Question for you metric people.

drobertson · September 18, 2012, 07:55:08 AM

Nice chart Justin, I use cheat sheets for nearly everything, it just helps me and anyone else who get tired of trying to remember everything.

JustinW_NZ · September 18, 2012, 08:00:55 AM

Quote from: drobertson on September 18, 2012, 07:55:08 AM
Nice chart Justin, I use cheat sheets for nearly everything, it just helps me and anyone else who get tired of trying to remember everything.

yeah i forget things often :'(

I should say ; that white chart above i just linked too i should say, look at the properties of the picture it will give you the site.

drobertson · September 18, 2012, 08:15:39 AM

Yea you betcha! There are lots of folks, like me that need help remembering stuff. It just helps custormers that are unsure about sizes and stuff. I even have one for simple sheds for the bd/ft required. This helps folks get an idea of what they are looking at without crunching all the numbers. There will always be variables, and this is o.k. too.

grweldon · September 18, 2012, 12:00:22 PM

I really have no problem using either system or both. I purchase machines for my company from Japan, Korea, and (Taiwan) and have been using metric sized allen wrenches since the mid-80s. I don't prefer one over the other most times, but when working on autos, I like the fact that you don't have to know that 5/8 is bigger than 9/16... just that 12 is bigger than 10 and 13 is bigger than 12! What could be simpler than that?

As far as conversion... millimeters x .03937 = decimal inches which are the units I work with most in my job as long as I'm not taking a machine apart. We still manufacture pumps to the American standard... I guess that's why they are called ANSI pumps!

Al_Smith · September 18, 2012, 12:30:00 PM

This is a handy little down load that converts standard feet ,inchs ,miles etc to metric . http://joshmadison.com/convert-for-windows/

I can approximate most lengths ,areas etc in my head but temperature ,weights etc I lack the memory for so I just refer to this which is on my desk top of the 'puter .

sigidi · September 18, 2012, 04:13:52 PM

Yeah Justin, 100x50 is never being used as a flooring blank, over here a flooring blank needs to be cut at 104x27mm or they reject ya timber and you waste your time cutting it - but we weren't primarily talking flooring blanks ;) Also for flooring blanks I sit down and have a chat which each individual mill as to their exact requirement prior to cutting for them as each seem to have their own preference, a little bit of communication goes a long way to being invited back also

JSR · September 18, 2012, 05:28:43 PM

In Canada, we use the metric system with everything. Exception to the rule, the lumber industry. Have not met too many lumbermen who use metric.

Brucer · September 18, 2012, 08:20:35 PM

Just about all the loggers in BC do. Logs are bought and sold using the BC Metric Scale.

Carpenters and timber framers stick to feet and inches.

dgdrls · September 18, 2012, 10:31:00 PM

I still remember my construction materials Prof. Dr. Bruce AKA Doc Dirt.
Units people, UNITS stay in one system for the whole computation!!!!!
He was a great guy started his career with Erie Bucyrus.
DGDrls

JustinW_NZ · September 19, 2012, 12:09:56 AM

staying in one system makes so much sense I have to agree!

Cheers
Justin

Okrafarmer · September 19, 2012, 12:36:27 AM

No matter how much any of us would like to change things, it appears we are stuck with two systems, at least for the foreseeable future! :-\

Al_Smith · September 19, 2012, 06:56:46 AM

---over the "years " however they have figured out how to shave a little here and a little there off of standard lumber sizes .Like 3/4" plywood is not 3/4 of an inch .A 2 by 4 went from 2 by 4 to 1 5/8 by 3 3/4 then to 11/2 by 3 1/2 .Kind of makes it real handy doing remodeling on older homes . :( You become an expert in the use of shims .

While I'm rambling on about it just try and find hardwood plywood made in the USA or Canada .The damned stuff comes from China most times .Imagine that good old midwestern white oak shipped to China then sent right back to where it came from .Came full circle .Makes a lot of sense to me --not . >:(

rmack · September 19, 2012, 08:43:52 AM

Quote from: Al_Smith on September 19, 2012, 06:56:46 AM
---over the "years " however they have figured out how to shave a little here and a little there off of standard lumber sizes .Like 3/4" plywood is not 3/4 of an inch .A 2 by 4 went from 2 by 4 to 1 5/8 by 3 3/4 then to 11/2 by 3 1/2 .Kind of makes it real handy doing remodeling on older homes . :( You become an expert in the use of shims .

While I'm rambling on about it just try and find hardwood plywood made in the USA or Canada .The damned stuff comes from China most times .Imagine that good old midwestern white oak shipped to China then sent right back to where it came from .Came full circle .Makes a lot of sense to me --not . >:(

not to mention the fact that most of asia has been using teak and mahogany plywood for concrete forms on a massive scale for decades. I guess you go with what you got. I still believe we should be shipping boatloads of lumber to china instead of boatloads of logs.

btw, "you metric people" ? :D

grweldon · September 19, 2012, 12:05:58 PM

That breaks my heart just to think of it!

Al_Smith · September 19, 2012, 01:46:27 PM

Well quite frankly on that there is a local log buyer,mainly veneer stuff that exports 90 percent of it to Japan .

To add more as I type there are crate after crate of machinery sitting on the floor where I work from India .Mahogany plywood for shipping crates .Imagine that .

Okrafarmer · September 20, 2012, 01:39:39 AM

Quote from: Al_Smith on September 19, 2012, 01:46:27 PM
To add more as I type there are crate after crate of machinery sitting on the floor where I work from India .Mahogany plywood for shipping crates .Imagine that .