Journal Iamthefallen's Journal: Metric lack of precision 16
It's OK to not be precise, I promise, I grew up with Metric, I'll vouch for you. You really can say that a building is "oooh, I dunno, 30 or 40 meters tall".
It's OK, calm down, no-one is going to make you give accurate and precise numbers down to the smallest decimal should you ever have to use Metric.
You don't have to explicitly ask for 473.18ml of beer rather than a pint. Just ask for a beer, the bartender will handle it, it's not a big deal.
When baking, you don't have to actually measure 387 grams of flours for 3 cups, just change the proportions and wing it. 7 deciliters should about do it, add some more if needed.
But what of my woodworking tools, what about the 2x4? Good god what the hell is a 2x4 in Metric?!
Calm down, calm down, for trade-specific areas we use inches or whatever other unit as well! Studs are still often called 2x4, boats and planes travel in knots, day trips can still be expressed as "about 2 hours away", and a 38 inch rack on a 24 inch frame can be expressed as "Holy shit look at those boobs!".
but don't use decimeters if there are more than 10 (Score:2)
Re:but don't use decimeters if there are more than (Score:2)
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It is? Oh... it seems to work OK for me! Would saying 0.3m be any better?
Hmmm... (Score:1)
As far as beer is concerned, I'd pretty sure anyone who likes it would rally around the idea that it should come in liters instead of pints.
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You need to drill a hole. The 1/2 inch bit is too small, so you need to find one just slightly bigger, which one do you get?
33/64, 7/16, 3/8, 31/64, 5/8, 17/32, 9/16, 15/32
Hmm, let's see, one inch divided by 64 times 33 is bigger than one inch divided by...
Meanwhile, in my box in Ye Olde country, when I see that the 12mm drill is to small, I reach for the 13mm, or the 14mm
But yes, woodworkers still do
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But really, in that case, if you are really looking at 1/64 or 1/32 of an inch, adding a full mm is going to be overkill.
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Of course it is a trick question, the answer is to use the 1/2" bit again, but this time tilt and swivel the drill around the hole
Actually, there's a science to this... (Score:2)
Decimal-based systems are great with precision instruments and machines that hold very tight tolerances - like lathes and mills. When you can work in 0.001 inch increments, then it makes sense to use a decimal system.
But as soon as you work with methods that aren't so precise, with measurement tools that are not so finely grained, the Imperial fractional scale makes more sense.
It's all powers of tw
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But yeah, easily divisible by three makes things easier.
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You will also find that 8ft 2x4s are not really 8ft too. But they should be the right length to use in a studwall for the right height without cutting.
You will also find in hardwoods that a 1" is actually 13/16ths too to allow for sanding instead of being an actual 3/4". What?!? 1" is the rough sawn, 13/16" is the planed, 3/4" is the finished board.
Some of the things in carpentry and woodworking make sense only when you actually do the work, and to someone
What scared people... (Score:3, Interesting)
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Oh, and for cooking, we still use tbsp, tsp, a fist, a pinch, a drop, and a splash.
Ballpark estimates are OK in Metric. Using Metric doesn't mean you have to become a mathematician, it's so easy that 95% of the worlds population (6,230,946.374 people) use it!
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Oh, please! Use something accurate. (Score:1)
Obligatory Great White North (Score:2)
It has to be said: [execulink.com]
Six, six is 12, 30 is 42 beers. 42 metric beers.
That's good for me, eh.
Cheers,
Ethelred "How come he's not wearing a toque?" McUnraed