The Neilson one I have just found on the net is almost identical to the Myford offering

On 14 August 2024 at 13:33 Shaun Churchill Said:

This is a bit of a speculative question about the engineers conversion charts that one finds in several well-know wooden toolmakers tool chests of yesteryear. I have several such tool chests and the printed conversion charts that are attached to the underside of the hinged top section of the chests are looking a bit tired. As it would appear that Salmen the original printers of these charts is no longer in existence I am in the process of getting some made and laminated. Just wondered if there is any mileage in getting a quantity made and selling them on for a wee bit of profit?

Shaun, Thanks for the memories! My late father bought me a Neslein wooden tool chest back in the mid seventies with a hinged lid, the chart has long gone but I have one Aluminium corner piece still attached. 🙂

Tony

On 14 August 2024 at 15:14 Shaun Churchill Said:

Those look very similar in style to the ones given to me as a Ford apprentice in 1972/73.  They’re loose cards about A5 size, and also include things such as, tapers, PCD co-ordinates, log & trig tables, chemical symbols, etc.  Maybe I’ll laminate them and make a convenient binder.  Probably for posterity.

I thought that was the whole idea of the chart so you could convert from old fractional bananas to that new fangled metric system. 😉

I’ve an A4 sized one very similar to the central conversion chart that was in the back of one of the suppliers catalogues a copy of which is on the wall behind the lathe but these days it does not get used much. As I tend to redraw everything now in metric all the work gets done on the ‘puter. I’ve even moved my Bisley draws around putting the BA and ME taps & dies at the bottom as they seldon get used these days.

As I don’t have any number drills the thread charts would also be of little use to me, at least the reverse side of the conversion chart has the sizes in 0.1mm increments for tapping and clearance of vartious threads.

Anything else there is the calculator on internet via the phone.

Quote “They are a rather odd size at: 13 3/8” x 7 1/2” 

That is not too far off Foolscap size. Though where you might get foolscap paper for a printer I don’t know

You guys are no fun 🙂

But yeah, swapping the system mid-life isn’t fun. Once you’re used to something it’s hard to let it go, I still do all my reloading in grains.

Hi Shuan, like JasonB has said, use a piece of A3 paper, which you can trim to A4 width and 14″ long, if you only have an A4 printer, just use the custom page in your printer’s settings where you can select the paper size.

Regards Nick.