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Do you work in Imperial or Metric?
- Thread starter Jim Dobson
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2013
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- 2,114
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2014
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- 891
One good reason the US has not converted to Metric is the cost.
Can you imagine what the cost would be to the transportation system to replace every sign on every roadway, train track, and other speed, distance or weight sign would be!
That alone would cost another trillion or two, and we are not needing that added to the deficit.
As for me, I use both systems when it is needed.
One thing tho that ticks me of is some of the older vehicles have a mixture of Metric and Imp nuts and bolts in use. I guess the manufacturer didn't want to waste the leftover imp hardware and kept using it in some applications.
Can you imagine what the cost would be to the transportation system to replace every sign on every roadway, train track, and other speed, distance or weight sign would be!
That alone would cost another trillion or two, and we are not needing that added to the deficit.
As for me, I use both systems when it is needed.
One thing tho that ticks me of is some of the older vehicles have a mixture of Metric and Imp nuts and bolts in use. I guess the manufacturer didn't want to waste the leftover imp hardware and kept using it in some applications.
I was never taught anything but imperial measure, but use either as needed. Though I do have some sympathy for Cami, I've never been able to get my head around Newton metres.
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2017
- Messages
- 737
I am 58, raised on 'Merican'. I work on lots of Japanese and European stuff, and can wrench in metric. Wrenches, sockets, etc. I know all the wrench sizes that do and do not cross. But when I build something, I work exclusively in inch.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
- Messages
- 613
Be prepared for further anal irritations . Chinese made fixings of all grades are often a combination of say imperial threads but with metric heads
or Americn A/F heads with BSF or BA thread , sadly if the thread form is close to one but also workable into another that's what you will usually get.
Quality made in USA or UK precision nuts , bolts & machine screws should be OK but as in everything that is precision made you pay a lot more for them .
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2012
- Messages
- 7,856
I can related, when I worked in automotive I work mostly on Japanese cars. Most all my tools are metric with minimal standard stuff. Bolt heads are easy for me to identify in metric. Like you when I build something I use standard but the funny thing is I prefer to use metric fastners. But if I'm making something where I need to single point threads I prefer to use standard.
A peeve of mine is if I'm adding on or modifying something like for a vehicle or whatever, if the vehicle or part uses metric fastners, I will not use standard fastners & vise versa. I hate when something has a mix of fastners.