?"

Dave

[Author]

Posts