One of the early problems, way back when US tried to switch, was with
the machines. Before DRO, when you only used the hand wheels on a lathe
or mill, they were in inches. So you had to convert all dims on the
paper drawing, or buy a new machine with metric dials. So most of us had
to use both metric and inches at the same time. But I guess the one you
learned first or grew up with will be dominant.
--
Billy Hiebert
HIEBERT SCULPTURE WORKS
Small Part Injection Molding
http://www.hieberts.com

Dean wrote:

Just curious. How many of you work in inches still ? I was forced to go
metric at my technical college when I was being made all clever as an
apprentice. But back at my employers workshop he made me work in inches as "
This metrication is the work of Communists trying to break down our
traditions and enforce their way of thinking ! " The Russians were metric so
it had to be bad. But even though Australia has been fully metric for
roughly 25 years ( it didn't all happen at once ) kids still know that if
someone is 6 feet 8 inches they're tall, and that if someone can run 20
miles that pretty darn fit etc. Brass is still supplied in inch sizes but
quoted in stupid metric conversions - eg, " Sorry mate we dont have any
three eighth diameter brass rod but I can supply 9.525 mm if thats OK ? "

I remember arguing with my grandma about all this as a teenager. She was
reading from an article in the paper which had a conversion chart from
inches to millimetres. " So they reckon this will make things easier. How
can anyone say that 25.4 mm is easier to say than one inch ?!! " she'd ask.
I tried pointing out that she was looking at the whole thing the wrong way
round. I got so fed up I said " I suppose your amazed that just enough news
occurs in the world each day to fill a neswpaper without leaving any gaps
then ." She looked at me over her glasses and said " Well now you're just
being silly ! "

Dean.