"PanHandler" wrote in message
...

There are calculators available that do that.

Here's a good description:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniont...hs19carey.html

wrote in message ...
SNIP|
| A quart of milk measured in a accurate measuring cup will be the same
| amount as the metric equivalant.
|
| A 9/16 wrench will fit a 9/16 bolt the just as well as a 12 MM wrench
| will fit a 12 MM bolt.
|
| What you said makes no sense at all.
|
| Mark

Been there -- Done that -- Paid dearly for it.

The quart of milk will suddenly become a LITER of milk -- only the quantity will go down.

I also remember doing some work on a Renault Dauphine (?spelling) and having to get a 19/32 wrench because all my SAE stuff was either a shade too small or big to fit. The upshot is I needed a whole new set of METRIC wrenches. One hell of a merchandising ploy.

Mostly, I found the conversion to metric to be a big PITA -- all the prices went up and all the sizes went down.

--
PDQ

--

wrote in message ...
| On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 06:27:22 GMT, Tony Hwang wrote:
|
| PanHandler wrote:
| "marson" wrote in message
| oups.com...
|
| 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.
|
|
| First of all, they would have specified that window opening as 84 cm not
| 83.625 cm, so halving it is pretty easy. The decimal system is a cinch to
| work with. As far as precision is concerned, try microns or nanometers!
|
|
| Hmmm,
| Anyone has 8 fingers? 16 toes?. LOL!
| Real logical numbering is binary.
|
| You know the "Foot" began as exactly what it sounds like. Apparently
| the guy that created the foot as a measurement had a 12 inch foot in
| his shoes. This is true.
|
| Now, lets guess that back then, the people were being attacked by wild
| animals and had a lot of accidents with no medical care available.
| That means that most people only had 8 fingers or toes. That must be
| where they came up with the inch and divisions of 4. (just kiddin
| about this part).
|

The inch is "the distance from the tip of the King's thumb to the first knuckle.
Good thing the king in question was normally equipped.

--
PDQ

--

"PanHandler" wrote in message
...

"Ralph Mowery" wrote in message
ink.net...

"marson" wrote in message
oups.com...
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. 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.

So find the center of an opening 31 5/8" in a flash. Or devide a space
20
feet, 2 5/8" into 3 even spaces.


There are calculators available that do that.

Yes, but the statement was to do it without a calculator.

On 11-Mar-2006, wrote:

All standard construction in the US has studs spaced at 16 or 24
inches.

40cm, 60cm. Pretty difficult, huh?

8 by 4 feet.

2.4 by 1.2 m. Thickness? One inch is 25mm. A two by four is 50 by
100mm nominal. No need to be more accurate. Construction accuracy
is 1/8 inch in imperial units and some dimensions (like wood dimensions)
are nominal anyway. If you are concerned with accuracy, you have to know
the difference between nominal sizes and finished sizes.

Canada switched to metric for construction in the 70's and the construction
industry didn't fall over and die. Arguments against switching to metric are
based on fear of change, not logic.

Mike

On 11-Mar-2006, Jesse wrote:

However hardware, fuel etc.
ids sold by kg and litre and alows them to charge more for less.

Bull****.

Mike

According to PanHandler :

There are calculators available that do that.

SAE is a plot by calculator manufacturers to sell more calculators.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

Michael Daly wrote:
On 11-Mar-2006, Jesse wrote:

However hardware, fuel etc.
ids sold by kg and litre and alows them to charge more for less.

Bull****.

Mike

It's a strawman argument used by the naysayers. That the free market
would still operate under the new system just goes right over their
heads.

Harry K

Michael Daly wrote:
On 11-Mar-2006, wrote:

All standard construction in the US has studs spaced at 16 or 24
inches.

40cm, 60cm. Pretty difficult, huh?

8 by 4 feet.

2.4 by 1.2 m. Thickness? One inch is 25mm. A two by four is 50 by
100mm nominal. No need to be more accurate. Construction accuracy
is 1/8 inch in imperial units and some dimensions (like wood dimensions)
are nominal anyway. If you are concerned with accuracy, you have to know
the difference between nominal sizes and finished sizes.

Canada switched to metric for construction in the 70's and the construction
industry didn't fall over and die. Arguments against switching to metric are
based on fear of change, not logic.

Mike

Amen. And once the change was made, they would be wondering why they
ever opposed it.

Harry K

On 12-Mar-2006, "Harry K" wrote:

PDQ wrote:
wrote in message ...
| On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 06:27:22 GMT, Tony Hwang wrote:
|
| You know the "Foot" began as exactly what it sounds like. Apparently
| the guy that created the foot as a measurement had a 12 inch foot in
| his shoes. This is true.

The inch is "the distance from the tip of the King's thumb to the first knuckle.
Good thing the king in question was normally equipped.

They seem to have used just about every part of the king's body except
one. Not long enough?

Make that king's bodies - there were many standards for foot and not all of them
were the same. Ditto inch. Every country in the old world had its own version of
each unit and some had several competing versions within a country.

You can find properties in Canada with titles in acres and the one adjacent
is in arpents. Those would be over 250 years old, of course. The most modern
ones would be hectares.

Mike

On 12-Mar-2006, "Harry K" wrote:

Michael Daly wrote:
On 11-Mar-2006, Jesse wrote:

However hardware, fuel etc.
ids sold by kg and litre and alows them to charge more for less.

Bull****.

Mike

It's a strawman argument used by the naysayers. That the free market
would still operate under the new system just goes right over their
heads.

A pretty poor one - if they were really concerned about getting ripped off
in buying fuel, they'd insist it was sold in kilograms and not litres or
gallons.

Mike

Michael Daly wrote:
On 12-Mar-2006, "Harry K" wrote:

Michael Daly wrote:
On 11-Mar-2006, Jesse wrote:

However hardware, fuel etc.
ids sold by kg and litre and alows them to charge more for less.

Bull****.

Mike

It's a strawman argument used by the naysayers. That the free market
would still operate under the new system just goes right over their
heads.

A pretty poor one - if they were really concerned about getting ripped off
in buying fuel, they'd insist it was sold in kilograms and not litres or
gallons.

And they'd specify the temperature of the liquid.

R

According to PDQ :
wrote in message ...
SNIP|
| A quart of milk measured in a accurate measuring cup will be the same
| amount as the metric equivalant.

| A 9/16 wrench will fit a 9/16 bolt the just as well as a 12 MM wrench
| will fit a 12 MM bolt.

| What you said makes no sense at all.

Been there -- Done that -- Paid dearly for it.

The quart of milk will suddenly become a LITER of milk -- only the quantity will go down.

And so with the price.

I also remember doing some work on a Renault Dauphine (?spelling) and having to get a 19/32 wrench because
all my SAE stuff was either a shade too small or big to fit. The upshot is I needed a whole new set of
METRIC wrenches. One hell of a merchandising ploy.

Yeah. Building cars using one's own national measurement system. Isn't that awful.

Obviously, the French Academie has been in cahoots with Asian wrench makers since the
1700s - one day those damn yanks are going to have to change their wrenches, and we cash
in big!

That's such amazing foresight. Why, they hadn't even invented wrenches then.

Mostly, I found the conversion to metric to be a big PITA -- all the prices went up and all
the sizes went down.

Yeah, just like yards going to metres, square yards to square metres, or acres to hectares.

Not.

Don't let the facts stand in you way, eh?
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

On 12 Mar 2006 19:45:18 -0800, "Harry K"
wrote:


PDQ wrote:
wrote in message ...
| On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 06:27:22 GMT, Tony Hwang wrote:
|
| PanHandler wrote:
| "marson" wrote in message
| oups.com...
|
| 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.
|
|
| First of all, they would have specified that window opening as 84 cm not
| 83.625 cm, so halving it is pretty easy. The decimal system is a cinch to
| work with. As far as precision is concerned, try microns or nanometers!
|
|
| Hmmm,
| Anyone has 8 fingers? 16 toes?. LOL!
| Real logical numbering is binary.
|
| You know the "Foot" began as exactly what it sounds like. Apparently
| the guy that created the foot as a measurement had a 12 inch foot in
| his shoes. This is true.
|
| Now, lets guess that back then, the people were being attacked by wild
| animals and had a lot of accidents with no medical care available.
| That means that most people only had 8 fingers or toes. That must be
| where they came up with the inch and divisions of 4. (just kiddin
| about this part).
|

The inch is "the distance from the tip of the King's thumb to the first knuckle.
Good thing the king in question was normally equipped.

--
PDQ

--

They seem to have used just about every part of the king's body except
one. Not long enough?

Harry K

ROTFL
I wonder what that part might be......

Want to impress a woman...
The average penis is 6 inches. That means it's 15.24 centimeters.
Just tell some woman that yours is a 15 (dont say 15 what)...

I guess this is one of the advantages of metric

Hee hee !!!

Mark

On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 15:17:56 GMT, "Tim Mulvey"
wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
On 11 Mar 2006 21:36:15 -0800, "RicodJour"
wrote:

That's another idiotic thing about the measurement system we use. We
use 16d nails, the d stands for penny, and we ask for a 16 penny nail,
even though the letter designation is the wrong letter and the penny
hasn't had anything to do with the size of the nail for over a century.
A 16d nail is ~3.5" long, which is 8.89 centimeters, you'd just ask
for a 9 cm nail. Since the 16d nail doesn't relate to anything about
the nail _anyway_, they might keep the name and it wouldn't matter.
You'd still know it was roughly the right size.

Yes, i know it means penny, which you'd think would be "P" not "D",
but the guy was probably a real bad speller.


d is the symbol for penny. It started a long time ago in England. 16d nails
cost 16 cents per hundred. Smaller nails cost less per hundred so you get
8d, 6d, etc.


Thanks

Now I know that.
Sure cant buy them for that price today.
100 16d's would probably be a little over 2 lbs and at todays price,
be around $2.50

On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 22:02:59 -0600, "PanHandler"
wrote:


"Toller" wrote in message
...
The rest of the world managed it.

Not much of the rest of the world had to change anything. They've been doing
everything in metrics right along. The problem would be if they had to
convert to the English system. They don't specify "3.856 X 5.891 electrical
boxes - they're probably called 4 X 6 boxes, the CM being taken for granted.


Hmmm.. French plywood is apparently sold in 250x122cm panels.

Thats about a millimeter more than 48" wide, and
almost 12mm more than 8' long

Lets say my sparkplug gap is 45 thou....

It's not. It's 45 mils, or 25 mikes,

wrote:
Tony Hwang wrote:
Metric system is far more accurate. One reason Rusia beat U.S. going to
moon. The sooner the better going to metric. Kids today learn metric
in schools.

When did the commies land on the moon? I must have missed that little
piece of history!

"the commies" managed to get unmanned probes into space and onto the
moon before the US did. Nothing to do with metric of course, but still.

PDQ wrote:
The quart of milk will suddenly become a LITER of milk -- only the quantity will go down.

Uhm, a liter is *more* than a quart.

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.

Not sure what standard window sizes exist in metric, but a 32 5/8" window
would be measured as 82.8 centimeters, so halving that is pretty easy.

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.

What makes you think one can't measure fractions of a millimeter when needed?

marson wrote:
I used the example of finding a midpoint because we do that a lot. the
house i'm building now has a lot of rough openings of 36 1/4. why the
quarter? no idea, but i doubt that if we were in the metric system,
manufacturers would mend their ways and start sizing things in even
numbers to make it a speck easier for us poor brain dead carpenters.

That's 92.075 centimeters. Given that these are *rough* openings, you'd
probably go with 92 centimeters in decimal, which is easily divisible
by 2.

On 13-Mar-2006, "RicodJour" wrote:

A pretty poor one - if they were really concerned about getting ripped off
in buying fuel, they'd insist it was sold in kilograms and not litres or
gallons.

And they'd specify the temperature of the liquid.

Temperature and volume or mass without temperature. Mass isn't affected
by temperature, whereas density is. Currently, gas sold in Canada is
measured in litres with correction to 15C. If the underground storage tank
is warmer, you are getting ripped off. If colder, you are getting a bargain.
Obviously, both differences are probably only pennies per tankful.

Commercial aircraft are fueled by weight, but pumped by volume. The conversion
is done based on actual temperatures, not an assumed temperature like auto fuel.

Mike

On 13-Mar-2006, "Cobra-WoW-" wrote:

Canada did not go metric in regards to construction or the lumber
industry... if we do you'll know... we supply you! lol

You mean those building code manuals I have on my shelf in SI units
don't exist? The oldest is from 1976 - it even has a code change based
on research I did in university in 1975.

The fact that lumber is still made to the old dimensions only shows that
converting to metric doesn't require conversion of all materials to new
dimensions.

Mike

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.


Can't find the original so replying here.

Why would one need a calculator to half a metric measurement? It is
simpler than the Enlish (actually American now) system. Or do you mean
to convert from 32 5/8" to metric then halve it? If so, why the hell
would you want to do that? If the naysayers would just forget about
converting back and forth they would realize their objections are
baseless.

For another exampe, try 37 11/16, quick what's the 1/2 point? In
metric it is just as simple no matter what the size.

Harry K

According to :
PDQ wrote:
The quart of milk will suddenly become a LITER of milk -- only the quantity will go down.

Uhm, a liter is *more* than a quart.

Bwahaha.

Which quart?

An imperial quart is 40oz. A US quart is 32oz.

A litre is about 35 oz.

And people think metric is harder ;-)
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

According to Michael Daly :

On 13-Mar-2006, "RicodJour" wrote:

A pretty poor one - if they were really concerned about getting ripped off
in buying fuel, they'd insist it was sold in kilograms and not litres or
gallons.

And they'd specify the temperature of the liquid.

Temperature and volume or mass without temperature. Mass isn't affected
by temperature, whereas density is. Currently, gas sold in Canada is
measured in litres with correction to 15C. If the underground storage tank
is warmer, you are getting ripped off. If colder, you are getting a bargain.
Obviously, both differences are probably only pennies per tankful.

Uh, the whole point of doing the correction is so that you don't get ripped off.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

Chris Lewis wrote:
According to Michael Daly :

On 13-Mar-2006, "RicodJour" wrote:

A pretty poor one - if they were really concerned about getting ripped off
in buying fuel, they'd insist it was sold in kilograms and not litres or
gallons.

And they'd specify the temperature of the liquid.

Temperature and volume or mass without temperature. Mass isn't affected
by temperature, whereas density is. Currently, gas sold in Canada is
measured in litres with correction to 15C. If the underground storage tank
is warmer, you are getting ripped off. If colder, you are getting a bargain.
Obviously, both differences are probably only pennies per tankful.

A 50 degree temperature differential would make an 8-10 gallon
difference in volume for a 500 gallon tank. A bit more than pennies...

R

The code manuals can be in metric. But are carpenters using metric
tape measures or english tape measures? Lets hear from a canadian
carpenter!

"RicodJour" wrote in message
ps.com...


A 50 degree temperature differential would make an 8-10 gallon
difference in volume for a 500 gallon tank. A bit more than pennies...

R


Most likely in the advantage of the consumer. Below ground storage
temperature for fuel is relatively stable year round. The delivering tanker
may well be 50 degrees higher (but the load was probably temperature
corrected anyway) and after dropped, it would densify as cooled.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"RicodJour" wrote in message
ps.com...


A 50 degree temperature differential would make an 8-10 gallon
difference in volume for a 500 gallon tank. A bit more than pennies...

R


Most likely in the advantage of the consumer. Below ground storage
temperature for fuel is relatively stable year round. The delivering tanker
may well be 50 degrees higher (but the load was probably temperature
corrected anyway) and after dropped, it would densify as cooled.

The first time this was brought to my attention was by an oil company
employee. He asked me if I had ever seen an oil truck with snow on it.
Nope. He pointed out that all the trucks are kept in a heated garage
for a reason, and it ain't security. The truck pulls up, offloads X
gallons as read by the truck's meter. The warmer oil coming out of the
truck is what is metered. The normal outdoor temperature is closer to
the temperature in an underground tank, at least around here (obviously
an indoor tank is different), so why heat the trucks if accuracy in
metering is the intention?

R

On 14 Mar 2006 19:02:08 -0800, "marson" wrote:

The code manuals can be in metric. But are carpenters using metric
tape measures or english tape measures? Lets hear from a canadian
carpenter!

My tape measure's got both.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"RicodJour" wrote in message
ps.com...


A 50 degree temperature differential would make an 8-10 gallon
difference in volume for a 500 gallon tank. A bit more than pennies...

R


Most likely in the advantage of the consumer. Below ground storage
temperature for fuel is relatively stable year round. The delivering tanker
may well be 50 degrees higher (but the load was probably temperature
corrected anyway) and after dropped, it would densify as cooled.

Densifying as it cooled would result in -less- fuel than paid for
unless the load was temperature corrected.

Harry K

According to marson :
The code manuals can be in metric. But are carpenters using metric
tape measures or english tape measures? Lets hear from a canadian
carpenter!

Most of my tape measures have both.

Carpenters will tend to use english measures for construction, but there
will be times where they will need metric.

Basic construction materials are still (mostly) english measures. Plywood
thicknesses are sometimes given as metric, depending on supplier/purpose.

Cabinet grade plywoods etc (especially that sourced from overseas) are often
fully metric.

"Official" publications & standards (eg: building code, electrical etc) are
officially metric, will give metric as the base/official specification, but
will often include english measure equivalents. If there's a conflict, metric
takes precedence.

Eg: roof sheathing/span table specifications are given officially in metric with
english equivalents using "english" spec'd materials.

Other "fields" are more firmly entrenched in metric. Eg: surveying, transport weights
and measures, containers, etc.

Generally speaking, a DIY or tradesperson's work is almost entirely english measure.

But once you get into manufacturing, especially those export related (except
construction lumber or liquid fuels to the US ;-), metric takes over almost completely.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

According to Harry K :

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"RicodJour" wrote in message
ps.com...

A 50 degree temperature differential would make an 8-10 gallon
difference in volume for a 500 gallon tank. A bit more than pennies...

Most likely in the advantage of the consumer. Below ground storage
temperature for fuel is relatively stable year round. The delivering tanker
may well be 50 degrees higher (but the load was probably temperature
corrected anyway) and after dropped, it would densify as cooled.

Densifying as it cooled would result in -less- fuel than paid for
unless the load was temperature corrected.

Precisely. That's the whole point behind temperature correction.

By doing this correction, the consumers gets the same quantity of
fuel per buck no matter what the temperature is.

The "15C correction" means that it's figuring out how much volume
you get if the temperature was at 15C. Which is equivalent to paying
a fixed rate for the fuel _weight_, but you're metering it by volume.

If the pumper trucks are trying to stay warm to "ding" someone, they're
dinging the gas station, not the consumer.

--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

On 14-Mar-2006, "RicodJour" wrote:

Obviously, both differences are probably only pennies per tankful.

A 50 degree temperature differential would make an 8-10 gallon
difference in volume for a 500 gallon tank. A bit more than pennies..

From a consumer's perspective, I was thinking of a _car's_ tankful. In my case, that's
about 40l.

On 15-Mar-2006, (Chris Lewis) wrote:

The "15C correction" means that it's figuring out how much volume
you get if the temperature was at 15C. Which is equivalent to paying
a fixed rate for the fuel _weight_, but you're metering it by volume.

My understanding was that it determined the volume based on an assumed
temperature of 15C regardless of actual temperature. To do as you suggest,
wouldn't the dispenser need to know the actual temperature as well? When
I worked at an oil company recently, I looked over the info on dispensers and
underground tank equipment and there was no part or mechanism for measuring
fuel temp.

PS - they are dispensers and not pumps. In the old days, there was a pump
for each hose. Now there pumps are at the tank and maintain a pressurized
system. The hose is connected to a dispenser with no internal pump.

Mike

"Harry K" wrote in message
temperature for fuel is relatively stable year round. The delivering
tanker
may well be 50 degrees higher (but the load was probably temperature
corrected anyway) and after dropped, it would densify as cooled.

Densifying as it cooled would result in -less- fuel than paid for
unless the load was temperature corrected.

Harry K

True, but at a gas station, the customer pumping the now densified fuel gets
the benefit. I was thinking of that, not a fuel oil drop for a residence.
OTOH, a Btu is a Btu and if it is burned efficiently, you still get the
heat.

Michael Daly wrote:
On 14-Mar-2006, "RicodJour" wrote:

Obviously, both differences are probably only pennies per tankful.

A 50 degree temperature differential would make an 8-10 gallon
difference in volume for a 500 gallon tank. A bit more than pennies..

From a consumer's perspective, I was thinking of a _car's_ tankful. In my case, that's
about 40l.

Ah, yes. The discussion was rather pedantic as the original statement
was "pennies" and that applies if it were 5 gal or 1000 gal. Any minor
difference (and it is almost imeasurable) of course will add up to real
money given enough volumn but it's hardly anything to loose sleep over.


Harry K

According to Michael Daly :

On 15-Mar-2006, (Chris Lewis) wrote:

The "15C correction" means that it's figuring out how much volume
you get if the temperature was at 15C. Which is equivalent to paying
a fixed rate for the fuel _weight_, but you're metering it by volume.

My understanding was that it determined the volume based on an assumed
temperature of 15C regardless of actual temperature. To do as you suggest,
wouldn't the dispenser need to know the actual temperature as well? When
I worked at an oil company recently, I looked over the info on dispensers and
underground tank equipment and there was no part or mechanism for measuring
fuel temp.

The temperature sensor would be in the pump ... er ... dispenser. I suspect
you missed it. There's some fairly fancy stuff in them these days in order
to ensure accurate flow measurement.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

Am Samstag, 11. März 2006 22:25:32 UTC-5 schrieb :
With the thread about metric conversion I got to thinking about
construction. Having dealt with cars that have both sae and metric
bolts is a pain in the butt, but I see a much bigger problem.
All standard construction in the US has studs spaced at 16 or 24
inches. A sheet of plywood, sheetrock, etc is usually 8 by 4 feet.
Roofing shingles, carpetting, linoleum, are all sold in yards, feet or
inches. Plumbing pipe is one half, three quarters one inch and so on.

We cant just change these things, and it would be totally rediculous
to have separate building materials for both inches and centimeters.
How can we ever change this? I surely dont want to buy a sheet of
plywood or sheetrock that wont fit across my 16" walls or floor
studs/joists. And if we keep the size the same, but change to metric
measurements, instead of saying a 4 by 8 foot sheet of plywood we
would have to say a long decimal equivalant with POINT something at
the end.

Something like carpeting or linoleum probably could be changed to the
nearest whole metric number because it does not rely on spaced studs
or joists, but then if a room was built to be 12 feet, and the
flooring ends up being a half inch less because of the conversion,
many people would be quite angry. So, they darn well better make it
larger, not smaller.....

Then comes the plumbing pipe. It MUST fit the old pipe. We can not
just change to the nearest metric number. And I'd sure hate to have
to go to the store and ask for a 3.856 by 5.891 CM electrical box,
when I can not ask for a 3x5 box.

Then comes dimentional lumber. It's bad enough we now have 2X4's in
buildings that are 2" X 4" 1 5/8" X 3 5/8" 1 1/2" X 3 1/2".
Lets not make this worse by adding yet another mismatched size,
because the number has to be metric.

I think building materials should just be left as they are. Even if
they were to leave the size as it is now, but change to metric
numbers, do you really thing many people would ask for that "3.856 by
5.891 CM electrical box"? I'd probably not even be able to remember
all those numbers.

About the only place in building where I could see the change not
being a real problem would be with liquid measurements. For example,
a gallon of paint or a quart of roofing cement.

And finally nails, screws, wire, etc.....
I am going to turn this into a question....
Is a #16 common nail 16 cm long? Is a #8 screw a metric number? (of
course the length is still in inches).
Is a #12 guage wire in metric, or what does that "12" mean?
I'm just guessing on this, I dont know metric well enough...

Mark


Mark this are questions only an american can ask. Guess how any development country goes along very well in metric.
You have to give up a 2x4 what is not a 2x4 either. or rediculus nails and screw sizes where have only one purpuse "teach the biggest BS ever".
The whole world do not have this problems you are pointing here.
There is one way only. Change regardless to metric and dump everything you know or have done so far in Imperial. But imedieattly.
Why, because Imperial is a one way DEAD END Road !!!!!
As sooner you turn as better . The way back on track is horribel but just gets worse every day PERIOD. Forgett about this flickering lightat the end of this dead end Imerial Road, go out of that tunnel and back into the sun.
Other countries are ahead in construction methods by 30 to 80 years !!! gues why ? Because a 2nd grader can do there better math then any engineer in imperial US Add 5/32 + 19/64 + 3/8 in 4 seonds ohh for example add 0,5 + 1.6 + 0,9 (numbers are not conversions) make the test your self with is faster? I bet you lost GRADE F sorry