Forget English units Vs. Metric.... try the 'bob'

kp91

After a couple of posts that recently cited the difficulties for english unit people to go metric, metric people go english, I remembered a guy I read about a while back that made his own scale. He liked the precision of metric for small measurements, but liked feet and inches for larger measurements.

Check him out, it's kind of interesting!

http://bobsrule.com/

(I myself prefer thousandths of an inch for small measurements....)

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Doug
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bobj3

Hi Doug

I prefer decimal system but that's just my 2 cents..

A fraction whose denominator is some power of 10, usually indicated by a dot (decimal point or point) written before the numerator: as 0.4 = 4/10; 0.126 = 126/1000.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plan_fo..._United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom

Bj

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harrysin

A fascinating concept Doug. with some merit, however as it could not possibly ever take-over from our present systems it would mean a third system causing total confusion and as for price, ouch!

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The best advice that I can give a newcomer to routing is, learn to use the router mounted, this can be as simple as a board held in a vice, with the router firmly attached and a simple fence held with clamps, and when he/she feels competant and confident in it's use and is familiar with all aspects of safety, THEN, and only then proceed to learn how to use the router hand held. This is MY opinion, and may or may not coincide with that of the forum management, but is based on a lifetime of woodworking.


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Joe Lyddon

I agree with Harry...

Metric for woodworking would be much easier overall...

There are such things as Meters, Centimeters, and Millimeters, etc. to take the place of Yards, feet, inches, etc.

No fractions with Metric system... I think... Yes?

simplenik

As a "Metric" guy, let me to input my 2 cents (as you say).

I worked with both systems and 7/16" is "visual" for me but I live in a "Metric" environment and as I responded once; I would not by nothing from USA because I will not find parts or bits or whatever to fit.

It's the same for you in the USA, you would not buy a table saw with 30 mm arbor because it will be very difficult to find in the BORG and you would not like to "run" all over the Internet to find 30 mm bore that will cost you more because it's special production or "Imported".

Yes, the Metric system is very easy to use because it does not have any fractions and it's decimal.
The smallest unit is the Millimeter and in the very few cases we use 0.5 mm or so.

I was reading in "WoodWeb" a reply to someone that was working with CNC and did not get good precision, the reply was "you must change to Millimeters".

I think that it's a bit of a problem to use Metric system in Imperial environment, not only but you are "pre-programmed" to think Imperial like we in Europe are pre-programmed to think Metric, and let me tell you a "secret"; in Europe, the iron water tubes are measured in "Zal" (tsal) that is German for Inch, so when I buy the iron tubes for the "Ponney" clamps I buy 3/4 Zal tube.

I think that you could make the Imperial measuring system for woodworking much easier...
Usually, in Europe, you will not see a furniture plan with dimensions less the 1 mm.

When you plan and make the drawings, you can decide that you are using only one denominator, you can choose x/16" or x/32" or even x/64" (if you can see it) and than you just print on the plan "all dimensions are x/32" and write only the upper number of the fraction (I don't know how it's called in English) without all the 3/16" on one dimension and 27/32" on the other...you will just see numbers like 4, 7, 16 or 28....
But, you know better if it will work...

btw, I personally measure in Centimeters because that's what I see on the rulers and measuring tapes...

Just my 2 Zloty
niki

Drugstore Cowboy

No more calls ladies and gentlemen - - - we HAVE a winner :-)

There is no ONE thing that is the answer to all of this --
But you just hit on a KEY FACTOR -

The simplest system, tool, language whatever is most often the one you are MOST familiar with. Regardless of its intrinsic value or lack thereof.

I remember in the computer world when graphic interfaces (Mac and Windows) took the world by storm and introduced us to 'mice' and 'icon' and terms like 'intuitive' and 'user friendly'.
Many of my friends who had cut their teeth on keyboards and code -- found these same features clumsy - awkward - and other things I wouldn't quote in a public board.