On 11 Mar 2006 22:04:04 -0800, "RicodJour"
wrote:

marson wrote:
I also don't think people realize that there are actually advantages to
the english system. for example, what if you had to find the center of
a window opening that was 32 5/8" you can come up with 16 5/16 in a
flash. try it in metric without a calculator.

Convenient that you chose an even number easily divided by two. How
about dividing 33 cm by three? That's just as equally arbitrary and
meaningless example.

Also, there is the
issue of precision. at various times, you might need precision within
a 32nd, 16th, 1/8th, and so on. with metric you have mm, cm, and
meters.

How is that a difference? Making a semi-unit conversion is certainly
not easier than moving a decimal point. To add this string of numbers
3/16" + 1' 5/8" + 37 yards 31/32" you have to find the greatest common
denominator and convert all of the others, so you have to doing
multiplication above and below the line, plus you have to convert yards
by that not very convenient 3. In metric, adding this string of
numbers 33 cm + 112mm + 42 m only requires you to add the requisite
number of zeroes to the greater-unit numbers.

You're also ignoring the obvious fact that you are _already_ using the
decimal system. Say you need precision greater than 32nds or 64ths,
what do you do? You move to the ******* metric system and start using
hundreths and thousandths. Now the two systems converge - where
greater accuracy and precision is required, they both resort to just
moving the decimal point. No conversions necessary.

R

You mentioned thousandths....
Is that thousandths of an inch or something else?

Lets say my sparkplug gap is 45 thou....
does that mean the gap is 45 over 1000 of an inch, or what?
I always thought those drill bits with solid numbers (like 30) rather
than fractions (like 1/8") were metric?