Just ordered a new math tool

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 8:58 am

Most woodworkers do not like sanding. Neither do I but, I dislike measuring more. I used to make beau coup mistakes in the measuring process. Most often, those mistakes are not repairable! I finally started doing as much "direct measurement" as possible. And, the mistakes became less frequent.
Not one prone to navel gazing and introspection, the reasons for my mistakes in measuring wasn't immediately apparent. Slowly it dawned on me, though. FRACTIONS!. Also, the bane of my grammer school math experience. Since decimal measurement read outs (engineers' measures) and metric tapes eliminate the need to break down 64ths and since, here in the US, woodworkers must be conversant with both imperial and metric systems, I decided to try to ease the task....at least in my mind. I have a couple Engineer's rules but, I wanted to measure more than 6". Amazon sells a 12' Stanley tape graduated in 10ths. It's on order, by golly! Should be here in a couple days.
I know, I've gone the long way around the barn to avoid using math that most 4th graders have mastered, but at 72 years of age and still a hopeless math idiot, I think it's time to recognize my limitations and move on!

videobear · Post by **videobear** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 9:31 am

It's not just you, and the quagmire of fractions is one of the things that makes the metric system so sensible.

Scientists know this, and it's why almost all science is done in metric units.

Back in the 70's there was an attempt to convert the U.S. to the metric system. It failed, because even those who were proponents made the mistake of trying to hang on to the old system at the same time. Kids were taught conversion tables in school. Two point four kilograms equals one pound, and so on. This made metric look ridiculously hard, and the idea died out.

It's not hard, it's easy. It's the conversions that are hard. Once you stop converting crap and just think of everything in metric units, life is a breeze.

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:17 am

Doug, You'll get no arguement from this quarter re the utility of the metric system. However, so many of my tools and instruments, and some of my materials are Imperial. I'd just like to be able to go from one system to the other seamlessly. The tapes and rules gaduated in 10ths, and a metric set as well seem to be an answer...for me, anyway.

videobear wrote:It's not just you, and the quagmire of fractions is one of the things that makes the metric system so sensible.

Scientists know this, and it's why almost all science is done in metric units.

Back in the 70's there was an attempt to convert the U.S. to the metric system. It failed, because even those who were proponents made the mistake of trying to hang on to the old system at the same time. Kids were taught conversion tables in school. Two point four kilograms equals one pound, and so on. This made metric look ridiculously hard, and the idea died out.

It's not hard, it's easy. It's the conversions that are hard. Once you stop converting crap and just think of everything in metric units, life is a breeze.

dlbristol · Post by **dlbristol** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:18 am

Doug, and Gene, Wow, music to my ears! I was part of that conversion mess! You are exactly right about why " metrification" failed. I think it goes even deeper than the conversions however, People do not really understand the English system, but they do know the relative size of units and they have an understanding of how far a mile is , how long a foot is and how much a quart is. When comparison is the only use, and precision is not an issue, almost any " system" works. A story stick, offers accuracy, and shows the " system" to be irrelevant. Kids, if taught the relative size of metric units, the prefix, suffix naming system and the fact that fractions pretty much went away, ( great motivator ) soon refused to do any calculations in the english system. Adults however were a different story. They often think the units and system are the basis for the reality!
I had a lady in a class I taught who one evening told me she as no longer going to support the metric system and would not be back to class. I asked why and she said because " she would have to move her house" if we went metric. She had measured 1 Kilometer from the intersection of a main road to her house and apparently assumed that metrics would reguire the grid system based on miles to be changed to KM! I used to teach kids how the metric system worked by " inventing" a metric ( base 10) clock. As soon as they realized how it worked, they wanted that change as well. You can read the time directly, with out any multiplication by 5. Adults fought it, thinking they would have to get up earlier, or the earth would have to spin slower. I might try the ruler!

joedw00 · Post by **joedw00** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:33 am

Like you I do as much "direct measurement" as possible. I am still a hopeless math idiot to.

pennview · Post by **pennview** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 2:57 pm

Yes, some things in metric are easier, but what would you do for the housing industry? A 4x8' sheet of plywood would become 1219.2 x 2438.4mm, so it's really not as simple as it's made out to be.

There is another option to metric beside measurements in 1/10 of an inch. It's the bobsrule that measures in increments of 1/24". You can get a tape measures using this scale here -- http://www.whitechapel-ltd.com/product/bob/313BOB6.html

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 3:58 pm

pennview wrote:Yes, some things in metric are easier, but what would you do for the housing industry? A 4x8' sheet of plywood would become 1219.2 x 2438.4mm, so it's really not as simple as it's made out to be.

There is another option to metric beside measurements in 1/10 of an inch. It's the bobsrule that measures in increments of 1/24". You can get a tape measures using this scale here -- http://www.whitechapel-ltd.com/product/bob/313BOB6.html

The right tool for the job solves that dilemma all the user needs to do is be flexible enough to change from one system to the other on the fly.

danscot · Post by **danscot** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 4:13 pm

pennview wrote:Yes, some things in metric are easier, but what would you do for the housing industry? A 4x8' sheet of plywood would become 1219.2 x 2438.4mm, so it's really not as simple as it's made out to be.

You would just have to do what they did here in the UK - a 4x8' sheet became a 1220 x 2440mm sheet. For a while they came as metric or imperial but I don't recall seeing an imperial size sheet for a few years now.

Metric works, it is easier]fractions[/B]

:mad:

db5 · Post by **db5** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 4:18 pm

Well, of course you made beau coup mistakes. You're thinking French and that wll lead to more than several mistakes; in fact beau coup mistakes.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat Sep 29, 2012 1:36 pm

[quote="db5"]Well, of course you made beau coup mistakes. You're thinking French and that wll lead to more than several mistakes]
ROTFL!!!

OK! A rule with 1/10" graduations.

Pray tell how that helps with plans dimensioned in fractional inches?

Ya still gotta convert.

:(

Merci beaucoup mon ami;)