Moved-off topic

[dabear3428]

I would disagree on both counts. Over the years we've had ski boats, fishing boats, pontoon boats, sailboats, canoes, and kayaks. Other than the initial investment they were all nearly cost free. The power boats did require gas and oil, but in over 50 years I doubt we've spent $500.00 on repairs and upgrades.
Machine tools on the other hand need constant care and feeding. Every project requires another $500.00 of material and about an equal amount in tooling and fixtures. Then there's always that additional operation you could do inhouse if you had just one more machine.

I started with a mill and a lathe. I now have over two dozen machines in the shop, and that's after I gave away a few that were duplicates or triplicates. I don't think I ever had two dozen boats, even if you count the ones I play with in the bathtub.

As for the math to me one is no better than the other. Being a geezer, I started with the imperial measurements. After a short period of time, they became second nature. I do most of the imperial math in my head and occasionally pull out the calculator to double check critical calculations. The vertical mill has both imperial and metric dials and a DRO. The lathes require a little brain function and more use of the calculator in that the lathes use different lead screws. The older one moves .100" or 2.54 mm per revolution on the cross slide the newer one moves 1/8" or 3.175 mm per revolution.

I have no idea of why you keep perpetuating these lies, everyone knows the most expensive hobby is women, don't agree? i will introduce you to my Wife and she will promptly tell you the same thing she told me, "another woman in your life will be the MOST expensive thing you ever do".

 

[projectnut]

I stand corrected!!! I should have remembered from days past.

“The most expensive thing in the world is a woman who’s free for the evening”

 

[Aaron_W]

I have no idea of why you keep perpetuating these lies, everyone knows the most expensive hobby is women, don't agree? i will introduce you to my Wife and she will promptly tell you the same thing she told me, "another woman in your life will be the MOST expensive thing you ever do".

I've known guys who seem to collect ex-wives, that has to be way more expensive than boats, fast cars, airplanes.
I've never heard of a boat taking 1/2 your stuff.

 

[Dhal22]

Wrong as usual (since the 1770’s): most expensive hobby is a boat, otherwise known as “a hole in the water you continue to pour money into.”

And the “English” standard of measurement (inches/feet/miles) that you developed is “wrong?”

I sold both of my boats for more than I paid for them. Maintenance didn’t bother me, just another excuse to go to the lake (my boats were at a marina).

 

[JPMacG]

At least with boats you can do your own maintenance if you want to.

 

[mcostello]

I know of a Guy that had 5 different kinds of models of Women. 1/2÷1/2÷1/2÷1/2÷1/2÷= I think not very much.

 

[Gnpenning]

Want an expensive hobby? Try horses. Aside from the initial cost of the beast, there is boarding, the cost of feed, vet care, farrier bills, a horse trailer to take the beast to shows, trail rides, etc. a truck to pull the trailer, tack, suitable personal riding gear. And if you believe that you would be better off boarding yourself, you truly will be buying the farm. Heaven forbid you are going to have that special mare bred. Not you have two mouths to feed, along with all the other expenses.

Oh yeh, the beasts keep costing, even when not in use.

Ouch. This is a hobby that brought me great satisfaction for many years. For me they are anything but "beasts". More like a thing of beauty and power. Amazing athleticism. I've had the privilege of having companionship of many great specimens. Going on week long pack trips or hauling to competitions with something so large that is willing to work as a partner is satisfying. I've rode many different types of disciplines in competition and have been lucky enough to been successful. There's nothing like a back country ride.

Riding is a great way to relieve outside stresses for me. I prefer animals to most humans. While I love my dogs, horses hold a higher spot for me. With that said, there are more than a few animals I wouldn't want in my place. Cost as much to feed a good one as a bad one. Like people, I don't waste my time with difficult ones.

For years my horses paid for themselves.

Biggest money pit was women.

 

[m1kemex]

But those inches, feet and miles put men on the moon and returned them safely.

And screwed up the Hubble Telescope and caused many accidents too.

Machine tools on the other hand need constant care and feeding. Every project requires another $500.00 of material and about an equal amount in tooling and fixtures. Then there's always that additional operation you could do inhouse if you had just one more machine.

I started with a mill and a lathe. I now have over two dozen machines in the shop, and that's after I gave away a few that were duplicates or triplicates. I don't think I ever had two dozen boats, even if you count the ones I play with in the bathtub.

Yup. I had to buy an entire building to keep my tools in.

Y'see, that's the problem I do have with imperial: the use of fractional inches. I'm much more likely to use mm when doing my (albeit 'rustic') woodwork than 3/8" or 5/16".

And I hate the use of fractional inches in relation to machining (threading, drill sizes, stock sizes, etc.) I understand where 0.3125" sits in relation to say, 0.375" but 5/16" compared with 3/8"?

Now that's probably because I'm used to decimals in the metric system and I guess if I'd been schooled in a time when fractional measurement was preeminent I'd be instinctively comfortable with it. Still, it seems a clunky way of specifying dimensions that requires more mental operations to use.

A friend of mine in Nevada once asked me about the metric system. She said "why is the centimeter more convenient than the inch?" And I said: "thing is, it's not really the 'metric' system. It's the decimal/positional metric system. A kilometer is just 1000 meters and a milimeter is the 1/1000 of a meter. There is only one unit for each concept (meter, liter, gram, second) and the rest just follow mathematical relationships between them. With the imperial system you have to know that there are twelve inches in a foot, three feet in a yard, 1,760 yards in a mile... an so on.".

 

[SouthernChap]

And screwed up the Hubble Telescope and caused many accidents too

Measurement systems are just tools. I'd say it was the people using them that caused the problems.

 

[higgite]

I'm in awe of you metric folks who can tell date and time, what with 365 day/52 week/12 month years, month lengths that are all over the place, 7 day weeks, 24 hour days, 60 minute hours, 1/4 hours, 1/2 hours and such. It must be hard for you when you can't just divide it all by 10. I have a hard time just sorting out the deci's from the centi's and the kilo's, so you have my admiration.


Tom