Metric or Inches? WHY??

[Precision]

We prefer the proper West coast B.C. spelled version... affectionately...Canucks   

[Sheep]

4 hours ago, Precision said:

                                                                      

 

Oh my! That's what I was afraid of. 

[Precision]

                                                              

 

Here's an 2014 Indian Chief now produced in Spirit Lake Iowa.  New production Indian bikes now use all metric bolts.

[Qapla]

Back in the late 70's and early 80's I used to hang wallpaper - I did this for a living and at "Quick Builds" (as they were called back then ... we built the entire KH in one weekend)

 

That was around the same time that "Euro Rolls" of wallpaper were beginning to show up in the US with any real popularity. An American roll was made, you guessed it, in "inches" and Euro rolls were made, yep, in "metric measurements". Most wallpaper is packaged in "double rolls". A double roll of American paper is about 76 square feet and a Euro double roll is about 56 square feet.

 

One weekend, while we were working on a Hall, there cam a discussion about which method we hangers used. One of the Brothers had gone to Germany to look at, what was at the time, a brand new thing, a wallpaper pasting machine. While there he worked with Euro rolls along with German paperhangers that used metrics.

 

He was telling us that, once you learn the "Metric Method" you will never go back to the "American/inch way". Several of the hangers there went back and forth on the subject extolling the virtues of each method. They cited things like move toward the phasing out of American rolls to the fact the walls in the US are still built by the inch measurement.

 

When they asked me - I said, "I don't use either 'method'."

 

That brought some odd looks.

 

I told them, "I use the 'pattern method'." To me, it doesn't really matter which "scale" is used to make the paper or the wall, I am going to match the pattern and cut off the top and bottom to remove the portion of the paper that goes beyond where it needs to stop.

 

To me, the same holds true, to a certain extent, to wrenches, hardware and many of the other things I come across. I mean, I could care less if a nail is inch or metric - I am going to hit it on the head until it is driven all the way in ... but, I am certainly not going to measure the nail's progress while I am hammering it, so, it doesn't matter which "scale" was used to make it.

 

When I need to remove a bolt/nut, I will use the wrench that fits the best. I have found times when the "right size" is the opposite of the scale used to make it.

 

Now, one thing I have not done ...... I have not used the "cubit" when doing any of my measuring.