Re: imperial
 

I was taught in metric, for the past 11yrs while working as an engineer, I use imperial. I can use both, the drawings i produce are in metric and imp,but when working in the workshop machining and buliding its easier to use imp. everybody knows what 1" and 12" are (well not most ladys it appears ;0) )
and im 12.6st

Re: imperial
 

Like most of the old farts I use imperial and metric depending on what I'm doing. But my favourite measure is planed timber, which always comes in odd sizes like 22mm. So how do you end up with 22mm???

Easy, start off with 1" sawn timber, plane off 1/16" all over, then round down to the nearest number of millimeters = 22mm. (imperial = 1" PAR)

Of course it's sold nice metric amounts too, 2.4m and 1.8m (8' and 6')

Re: imperial
 

LMAO, i love the wood sizes too, Crazy

Re: imperial
 

Why is "knacker" filtered?

What about rods, poles and perches? A furlong is 1/8th of a mile.... very important if you follow the gee-gees :thumbsup:

I went to school in the '70s and 80s and Uni in the 80's. I work in both SI and Imperial and am happy with either.

Re: imperial
 

Which is also the length of a cricket pitch :thumbsup:

Never could fathom fathoms though :-(

Re: imperial
 

Fathoms is easy. It's the number of 6' tall sailors standing on each other's heads you'd need to reach the bottom.

But Knots can get knotted.

Re: imperial
 

Four score and seven years ago........

Re: imperial
 

Like most other folk "of a certain age" I use both systems.

Timber - 2.4m length of 4x2 please

In my professional past, an engine I was responsible for had been partly metricated, the block and lower parts were imperial (UNF/UNC fasteners), the heads were metric.

First job I ever had was with British Aircraft Corporation (clue in the name) and I had to work out moments of inertia, the units were "slug.ft squared" (a slug is 32.2 lbs mass approx, one pound force accelerates one slug mass at one foot per sec per sec).

Clearances I still think of in imperial, I know what 2 thou clearance is like, never have got the feeling for microns. When measuring for cutting timber etc I usually do a double check, once metric once imperial.

Some people think the "bit" was introduced with the electronic computer, it's much older than that, "two feet nine and a bit" ..........

There are some wonderful old units of measure specific to certain trades and industries,
paper (foolscap = 17"x131/2" etc),
weights (Apothecaries, 20grains = 1 scruple etc),
1 Barrel of beer = 36 galls,
1 Butt of beer = 17.4 cu.ft. and weighs 9 3/4 hundredweight (cwt),
1 Tun of vegetable oil = 236 galls,
1 Tun of animal oil = 252 galls,
1 "Load" of plain tiles = 1000
1 "Seam" of glass = 24 stones
1 Stone of glass = 5 lbs
1 Stone of meat = 8 lbs
1 Faggot of steel = 120 lbs
1 Fodder of lead = 19 1/2 cwt
1 cavalry horse = 11 cwt
1 Fathom of lathwood = 6ft x 3ft x 4ft = 72 cu.ft.
1 Cord of wood = 8ft x 4ft x 4ft = 128 cu.ft.
1 Pig of ballast = 56 lbs
1 Cask of blacklead = 11 1/2 cwt

Everyone knows horses are measured in "Hands" (= 4"), but a Nail = 2 1/4" and 1 Palm = 3", 1 Span is 9", 1 Foot = 12", 1 Pace = 2 2/3 ft, 1 Geometrical Pace = 5ft,

then there's naval stuff, 1 Fathom = 6 ft, 1 Long Line = 450 ft

1 Pole = 6 yds Woodland measure, or 7 yds Plantation measure, or 8 yds Cheshire measure, or 16ft 6" = 1 Rod, Pole or Perch.

......now, about this new fangled SI business..............

Re: imperial
 

Sounds a lot like a Mini.

Re: imperial
 

I get old dears come in to the bike shop asking if I can size up their Grandchild for a bike and then they give me some old imperial measurement. I have to be honest, I do not know how big three, four or five feet is. I am SI trained and have been through School, college and University. Makes me feel like a real thicky when some poor Granny has to hold up her hand and say Sorry Grannies, we still love you though.

Also I am 78 kilos and 177cm tall, does this make me a porker? :smt097