When did metric take over?

[pontiac428]

The problem with conversion is simple. Americans would need to recalibrate their minds. That's the camel through the eye of the needle thing. Rigid thinking is what is currently being nurtured in society. An undertaking like this, a unit system swap, is small potatoes compared to the kind of flexibility we'd need to find in ourselves with order to survive the global crisis that is only faintly beginning to be palpable to us now. The metric system was a social experiment that failed because we weren't limber enough in our perceptions to see it through. In regards to collapse, even a little pandemic, and we're buried nose down in the wet sliding bank, augured into the mud up to our wings, and the river's rising.

 

[Jeff.64]

Yeah, but 1 ml of water has a mass of 1 g and a volume of 1 cc at standard temperature and pressure. How cool is that? Well, it's what I thought when learning this in HS chemistry. I too, can remember in middle school the big push to metric. I wish it worked out. I can "see" most small things in my head in metric, but I find myself dividing by 25 most of the time. The meter being originally based on the distance from the North Pole to the Equator. I forget how many million. Just makes sense... right? Just think of how much more money we can spend on an another gadget if we didn't need to buy yet another metric tap and drill if everything were already metric. Not to mention all of those broken 6-32 taps. They should make 6-32 fasteners illegal. Full disclosure, I've never actually broken a 6-32 tap, but I've broken a few 4-40's in my youth. First sign of getting hard to turn, I get a sharp one and relegate the dull one to that pile of HHS that I plan on re-purposing some time before I die.

 

[Aaron_W]

Yeah, but 1 ml of water has a mass of 1 g and a volume of 1 cc at standard temperature and pressure. How cool is that? Well, it's what I thought when learning this in HS chemistry. I too, can remember in middle school the big push to metric. I wish it worked out. I can "see" most small things in my head in metric, but I find myself dividing by 25 most of the time. The meter being originally based on the distance from the North Pole to the Equator. I forget how many million. Just makes sense... right? Just think of how much more money we can spend on an another gadget if we didn't need to buy yet another metric tap and drill if everything were already metric. Not to mention all of those broken 6-32 taps. They should make 6-32 fasteners illegal. Full disclosure, I've never actually broken a 6-32 tap, but I've broken a few 4-40's in my youth. First sign of getting hard to turn, I get a sharp one and relegate the dull one to that pile of HHS that I plan on re-purposing some time before I die.

What I don't get is metric vs USC / Imperial is just not an actual thing for most people, it is just noise. If you own a car less than 25 years old, you don't need an SAE tool set to work on it.

Even if "they" mandated metric in 1976, you would still need an SAE tool set to work on your 1965 Mustang, but it would probably be harder to find one.

I have no issues finding metric tools and parts, and SAE are readily available. The argument for full metric is rarely truly an issue of making one's life easier and more about I don't like it so everybody should bend to my will to please me. I put it at the same level as this is America speak American.

 

[Provincial]

Yeah, but 1 ml of water has a mass of 1 g and a volume of 1 cc at standard temperature and pressure. How cool is that? Well, it's what I thought when learning this in HS chemistry. I too, can remember in middle school the big push to metric. I wish it worked out. I can "see" most small things in my head in metric, but I find myself dividing by 25 most of the time. The meter being originally based on the distance from the North Pole to the Equator. I forget how many million. Just makes sense... right? Just think of how much more money we can spend on an another gadget if we didn't need to buy yet another metric tap and drill if everything were already metric. Not to mention all of those broken 6-32 taps. They should make 6-32 fasteners illegal. Full disclosure, I've never actually broken a 6-32 tap, but I've broken a few 4-40's in my youth. First sign of getting hard to turn, I get a sharp one and relegate the dull one to that pile of HHS that I plan on re-purposing some time before I die.

If you think a 6-32 tap is weak, you should take the 1/4-20 tap out from your set and compare how little material is left in the minor diameter after the threads and flutes are removed! I find these taps to be far more fragile than the 6-32, because they are cutting a much larger amount of material in proportion to the strength of the tap.

 

[higgite]

I think guys are getting too hung up on metric vs standard/imperial argument.

It's not about which is better, it's about standardization.

I beg to differ. The Imperial community was standardized, as was the metric community, until someone thought globalization was a good idea.

Tom

 

[Jeff.64]

What I don't get is metric vs USC / Imperial is just not an actual thing for most people, it is just noise. If you own a car less than 25 years old, you don't need an SAE tool set to work on it.

Even if "they" mandated metric in 1976, you would still need an SAE tool set to work on your 1965 Mustang, but it would probably be harder to find one.

I have no issues finding metric tools and parts, and SAE are readily available. The argument for full metric is rarely truly an issue of making one's life easier and more about I don't like it so everybody should bend to my will to please me. I put it at the same level as this is America speak American.

My round about point and attempt at levity, was that if we switched to metric in around 1976, I would only have to multiply by 25 in rare instances when coming across an antique because I would be thinking in metric like the rest of the world. If we switched today, I would absolutely hate it. Because I'll always be thinking in inch because I'm at the end of life's journey vs the beginning. If you are in the middle it would also suck because you would have inch thinking crystallized in your mind. The other point is cost. 20 years ago it was not financially comfortable for me to have both inch and metric of everything. But fortunately for me at this time, it is not a problem. It's kind like the Robertson vs Phillips deck screw thing. So, snap off the head or cam out the head. I lean towards the Robertson because it usually snaps off below the surface where you can't see it and it's no big deal to drive in another near by after you figured out you left the clutch in drill mode.

 

[Jeff.64]

If you think a 6-32 tap is weak, you should take the 1/4-20 tap out from your set and compare how little material is left in the minor diameter after the threads and flutes are removed! I find these taps to be far more fragile than the 6-32, because they are cutting a much larger amount of material in proportion to the strength of the tap.

Years ago I read a semi popular book called Machine Shop Trade Secrets by James A. Harvey. The 6-32 crack was a tongue in cheek homage to that work. He does a little ranting about the evils of 6-32 fasteners in the book. I should have referenced that in my post. As you can tell, writing is not my strong suit And, thank goodness for spell check!

 

[Jeff.64]

Well the Wikipedia page on the Imperial system is a start, it provides a history of the move to metric in the countries that used the Imperial system. Most of the ex British colonies continue to use a mix of metric and other, India, Australia and New Zealand having made the most progress towards full metrication.

Imperial units wikipedia

Contrary to popular belief the US does not use the Imperial system, it is a special snowflake and uses US customary units, which are similar but have different values. For example the US gallon is smaller than an Imperial gallon. Because of their proximity to the US, Canada and many Caribbean nations use a mix of both Imperial and US Customary units poor buggers.

There is also the issue of "official" vs common usage, the USA in fact was an early adopter of the metric system passing a law in 1866 making the metric system legal for use in commerce and in 1893, US Customary Units were redefined utilizing the metric system as the base (an inch is defined as being 25.4mm, that is not simply a conversion). So from a legal sense the US is very much a metric nation, but in common use much less so.


The problem with the only 3 countries are not metric thing is it was done as a got ya piece. Like the old have you stopped beating you wife gag.

The authors defined "not metric" in a narrow way that made their statement true, but misleading. You need not look any farther than a highway sign to see this, as UK highways are still signed in miles.

View attachment 418053


I am not a metric hater but I don't like deception, and the "only 3 countries" thing irritates the crap out of me. Not surprisingly in a country founded on "you are not my mother" the government has taken a soft approach to conversion.

Thanks for the Wiki link. I had a M.E. coworker around 10 years ago who was born in Burma, moved to the USA for most of his education. From him I learned of the three countries still using inch vs metric. I do enjoy some of the old units of measurements. Is it just me, or would it be fun to go to the distributor and order a hogshead of beer?

 

[Aaron_W]

My round about point and attempt at levity, was that if we switched to metric in around 1976, I would only have to multiply by 25 in rare instances when coming across an antique because I would be thinking in metric like the rest of the world. If we switched today, I would absolutely hate it. Because I'll always be thinking in inch because I'm at the end of life's journey vs the beginning. If you are in the middle it would also suck because you would have inch thinking crystallized in your mind. The other point is cost. 20 years ago it was not financially comfortable for me to have both inch and metric of everything. But fortunately for me at this time, it is not a problem. It's kind like the Robertson vs Phillips deck screw thing. So, snap off the head or cam out the head. I lean towards the Robertson because it usually snaps off below the surface where you can't see it and it's no big deal to drive in another near by after you figured out you left the clutch in drill mode.

No I get that, this is just a touchy subject for me because too many people basically take the view that not mandating metric is a (minor) inconvenience to them, and they would prefer that those who still have a need for USC have an inconvenience mandated on them instead.

Like I said I equate it to the English only activists. If somebody chooses to only speak French, Russian, Spanish etc in the US it is a far bigger inconvenience for them than the people around them. I fully support people having the right to make their lives more difficult.


I found some articles on the only 3 non-metric countries myth, it is from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which should be accepted as a reputable source by all but the most hardline "inches are stupid" people. It is older than I remembered, it started earlier than I remembered. Typical misrepresentation of facts that is so popular.

https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/metrication-frequently-asked-questions-faqs

https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/busting-myths-about-metric-system

 

[Jeff.64]

No I get that, this is just a touchy subject for me because too many people basically take the view that not mandating metric is a (minor) inconvenience to them, and they would prefer that those who still have a need for USC have an inconvenience mandated on them instead.

Like I said I equate it to the English only activists. If somebody chooses to only speak French, Russian, Spanish etc in the US it is a far bigger inconvenience for them than the people around them. I fully support people having the right to make their lives more difficult.


I found some articles on the only 3 non-metric countries myth, it is from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which should be accepted as a reputable source by all but the most hardline "inches are stupid" people. It is older than I remembered, it started earlier than I remembered. Typical misrepresentation of facts that is so popular.

https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/metrication-frequently-asked-questions-faqs

https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/busting-myths-about-metric-system

I've never heard the word "metrication." It kinda sounds like something one should do in private
The Ramones singing 20 20 24 hours to go, I wanna be metricated. Just popped into my head.
Don't tell anyone, but yes, I still say Centigrade... Crap, the whole world can see this, can't they?? (home brew rhetorical question mark)
Man, first it was ozone layer hole and now I find out we're stuck in the metric continuum! Won't sleep well tonight that's for sure.
Just kidding around.
Seriously, thank-you for the great links.