Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 51
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2022
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Age
    48
    Posts
    15

    Default UK to revert to Imperial Measurements?

    Boris Johnson to reportedly bring back imperial measurements to mark platinum jubilee

    Being Australian, born in the mid-70s, I've never known anything other than metric measurements. yet learning woodworking primarily from online resources like YouTube, out of necessity, I've had to pick up and use some imperial measurements - and often convert them back to metric, make corresponding adjustments, etc.

    Any of you fervently for or against either measurement system, or happy to use which ever makes more sense for the project you're working on? Anyone who is proficiently bi-measurement?? Interested to hear people's thoughts!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Sunbury, Vic
    Age
    85
    Posts
    632

    Default

    Being a lot older than you, I grew up with imperial measurements but consider myself proficient in metric which I now use for woodworking.

    As a retired pharmacist, we went metric in the early 1960s and had no option but to learn it for weights and liquid measurements as we were still making a lot of mixtures, creams etc at that time.
    Tom

    "It's good enough" is low aim

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Woodstock (Cowra)
    Age
    75
    Posts
    832

    Default

    6 of one, half a dozen of the other, I prefer a metric dozen myself......
    The person who never made a mistake never made anything

    Cheers
    Ray

  4. #4
    Scribbly Gum's Avatar
    Scribbly Gum is offline When the student is ready, the Teacher will appear
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Telegraph Point
    Posts
    0

    Default

    Metric is so much simpler and consistent.
    Imperial length measures are a dog's breakfast.
    12 inches = 1 foot
    3 feet = 1 yard
    5-1/2 yards = 1 rod
    4 rods = 1 chain
    22 yards = 1 chain
    66 feet = 1 chain
    10 chains = 1 furlong
    220 yards = 1 furlong
    8 furlongs = 1 mile
    80 chains = 1 mile
    1760 yards = 1 mile
    5280 feet = 1 mile

    Now go to it converting one to and from the other.
    And then we have fractions......

    Now, while I am very old school and quite comfortable with imperial, it is the proverbial Saigon brothel on payday.
    Metric is so much more elegant - and that other word beginning with "E" - EASY

    Tom
    .... some old things are lovely
    Warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them ........................D.H. Lawrence
    https://thevillagewoodworker.blogspot.com/

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    moonbi nsw Aus
    Age
    70
    Posts
    228

    Default

    I started the Carpentry trade in 1970. All our work at Tech (you call it Tafe now) was in Imperial. In 1973 the company I worked for had a guest speaker come to run through what we needed to know about Metric. I don't remember any confusion with the transition. I am happy to work in either but I am more prominently use Metric.

    England has a unique way of doing things that are simple and turning them into ......crap/mush. They have road signs and speed signs in English (miles) but the trades seems to be Metric and then there was the Pound going "Metric"?? .When Australia went to dollars and cents the whole thing was based on 10/- being $1 that was easy, but the Poms went new pence and their "dollar" was based on their Pound being 20 shillings. I think it would have been a nightmare
    Just do it!

    Kind regards Rod

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    0

    Default

    I am German, naturally I am biased

    Imperial Measurements Explained ???!!! - YouTube

    Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Bundaberg
    Age
    54
    Posts
    160

    Default

    I’ve always been reasonably proficient in both systems; when I design something I’ll use a mixture although I tend towards metric when the drawing board and tee-square cone out. I’ll also use metric to scale down Imperial measurements; ie I’ll use 1 or 5mm to represent an inch…. if I’m honest I think better in Imperial; always estimating or visualising sizes in feet and inches.

    Weirdly though my schooling was 99% metric… but I always understood fractional inches and had no issues with them despite not being able to recall ever being taught about them. A few weeks ago I came across my 1968/9 copy of Aeromodeller Annual which I acquired in 1984. In that book are the partial plans of a plane called “Grey Ghost” which I successfully built from scratch; where the dimensions were missing I had calculated them using proportional values and written them in the book… all in fractional inches at the tender age of 14. I didn’t get any formal education in Imperial measurements until I began my engineering apprenticeship and was required to read Imperial verniers and micrometers.
    Nothing succeeds like a budgie without a beak.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Oberon, NSW
    Age
    64
    Posts
    0

    Default

    I've always measured my weight in Stones & Lbs, (Which can make for confused looks from the Doc when they ask 'what weight are you?')

    I have no idea why, nowadays I pretty much use metric for everything else except when imperial is forced upon me.

    Although, in another life when I did some work as a chippy, I'd get some odd-looks when I'd call off a measurement to the docker in mixed feet, inches and mm. 'Four foot two & five mil."

    Being a 60's bush baby I grew up conversant with both systems... and using both quite happily. But I guess as imperial has fallen out of favour I've been lazy and gone with the flow for long enough now that imperial has become 'work' to use.
    I may be weird, but I'm saving up to become eccentric.

    - Andy Mc

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Helensburgh
    Posts
    608

    Default

    It must be April Fools Day! American industry is slowly dragging the US into the metric measurement world and British industry has already converted so I doubt the idea will go over well with industries that have spent squillions to convert to imperial when there is basically no imperial tooling left in the world for manufacturing. I think he has been looking at the bottom of a few bottles or maybe more than a few. He might give Scotty a call and get some advice from him.
    CHRIS

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Bundaberg
    Age
    54
    Posts
    160

    Default

    It looks like it’s merely allowing grocery trades to revert to Imperial systems. Back in the nineties when the UK joined the EU there was a furore when Brussels dictated that pounds, ounces, pints and gils had to go and be replaced with metric equivalents. Industry of course easily bends to consumer demand and so produce thereafter was simply supplied in the exact metric sizes that matched the Imperial sizes that everybody was used to. Milk was supplied in 570ml bottles and minced beef in 454g packs. Boris’ plan simply allows grocers etc to revert to pricing in either which will keep several million home cooks happy.

    Incidentally; despite being a metric country Aus did exactly the same with timber and it still hasn’t changed to fully metric other than in pricing. You can’t buy 2 yards of 6” by 3/4” DAR or an 8’ by 4’ sheet of 3/8” ply…. except that’s exactly what you get. And stuff like framing timber despite being “sold” by the meter it is only supplied in feet and yards.
    Nothing succeeds like a budgie without a beak.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    471

    Default

    BJ probably thought up the idea on April 1st, as a distraction from his current problems.
    He probably wont be there long enough to introduce anything significant.
    I doubt he could get enough support for anything that significant because of the disruption and cost it would cause.
    Pollies are all about the next election.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Millmerran,QLD
    Age
    74
    Posts
    1,761

    Default

    There are still huge anomalies in the use of metric and imperial measurements. While in general metric is easier and more logical to use there are some things that seem to lend themselves to the imperial system such as the use of "thou" in engineering and pints if you are drinking beer.

    Perhaps Boris' announcement is just an excuse for another party.

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    ACT
    Age
    85
    Posts
    546

    Default

    Party????
    Party party or Political party?
    Regards
    Hugh

    Enough is enough, more than enough is too much.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Millmerran,QLD
    Age
    74
    Posts
    1,761

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by A Duke View Post
    Party????
    Party party or Political party?
    Regards
    Hugh

    Either way I suspect he is history waiting for a book.

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    1,183

    Default

    This is a Dead Cat issue.

    A stinking dead cat is thrown on the table, it distracts instantly from all the other issues.

    I know nothing of British politics, but this is only a desperate ploy from another failing government. Just like ours tried it on with Katherine Deves for Warringah Liberals and the attempts at "Boats are Coming!" SMS.

    These rancid stinking politics are the distraction of parties at their very end. If there are any tame English here, enlighten us?

    Ah yes, the issue: Metric wins. Imperial is dead.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •