You Going Metric?

[mike_wood]

My wife asked me to make a new chest-of-drawers for her and while looking around the web for ideas I was struck by how many US woodworkers use metric or a combination. I was looking at a dresser and the plan was totally in metric. I've looked at youtube vids and found some WW's who are working almost entirely in metric. I have some metric tapes & will buy more. I think I will switch entirely. Wondering what others are thinking.

The US is pretty much the only nation using metric which seems pretty short sighted. I bet if industry associations were asked they would support a gradual change. I know I am tired of buying two of every tool and trying to guess at the size of tool I need for products I've ordered. I recently was assembling a cart and found some parts were in metric and some imperial.

 

[Mike Davis]

The change was mandated in the 60s, I think. We were supposed to be learning metric in school when I was in 6th grade, but they taught it wrong.

Instead of bringing out a meter stick and saying “here’s a meter, it is divided into ten parts and each of those is divided into ten parts and so on… it’s easy right?

But no, they had to go all numeric conversion. 2.54 mm per inch, too much math for youngsters. They made a very simple thing ultra hard. We didn’t need to know all those conversions, that just complicated everything.

We could be 100% metric now but the public school system screwed it all up.

 

[Tarhead]

We've fought the change since Jimmy Carter. I converted when stationed in Germany in the early 70s and used it exclusively in my career in healthcare here. So much easier.

 

[Gofor]

I use both, whichever seems to most closely fit the "hard" measurements (ex: If a cabinet has to be an exact height to match a 36" high counter-top, 36" is easier to use than 914mm. Conversely, if a measurement comes out to 25 11/16ths it might be easier to use 650mm). However, once into the project, I normally am transferring measurements (width of a dado based on actual finished thickness of the lumber etc). For this I use various tools such as a combination square set as a thickness or depth gauge, calipers, marking gauge, or marking off a shelf length using a knife to scribe and the first shelf as the reference. I have found this to be more accurate than relying on a tape measure or ruler.

That said, I have never used published plans for the exact measurements. They are a basic guide that I adapt to what materials I have. If my boards clean up at 15/16ths, I am not going to waste time or tool wear to reduce them to 3/4s just because that is how the plans were drawn. Especially now when a store bought "3/4" thick board rarely is.

Imperial measurements are handy when dividing things into equal parts. With imperial, it is easy to divide things by 2, 3, 4 , or 6. With metric, you are stuck with 2 or 5. With wood working, not so much an advantage, but dealing with liquid or volume measurements, it does make a big difference.

I agree its a pain to have duplicate tool sets for wrenches, but then tools are like clamps: No such thing as too many of them! LOL

 

[tvrgeek]

I have thought about converting to metric, but for woodworking, there is an ease of the Imperial system. What is 1/3? Easy in Imperial.

Of course, the world would have worked better if we had kept base 12 to start with.

Two sets of wrenches? Guess you never worked on British cars. We also have Whitworth!

 

[bob vaughan]

I use both, whichever seems to most closely fit the "hard" measurements

Same here.
Metric fasteners seem a little flimsy so I avoid them when I can.
A lot of consumable woodworking tooling I have is standard so there's that convenience.

Both systems are used in the USA. That's just the nature of our world, like it or not.

 

[DSWalker]

I know what 2 liters looks like. Thanks to the soda industry.

Thats about it. lol

 

[Echd]

Luckily, using one doesn't exclude use of the other, and woodworking is not so precise and demanding an artform that a millimeter between friends can't be sanded over...

But of course in my mind I'll always think, a centimeter? Well, there is about 2 and a half of those to an inch...

 

[jlwest]

Hard to teach a old dog new tricks. If I were younger I would switch.

 

[Willemjm]

My wife asked me to make a new chest-of-drawers for her and while looking around the web for ideas I was struck by how many US woodworkers use metric or a combination. I was looking at a dresser and the plan was totally in metric. I've looked at youtube vids and found some WW's who are working almost entirely in metric. I have some metric tapes & will buy more. I think I will switch entirely. Wondering what others are thinking.

The US is pretty much the only nation using metric which seems pretty short sighted. I bet if industry associations were asked they would support a gradual change. I know I am tired of buying two of every tool and trying to guess at the size of tool I need for products I've ordered. I recently was assembling a cart and found some parts were in metric and some imperial.

I grew up overseas, no inches or feet or lbs or BTU's.
I converted though, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

On occasion, when there is a lot of math, such as equally dividing a space into multiple spaces, I use metric. For that I use a tape measure with both inches and mm on the scale. Other than that, I use a fractions calculator on my Iphone to add and subtract staying with imperial.

Metric sure is a lot easier, especially for me, but we buy lumber in Bd ft, 4/4, 8/4 etc., instead of cubic meters, all customers talk feet and inches, all house plans are in feet and inches, so at the end of the day metric flies out the window.

The only thing I could never convert to imperial, is competitive bicycling. It sounds a whole lot better when we average 40km/h rather than 25m/h. Also, my motorcycle has a speed restrictor which kicks in at 300km/h, which sounds much better than 186mph.

 

[chris_goris]

Theyre just units. Use whatever works for the application and your comfort level. In woodworking, measuring is not always necessary anyhow.

 

[bob vaughan]

Both systems pale compared to Bobsrule.

 

[Raymond]

I bought and used both standard and metric mechanic tools (think wrenches, sockets and rulers). I trimmed my houses using metric and turned most things using metric. I got used to using both systems but did not try to mix or convert - I chose one method and stuck with for that project.

 

[Fishbucket]

Never.

 

[Phil S]

I use both but prefer metric and use it exclusively when doing work alone in my shop

 

[creasman]

No

 

[PeteM]

Question for Jim and Joe
Why never and no?
Just wondering.

 

[creasman]

Simple question so I was just giving a simple answer.

As to a longer explanation, I don't see any advantage to switching to metric in woodworking. All the measuring tools I have are imperial and the sheet goods and lumber I buy are imperial. The fasteners I use are imperial. The plans I follow from various books and magazines use imperial measurements.

The imperial system is closer to base 2, where each successively smaller unit is half the previous one (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, etc.). Halving seems more natural than division by 10. I tend to think in fractions and not decimals. Also, 12 and 16 are divisible by more numbers than 10.

I have a strong sense for how long 1' or 1" is. I'd have to reprogram myself to get to the same place with 1 cm or 1 dm (or, does anyone even use dm's).

I'm not religious about my decision. I just find the imperial system to be a more practical and organic system, rather than one designed by committee. Others may be of a different mindset.

I'll end with one final thought, concerning "measuring" vs "layout". With measuring the ruler is the master. Layout engages the eye and is focused on good proportions and proper fit. I think most of us would agree that once you start building the work piece becomes the measuring tool. At that point it's not about inches or centimeters, or even using a ruler. It's about fit.

 

[drw]

My education and career were centered in the sciences where metric is the system of choice. That said, after many years of dealing with metric measures I find that I almost always make a "mental" conversion to imperial - I suppose it is just easier for me to relate to imperial measures. Jim, while I am sure some will disagree with your defense of the imperial system, I think you made an outstanding case!

 

[bainin]

measurement..just eyeball everything !