Imperialists!

[Barry Pyeatt]

Bob,

I think it has to do with marketability of the small cars. We grew up with those 327, 289, 460 cu in. monsters. And in order to have a muscle car, the good ole boys still want to deal with cu. in. After all...what would Nascar be today if we were dealing with 4.6 liter engines. How convincing would the ads for the small autos be if they told the truth about cu. in? But in the age of turbos, it is irrelivant. Power comes where power is designed to come. You still gets what you pays for. Or not!

But try to convince the boys from the South that you need to change to liters instead of gallons. Just think about how confused that would make things for them. Bad enough that they have to deal with the pickup truck diesels in liters.

Just go to Canada and try to figure out the exchange in Imperial gallons to U.S. and then the exchange rate in the dollar. Gadzooks! Far easier in Europe or the rest of the world.

By the way, what ever happened to the U.S. conversion to Metric? Get lost on some of the old senators desks? That was a great pork project for a lot of them. Just like Atomic Clocks...how many do you need to set a national time hack?

OH LORDY...I'm starting to rant! :roll:

[Simon]

I have to laugh at the irony, when I notice that you guys are spelling the words litre, metre (and I presume centre) in the new, logical and 'easy' way as liter, meter and center - we here in Aus are stuck in the old fashioned, illogical and difficult way. The irony being that I've been sitting here berating you guys for being difficult :lol: :P

[Robert Cox]

That's alright Simon, we know we're difficult. I must admit to looking at many designer websites for boat plans from overseas and have noticed that many offer their plans in both metric and imperial. I don't recall seeing plans offered by an american designer in metric. I'm sure there must be some but I've not seen them or don't remember seeing them. I guess we are a little difficult.

I'm sure that one reason is the American designers are mostly trying to sell in America while the overseas designers are trying to fit their regional and American markets.

Before deciding on the Vacationer, I was seriously considering the cuddy cabin catamaran offered by Mike Waller. If I had decided on Mike's design I would have built it using the metric system if necessary. Of course, if I remeber right, I think he offers his plans in imperial too.

Bob 8)

[Charlie Jones]

anyone who thinks this country isn't going metric hasn't bought a sheet of plain old plywood lately

Go get a sheet of 3/8 or 1/4 ply and lay a tape on it. Did it measure 3/8 or 1/4 really? No it didn't. If you lay a metric tape on that sheet you'll find what it's REALLY sized to. The US companies can't sell Imperial overseas, so they make things metric, call them the nearest imperial size and we buy it!!!

The companies who built router bits even have new special bits sized TO THE PLYWOOD so dado cuts will actually FIT. If you route a dado for 1/2 inch ply with a 1/2 inch bit, the fit will be so sloppy it's an embarrassment.

Not to mention the fact that every bolt and nut on both of my vehicles is metric. Which isn't bad - What WAS a PITA was when I had a truck that had a mixture of sizes :evil:

[Brent]

So I am heading to the shop on a recent Saturday and my wife hands me a small medicine bottle. She intends to store quilting needles in this and wants a small hole drilled in the top for the needles to pass into the bottle.

Her "Dear would you please drill a 2/16" hole in this for me?"

Me" I would be happy to drill a hole in this for you. Would a 1/8" hole be ok"

Her "I would really rather have a 2/16" hole, 1/8 seems to big"

Me" Ok now problem, let me see what I can do" I am thinking I could say " I dont seem to have a 2/16 bit, closest thing I got is 1/8, so I guess I am going to have to go to the store and get a new bit set, might need a new drill press too" But I decided to hold on this. Instead I drilled the hole for her. But my dirty secret...I made the hole 5/32. :twisted:

[Barry Pyeatt]

I have to laugh at the irony' date=' when I notice that you guys are spelling the words litre, metre (and I presume centre) in the new, logical and 'easy' way as liter, meter and center - we here in Aus are stuck in the old fashioned, illogical and difficult way. The irony being that I've been sitting here berating you guys for being difficult :lol: :P[/quote']

I owe an apology to our dear friends from down under or above the border for abusing the spelling of certain terms. :oops: :oops: :roll: :wink:

You may be from "down under"...but I look up to all of you!

I feel the same way about going to Canada. I love the people and the country...but have challenges with certain aspects of the differences. And that is just me. Love you all!

Yes...plywood has been mostly metric for some time. Even though we don't acknowledge it here. Old timers, who remember when a half and inch was just that, blame it on trying to get more profit by cutting thinner veneers, thereby cheating them out of the true value. Ah yes...a changing world. :roll: