Learning to Love the Metrinch

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Didn't the EU want to make it that bananas must be straight instead of curved.

Ian S C

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

We could call it the German inch, or the 4th Reich inch

Not while the Camerooon Clan rules pal. Wheel have teh call it the bonny Highland inchey.

But yeah I've already got a set of BA spanners AF spanners Whitworth spanners Metric spanners and not forgetting taps and dies to suite. I could mention Philips and Posi drive and straight screw drivers to which you can add all those wonderful hex sets which most modern goods including cars are screwed together with. Self tapping and no thread needed types too. (naughty you're not supposed to open that, type of threads and drivers)

But hey if we didn't have all this crud to play with what would we do, build stuff? Come on be realistic.

PS: We'll just add it to everything else while the Acme company down the road caters for all those who haven't got that elusive what the hell is it thread??!!

Edited By Jesse Hancock 1 on 26/03/2015 08:24:20

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

And note the addendum to directive 104/2015: grinding sparks will now come in packets of 10 instead of the traditional dozen, or in bulk tins of 100 instead of the traditional gross. Bet the price does not drop even though the number of sparks will be fewer.

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

I am pleased that most people quickly spotted this spoof however I feel a few were more than half convinced due to natural suspicion of the EU in general.

The EU has absolutely no powers to change the conversion of 1" = 25.4mm as it is an internationally accepted conversion used by all the countries of the world (there may be a few od ball exceptions).

The following is copied directly from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) website.

The (international) inch has been exactly 25.4 mm since July 1959. At this point in time the (international) yard was redefined as 0.9144 metre – until this time the ratio between the US yard and the metre was different to the ratio between the UK yard and the metre. For more information, see Engineering Metrology by K J Hume (2 ed) Macdonald London 1967. The American inch changed by 2 millionths of an inch and the UK inch by 1.7 millionths of an inch. The international inch falls mid way between the old UK and US inch.

References:

• The Yard Unit of Length Nature Vol. 200 No 4908 pp 730-732 23 Nov 1963
• The United Kingdom standards of the yard in terms of the metre (British Applied Journal of Physics)

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by Lambton on 26/03/2015 08:38:52:

I am pleased that most people quickly spotted this spoof however I feel a few were more than half convinced due to natural suspicion of the EU in general.

The EU has absolutely no powers to change the conversion of 1" = 25.4mm as it is an internationally accepted conversion used by all the countries of the world (there may be a few od ball exceptions).

The following is copied directly from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) website.

The (international) inch has been exactly 25.4 mm since July 1959. At this point in time the (international) yard was redefined as 0.9144 metre – until this time the ratio between the US yard and the metre was different to the ratio between the UK yard and the metre. For more information, see Engineering Metrology by K J Hume (2 ed) Macdonald London 1967. The American inch changed by 2 millionths of an inch and the UK inch by 1.7 millionths of an inch. The international inch falls mid way between the old UK and US inch.

References:

• The Yard Unit of Length Nature Vol. 200 No 4908 pp 730-732 23 Nov 1963
• The United Kingdom standards of the yard in terms of the metre (British Applied Journal of Physics)

.

Spoilsport………………

[Bob YouldonParticipant @bobyouldon45599]

Good morning all,

One of the best descriptions of a metre I ever heard came from one of our elderly members who in his best Sussex accent when asked, replied "simple boy, it's a yard n the thickness of a brick n a tile! In fact, not far adrift, 36" plus 21/2" for a brick and 1/2" for a tile; but If you want to confuse the lad in the builders merchants, go in there and ask for a bushel of sand!

Regards,

Bob Youldon

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

I was looking forward to the new regs. My bodge jobs I use a 1/4" drill as clearance for 6mm bolt, the new conversion would make it more engineered. also all my old worn and stretched spanners would fit better.

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

The really sad part is that I have seen people using 1:256 (or some fraction thereof) ratio for scaling built from raw materials.

It actually works quite well, for stationary engines, hot air engines, steam driven feed pumps etc, etc….

John.

[Kenneth DeightonParticipant @kennethdeighton43272]

Metric/inch spanners have been around for years, there called "adjustable" spanners and what's the point in buying metal that is the correct size it's much more fun machining it.

Ken.

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

I have had this ruler for a while – how would one pronounce the units?

* Danny M *

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

That's a glaziers ruler with an error on the 'c'

As to pronunciation..

English – One, two, three….

Irish – Wun, too, tree

Scots – Wee, moore, enoo

Welsh – Thumb, hoof, try

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Kenneth Deighton on 26/03/2015 19:31:37:

Metric/inch spanners have been around for years, there called "adjustable" spanners

.

Ken,

Wash your mouth out !!

… I presume you were just entering into the spirit of Neil's joke, but [just in case you were not]: A less than perfectly fitting conventional or adjustable spanner will inevitably bruise the points of a hexagon. The aforementioned Metrinch spanners are Flank Drive [originally devised by Snap-on, I think], which apply the pressure to the flats, not the points. … The "metric/inch versatility" is just a useful side-effect of the design, and a clever piece of marketing.

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 27/03/2015 08:22:20

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 27/03/2015 08:24:32

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Back at the time of decimal change over in Australia, one of the states(Queensland I think), education supplies department ordered wooden rules for use in schools. When they arrived in Australia, customs found that they had both metric and imperial markings on them, and impounded them, and burned the lot, inches NOT allowed.

Ian S C

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Ian S C on 27/03/2015 08:48:47:

… wooden rules for use in schools. When they arrived in Australia, customs found that they had both metric and imperial markings on them, and impounded them, and burned the lot, inches NOT allowed.

.

Ian,

That's tragic … it's uncomfortably close to burning books !!

MichaelG.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> The "metric/inch versatility" is just a useful side-effect

Interestingly they are nominal 1 mm steps leaving a few gaps in the 1/32" steps (although many of the 1/32" sizes aren't going to be found anywhere!)

I also see a couple of the larger sockets (but not spanners) cover two mm sizes, which shows how much leeway there is.

Neil

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Posted by Kenneth Deighton on 26/03/2015 19:31:37:

Metric/inch spanners have been around for years, there called "adjustable" spanners and what's the point in buying metal that is the correct size it's much more fun machining it.

Ken.

HI, well all my adjustable spanners are just metric.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 27/03/2015 09:48:40

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Mine are FAR more accurate than that.

[Bob LambParticipant @boblamb44747]

Nobody yet seems to have mentioned the Tudor inch. Went to see the Mary Rose again in Portsmouth last week and the carpenters' rules were marked in Tudor inches. Can't remember but I think they were slightly smaller than the "metrinch". Was this the reason she sank? Maybe the main plughole was a metrinch and the plug a Tudor one????

[Bob Brown 1Participant @bobbrown1]

1 inch = 3 barleycorns, then there was a Scottish inch 25.441mm

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, and there is also the inch up/down inch forward/backward. The conversion factors for these are complicated and variable.

John S, does the adjusting nut have a wireless sensor, or is there a laser sensor between the jaws.

Regards Nick.

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

Neil;

This link is from a couple of years ago, but shows how us Canadians are ahead of the curve when it comes to metrification.

If the link does not work – youtube and look for "Westjet converts to metric time"

Off to finish the washing up – John.

[oldveloParticipant @oldvelo]

Hi

It is now first of April in New Zealand and thankfully over 19000 Kilometres from the E.U or a lot of metincnhes.

You must be importing lots of "Taranaki Mushrooms" for breakfast as this garbled nonsense can only come from the mind that is altered by by chemical action.

Do the Idiots that want to make such changes have any idea of how to measure things accurately.

The next one will be metric time perhaps Westjet was NOT joking and each day is a kilometre long just to add to the confusion.

It's NOT broke or liable to break so what is point in trying to fix it.

Must be that if you are useless at anything then be a politician for the E.U.

Where are descendants of the founders of the industrial revolution or have the sledge hammer wielding machine smashers begun to dominate and be elected to high places.

Wonder how they tackle the "Pythagarus Theorum".

Not much point from a New Zealand perspective as the sun goes From East over North To West

so we must be going the wrong way.

Perhaps we should change all threads to "Left Hand" as we are turning the opposite way.

Kia Kaha – Be Strong and stand up for what you Know to be right.

Eric

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

Yeah see the "ruling" bodies have been trying for 1,000's of years to standardise everything from a pound to a pinch of shit.

But as pointed out by the by those who never cut their finger nails even a pinch of shit can vary considerably. Never mind at least we can agree what a long wait is, particularly if the council has closed the local convenience.

However if it's a sash-cord weight you're looking for then forget it and buy double glazing.

Am I making any sense? Then why expect white collar EU pen pushing jobs worth to make any cents either?

I also hear that Britain does a good line in imaginary jobs now too. So I'm getting a couple of those to double my imaginary income.

I'm not sure but I may have lost the plot here.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Put aside your 127/128 conversion-gearing projects,

and have a look at this instead

Blue Note 1553

MichaelG.

[Bodgit Fixit and RunParticipant @bodgitfixitandrun]

I have found working to the MetYard is accurate to within three Metrinches. However since tracking my car to the standard My tire wear seems to have increased. Any ideas fellas?

 

Edited By Bodgit Fixit and Run on 01/04/2015 08:25:08

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