Metric vs Imperial For Woodworking

[@chuckmoser9662]

I spent 45 years as a machinist. In the seventies there was a push to convert. It failed. My first boss made the statement that it would be too expensive. I spent the entire 45 years working day in day out with measuring tools based on inches. As time went on and the realities of a global economy began to have an effect, I had to work more and more with metric drawings. In the machine trades accuracy is essential. The conversion had to be precise. I spent thousands of hours over the course of my career multiplying and dividing by 25.4. I was always being paid a wage and therefore being paid to multiply and divide by 25.4. In southwestern Pennsylvania there are thousands of machinists doing the same thing day in day out. Add up what it's costing the manufacturing sector in lost production time and tell me it would have been too expensive to make the switch fifty years ago.

[@Delgen1951]

The boss looked at the First $$ amount and stopped there, he did not look deeper. That is bosses for you, don't fix thill it brakes.

[@olepigeon]

Money wasn't the reason for its failure, it was purely political. It's easy to quickly point to President Reagan since he ultimately dissolved the Metric Board, but it was actually Frank Mankiewicz and Lyn Nofziger. Frank Mankiewicz was technical luddite who was oddly proud of being ignorant of science, claiming credit for destroying metrification efforts in the United States. He successfully got Lyn Mofziger, an extreme conservative, to convince Reagan to dissolve the board. Lyn Mofziger appeared to believe that metrification was synonymous with anti-religious tyranny. Now we're only 1 of 3 countries on the entire planet that don't use metric. Well, not entirely. Ironically, the NIST's official U.S. weights and measures is converted from metric.

[@rfly-fpv]

@@olepigeon Oh man, good to know about this facts! Thanks for sharing that

[@deerfootnz]

@@rfly-fpv the only country not using metric. The other two are converting to metric now.

[@tjampman]

How does the saying go again? The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is now.

[@hansj5846]

This is obviously only discussed in Myanmar, Liberia and the US. The rest of the world is shaking their head in disbelief

[@karn6356]

Myamar started to converting to metric, Liberia is preparing to convert to metric

[@JimmeShelter]

@@karn6356 We'll all hold our breath.

[@JimmeShelter]

When I wake up in the morning and I weigh the days upcoming decisions, I always say to myself "I wonder what Myanmar would do?"

[@daedalron]

To be clear, there were 3 countries not metric, that never meant there were 3 countries using imperial. Myanmar was not imperial. They used their own units (before now starting to convert to metric).

[@hansj5846]

@@daedalron cool. I never knew that. Even worse 🤣

[@enigmaticx326]

Australian here. Every time I hear someone talk in imperial they may as well be speaking another language. Makes no sense to me. Glad you’ve seen the light. 👍🏻

[@renaebona1931]

I am American and imperial is a foreign language to me, all my life.

[@Apoc5k]

Still prefer millimetres over fractions of an inch.

[@thephilby6656]

In Australia ae well and frustrated because all our screws are still sold in imperial lengths

[@JimmeShelter]

I guess you have never had a pint of beer.

[@Lleanlleawrg]

@@JimmeShelter US or UK pint? UK pints are larger. I have frequently bought a 'half-liter', which is slightly more than the US pint, and slightly less than the UK pint. Why do you ask?

[@someopinion2846]

Americans say Imperial is more intuitive; the measurement units are easier to imagine. Personally I don't find square feet intuitive, my European feet are kind of oblong.

[@PROPAROXITONO]

it's intuitive because they are used to it. but if they use the metric, the metric would be intuitive.

[@stevenmckee6134]

Yep, and my yard is a lot bigger than 3 feet

[@hillbillysceptic1982]

Imperial is the best, it explored and discovered the world, it created the worlds largest economy, won two world wars, created aviation, sent men to Moon and Mars. All metric did was start an argument.

[@TheUlrikkaul]

@@hillbillysceptic1982 NASA turned to metric in 1990!

[@Seele2015au]

Let's say you want to build an aquarium: nothing fancy, just a rectangular box. You have your measurements for all three sides, and with metric, you know how much water it contains, and how heavy it is right away. Sure you can do that with imperial, but a fair bit of calculations, requiring conversion numbers, would be quite necessary.

[@jools2323]

I can't imagine a single scenario where Imperial would be better/easier than Metric.

[@TheNakedWombat]

Star Wars. Metric Forces just doesn't have the same evil ring to it.

[@andrewosier614]

@@TheNakedWombat Good on ya. 😂 👍

[@janbanan5933]

@@TheNakedWombat Got to give you right there.🤣🤣🤣

[@chrisharris1522]

if you only had an imperial ruler it would be easier to use imperial measurements than converting to metric then back again

[@spetsig]

Not in its current form, but imagine if it was invented as base 10 instead like metric but with just another starting point. E.g. 1 inch -> 10inch -> 1 foot etc. Sure it would still be its own thing but not as hard to use as now and there might not have been any need to invent the metric system.

[@Bleckman666]

"100% clear". Exactly. Because percentage is based on the power of ten. It's a METRIC way of measure.

[@OrjanB]

Actually not. Going to be the devils advocate here even if I am from Norway where we use metric. So, many does not understand the difference between base 10 numerals and metric. Metric is using the meter as a definition for length, and from that units for volume (liter) and weight (gram) (using water) are derived. It is not correct to say that base 10 numerals, that actually are used all over the world, are metric. Following your logic you could say that in USA they have metric currency as there are 100 cents in a dollar, that is not correct, as the way to describe it would be that USA use base 10 numerals like the rest of the world, hence their currency follows the laws of base 10 numerals. Percentage is not metric, it means part of 100 and comes from base 10 numerals and was around a long long time before the french invented metric units.

[@infoverflow5559]

@@OrjanB Correct Metric doesn't include anything that use power of 10 as conversion multiplier but that is the idea of calling things "metric" if they use the idea of the metric system, not necessarily having anything to do with the unit of meter itself. Anyway it makes sense to have units scale and relate to each other in the same base as the base of numbers we use. For computers it's base-2 for us it's base-10

[@JimmeShelter]

@@OrjanB Excellent. A lot of griping about having to use fractions rather than decimals.

[@massimookissed1023]

What's this "100%" crap ? You mean 144 per gross.

[@Bleckman666]

@@infoverflow5559 exactly. For a beautiful and timeless example of the powers of ten, see this short film by Charles & Ray Eames: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zpeuc5usec-or5I

[@tstcikhthys]

You're not saying it, but I am: everybody needs to do this and should do this.

[@chriswindberg5010]

Been an electrician for near 13 years and been getting into woodworking the last 2 years. Totally comfortable with imperial but after seeing more and more woodworkers on KZbin mentioning metric and seeing how it just seems easier calculating in whole numbers, I'm being more and more tempted to try it out. This video may have just put me over the edge. Thanks Jason!

[@bentswoodworking]

You’re welcome!!

[@christopherhume8896]

It's funny, I'm an electrician in the UK and, even though everything is in metric, when I ask for a 5 foot light fighting the wholesaler knows exactly what I want. 1,500mm. Oddly most of the screws I buy are still in imperial.

[@gilgameshlfx7006]

@@christopherhume8896 That's because if you're using imperial, you're screwed.

[@billshiff2060]

In woodworking especially you are required to divide spaces into multiple segments. Metric is base 10 and has only TWO factors 2 & 5. The foot based on 12 is a composite number and is the smallest number with the factors (2, 3, 4, 6), and is the smallest to include as factors all four numbers (1 to 4). So you can split a foot evenly into 2,3,4,6 or 12 parts, in metric only 2,5 or 10 parts. That is why 12 inches in the foot is superior to metric 10 ESPECIALLY if you are building on the fly on location. You don't want those bloody repeating decimals every time you try to divide something into more than 2 or 5 parts . Similarly the yard is evenly divisible by 2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10 etc .

[@ricardoaraoz717]

@@billshiff2060 so when woodworking you would usually concern yourself with a 0.1 millimeter error? LOL Nobody ever taught you how to round a number? Is it too much for your brain?

[@E9248-j7z]

I work for a Belgian company as a repair technician, so everything I do 9-6 is metric. Once I really understood how much better metric was, I started using it in my personal life. There's no going back for me lol.

[@bentswoodworking]

Too far gone now lol

[@billshiff2060]

You are addicted to repeating decimals now........3.333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

[@ricardoaraoz717]

@@billshiff2060 LOL... nope. If it's centimeters then 3.3 will do, you just have to have a tad of common sense.

[@billshiff2060]

@@ricardoaraoz717 You are not building any thing for me lol "will do" WON'T DO lol

[@richardsinger01]

@@billshiff2060 so how many thou is 1/3" then?

[@bjogen1]

Here's the reason metrics is easier: In both systems this statement is understandable: Add 30% to 10 inches = 13 inches Add 30% to 10 meters = 13 meters But: Add 30% to 48/64 inch = complicated Add 30% to 0.1 mm = 0.13 mm

[@TheArtificiallyIntelligent]

So nice to hear this! I'm from the U.S. and am finally in a place where I can put together a home shop and decided a few months back that I'll go 100% metric. There's nothing wrong with using imperial for the right reasons. Unfortunately, a lot of the U.S. woodworkers seem to brush off metric with something that boils down to "Murica!". The only two reasons I can think for someone to stick with imperial are: (a) your tools are all imperial, and (b) you're a master of fractions. If you're not a master of fractions already, there's absolutely no reason to make yourself one. I do find it difficult to visualize metric lengths, but that should be expected. It will get much easier.

[@bentswoodworking]

For sure and that’s when CM and M come into play. But, that would have opened up a whole other can of worms. Lol

[@richardsinger01]

We have been tussling with this in the UK for decades. Workplaces are mostly metric (maybe entirely) but those of my age group are somewhete in between. Educated in imperial for rhe first few years of our schooling, then in metric for the rest. The only place I use imperial is woodworking - mostly becausr of American books and plans. In fact I use both systems. A component might end up as 14 3/4" x 5/8" x 22 mm. I think its time to commit!. Meanwhile certain politicians are trying to reintroduce imperial measurements in post brexit Britain because "Murica!" no wait....

[@jriis2010]

I saw a very good tutorial on how to make mortises using a router. Being a Dane using the metric system, I really do not understand why you would measure 3/16 of an inch instead of just measuring 5 mm. I know its not exact 5 mm, but about 4.76 mm, but no weekend warrior is able to measure 0.24 mm anyway.

[@billshiff2060]

NOT exact... that my friend is the POINT.

[@giuliobernacchia1848]

@@billshiff2060 the point is that Metric people will mortise at 5 mm so their work will be 100% exact. You guys don’t cut at 4,5/16th and we don’t cut at 5.3 mm or 4.7, unless we need to, in which case there is absolutely no problem to do so if you have the right tools and the right reason to.

[@billshiff2060]

@@giuliobernacchia1848 4.5/16 = 9/32 we would definitely cut that but no one ever is 100% exact.

[@markopizurica]

I'll end your gripe with rough estimates in metric in a few lines - but essentially, nobody using metric estimates in mm for large spaces. Try adopting a centimeter, or even a meter in your daily life as a core value when doing metric. mm are too precise. So when doing really precise work use mm. Working on something about a foot size and it's already cm - as in 36cm and not 360mm.. As soon as you are dealing with an arm length sizes or more, switch to meter, as in "meter 16 and a half" for 1m + 16cm + 5mm or 1165mm It will become easy to estimate a room size as "5m, maybe 5 and a half". Nobody says "the room is 5464mm long" :)

[@SquishyFletcher]

"Nobody says "the room is 5464mm long"." Not quite true, architects will say that...

[@KlaasDeSmedt]

@@SquishyFletcher not true, architecture is mostly done in cm ;)

[@SquishyFletcher]

@@KlaasDeSmedt I was taught to work in mm...because each mm can matter when it comes to things like wall thickness. If you don't account for the 9mm plasterboard (at each end) and just work from the studs, then your measurements are going to be off by enough to matter at the end of a long hallway.

[@Daneelro]

When you think in metres, then think of how many steps a distance is: one metre is about one step of an adult male. Engineers prefer to use millimetres, even for things as long as a railway vehicle (even though manufacturing precision for an entire vehicle only recently came below the cm range and a carbody will change length in the mm range due to thermal expansion or elastic compression/stretching).

[@KiSUAN]

​@@SquishyFletcher No we won't say that, we will use mm on a floor plan and technical drawing, but we will use meters on site, with a client and so on, we will say this room is going to be 3 by 4,3 meteres, that's also why you don't use square millimeters, you use square meters. You don't visualize a space in mm, you do it in mts, same as you don't visualize the distance between two places in mm or mts, you do it in kilometers.

[@BobWitlox]

In wood working or engineering it may be good to use mm for every measurement, but in everyday (metric) life you use the closest unit to describe something or visualize something. For a tiny measurement I use mm. For something I can hold in my hand, I think in cm. For an area or a room, I think in meters. For travel in km. That's the beauty of metric. It's basically all the same, just another power of 10.

[@billshiff2060]

In Australia,they don't use the centimeter, it is forbidden. They only use units with a factor of 1000 to prevent confusion, so only microns, millimeters, meters, and kilometers.

[@moderntouchfurniture]

Jason you nailed it right on. I changed to metric last year, and I use the FastCap True 32 measuring tape which is in millimeters only, that way I don't get distracted with centimeters, and it absolutely works great for me. It's so much easier to do the the math now, and I have not made one math mistake since I switched.

[@bentswoodworking]

I have that same tape measure and it really helps when doing cabinets on the 32mm system

[@henningmogensen9144]

when I was leaning carpentry (1969-1973 in Denmark) we had danish inches, english / american inches and swedish, when bying wood. But all other mesurements was in cm og mm. All calenders from the tradeunion had conversion tables. Danish:26.1245 mm - swedish: 24.7 and imperial: 25.4

[@thesolarsailor]

Great timing on this video, I was considering trashing all my imperial rulers in the shop and switching to metric on Tuesday! I built a small project a year or so ago where I could only find metric plans, was not that difficult of a switch. I am of the age where we learned metric in elementary school because President Carter wanted us to join the rest of the world, well except for Myanmar they still use imperial measure too.

[@bentswoodworking]

I find it so much easier for sure!

[@fotopdo]

This is great probably the best discussion of why metric is a great option for woodworking. I really like that you are using an “I” statement, “I prefer metric”, “it works for me”. It happens to be a great way to communicate in all aspects of life. I recently have begun using metric, I had been planning for a while, putting together enough measuring tools... and was looking forward to it. I was still pleasantly surprised by how refreshingly easy it is.

[@bentswoodworking]

I am glad you enjoyed it!

[@douglasbrown5692]

No contest. As an ancient retired furniture maker, taught Imperial at school and converted to metric around 40 years ago, I can confirm its' superiority. Functionally, there's only one unit - the millimetre. You simply have to read the numbers on your tape/ruler. Just stick with it, and Imperial visualising will fade away. Good ridance to two yards, one foot, eight and thirty-seven sixty-fourths of an inch!

[@trrexxx]

Right on! Breaking inches into absurd fractions or converting yards into a mile that has four random digits doesn't make sense. I think any who try metric still try to convert back and forth which is a mistake and then they become frustrated before they really understand how simple working in metric is.

[@Kujo174]

Usually, everyday lengths are measured in meters and centimeters. I guess, coming from imperial, Americans have that intuitive desire to use the "smallest" scale (so mm), but m and cm are more "standard", practically speaking. Technically, m is the de facto standard. And even more technically, there is no smallest scale. In steps of 1/1000th, below milli meters is micro meters, nano meters, pico meters, etc... Having said all that, it doesn't matter too much, as you know, since they are all easily converted by introduction or removal of 0s. It's only a matter of what scale is appropriate for the given task.

[@douglasbrown5692]

@@Kujo174 Indeed - in my experience as a furniture maker, plans are drawn up in "mill", i.e. 3m 14cm 8mm is simply written 3148mm.

[@Delgen1951]

@@trrexxx An American mile is 2.3 km long and is set that way by law, dating form the 1820s and the treade of the meter, by an act of Congress, this includes all standard American Measures. How is 2.3km random when converted to feet it looks that way 2280 feet to the mile or 2.3km.

[@chrisharris1522]

@@Delgen1951 A mile is about 1.6 km

[@EdyMar77]

visualization in metric is more easy in meters , that is the beauty of metric , you just had to get used to it. a tall person is about 2 meters , a short woman is about a meter and a half . Also you can measure thing by walking , a full step is about 1 meter . very useful to make estimations without any measurement tool

[@traog]

The same can be said for imperial, a tall man is 6 ft, a short woman is 5 ft, a full step is about 1 yard, useful estimations with out any tools. The beauty of metric is in converting scales, mm cm M Km.

[@Ander01SE]

And that's not even the best thing about the metric system. A box with the inner measurement (10cm)³ can hold 1 liter of water... 1 liter of water weights 1 kilogram (under "normal" temperatures).

[@keppycs]

1 liter of water weights 1 kilogram at 4°C

[@saxus]

@@traog Yes, and this is the most important part: if you have to switch between scales you just have to move the comma in your number. You don't have to multiply by 3 and 12, it's not intuitive. Also using the fractions. IMHO counting with imperial numbers would be much more easier if you simply use decimal fractions.

[@taitai300]

It's funny to me how when Americans talk about the metric system they talk in millimeters, while I and almost everybody I know will talk in meters and then centimeters, like 1,500 mm to me is a meter 50 or 150cm

[@bogna8877]

That's what I've noticed too. It's so cute and funny and overcomplicated way of calculating. Americans: when you reach too many zeros just cut off some and switch to the bigger unit. As simple as that.

[@nicolasinvernizzi6140]

@@bogna8877 and some seems to think that using the different prefixes takes more mental effort. like if you are measuring a table and wrote it like 0.001 km or 1000 mm or 100 cm or 1 meter its all the same, its unnecessary to use some of the prefixes for every day life but doesnt take more than 2 seconds to understand it. for example there was a comment in other video that was something like..... "why use 45.7 cm when you can write 457 mm and drop the point" and i think some americans think that every prefix is like a different unit and dont realize that is all the same thing.

[@lenroddis5933]

@@nicolasinvernizzi6140 As far as I'm aware, cm isn't a "preferred" unit in the SI system. Americans have had difficulty dealing with prefixes like kilo, micro, mega etc. ever since Greek was dropped from their school syllabus.

[@maas2198]

I guess it's because the most americans who switched to metric have a job where sub-inch measurement is relevant, i.e. carpenter or engineer. So in these jobs mm is the mainly used unit. For someone who grew up with the metric system it's normal and intuitive to use km, m, cm and mm dependent to the case and size.

[@rfly-fpv]

​@@nicolasinvernizzi6140 I read some study that it's easier to convert to metric from imperial by introducing only one unit. In Australia (country that switched from imperial) they use millimeter rules instead of centimeter rules just to get rid of decimal fractions in daily work in many fields. They just work with big numbers but they are all integers.

[@mountainlightwoodcraft]

Thank you, Jason. I switched to metric measurements initially when I was building face frames for large cabinets with numerous fixed shelves (that require rails), as well as top and bottom rails, and I got tired of calling out to my assistant, "Okay, the first fixed shelf center is at 13-23/32 from the center of the cabinet top; the second fixed shelf center is 28-9/16 down from that," etc. Mind numbing. Now, I simply say, "First is at 177 (mm is understood), second is at 305," etc. Way easier, not to mention the fact that millimeters (approx. 25/inch) are 50% more accurate than our rulers or tapes that divide into 1/16-inch segments. Like you, I still struggle with visualizing a room at 750 cm or a cabinet at 1850 mm, but I found it it is completely irrelevant. I can do all of my visualizing in Imperial dimensions and then do my piece measuring using the more accurate and user-friendly metric system. In that regard they work in total harmony. Good stuff, Jason.

[@bentswoodworking]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the video 👍

[@SuperSrjones]

I just say "Hey Google, what's (whatever i want to know)" I have the google hub on the desk in my workshop.

[@Agnemons]

The whole "Visualise in imperial" is bogus. You visualise it as "Yay big" and then attach a dimension to it. You are trying to "fix" the wrong problem and that will always cause issues. If you don't know what dimension label to attach to what you are visualising go get a tape measure (METRIC!!!!) and learn. Thats what you did when you started learning the Imperial system.

[@johngillespie3409]

@@Agnemonsyour silly, plumbers visualize in American by estimating how long it is to the meter. How many 20 ft sections of pipe, pvc comes in 20 ft sections, will it take. F metric 100 ft , 29 m, plumbing math blows away metric and imperial, will make you cry 😭 8 years to become a master plumber 🪠 what are you measuring picture frames., Who needs to change?

[@alankohn6709]

My father was in the building industry and was in the generation that did the switch from imperial to metric and remember hearing statements like "grab me 6 foot of 100 mill pipe"

[@Agnemons]

I often use "6 inchs" instead of 150 mm and yes, I converted in the early 70's. And being an "Old Fart" is measured the same way in imperial or metric 😁

[@adammabe5819]

My favorite part of any day is when I get to say, "I've never thought of it that way before," and this video brought one of those right out of my mouth! It seems we share some common ground with the division of inches issue, so I took your advice and am taking metric out for a test drive on my current project. I'd been kicking the idea around for some time, and now I'm kicking my ass for not trying it sooner. WOW. Mind blown! I agree that the comparison/conversion thing really is what makes one side so hard to see from the other, but at this rate, I'll be fluent in both languages of measurement in no time. Thanks for the lightbulb moment! Something tells me I will never forget this. lol

[@bentswoodworking]

Glad you found it helpful

[@tessvandijk2351]

Absolutely my reason to switch too. Love it.

[@bentswoodworking]

I love it!

[@zuluflor4]

for you to easy imagine the metric: 10 mm is about the width of a pinky, 100 mm is about the width of a hand, 200 mm is about the length of a hand, 500 mm or half a meter is around the length from ellbow to fingertip and a meter is the length of a G36 rifle ^^.

[@kiljucook7625]

Actually 10 mm, 100 mm, 200 mm 500 mm and so forth.

[@agn855]

Yep, the majority of aMuricans prefer to measure in NRA scale anyway ;o)

[@HotelPapa100]

American school kids learn metric. 9mm at a time. I'll see myself out...

[@Drescher1984]

I usually switch to cm when above 9mm and m when over 1000mm

[@keppycs]

This argument is literally the same as: one foot is the same length as someone's foot, or the *average* foot. You're generalizing standard measurements to things of a variable size. It's stupid.

I had been thrown in the other direction. Coming from metric Europe to the imperial Philippines I learned some tough lessons. Worst had been the board feet for wood. And then the authorities. OMG! I had designed my house 100% metric. But when I submitted the plans for the construction permit, they were refused. I had to hire an engineer who recalculated all my plans in imperial measuring. But when we built the house, we used the metric system. Our workers quickly learned it and liked the much easier calculation. Thank you for your convincing video.

[@youdqtube]

This was a GREAT post and as I started to watching I thought "Why be concerned about making some thing in exact feet or inches" and then you made the same point. If you need about 3 feet, make it a meter, etc.

[@bentswoodworking]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@EarlJohn61]

900 mm or 90 cm or .9 m is closer. And also a little bit smaller... If you need something to fit in a space that is about 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet and you make it 1m X 1m X 1m you'd have about an 80% chance of at least one side being too big... If however you make it .9m cubed it would probably fit... Better yet... Measure the bloody hole in mm and make the damn object to fit.

[@JimmeShelter]

@@bentswoodworking When you buy wood, you still buy it in boardfeet right?

[@jorgeconcheyro]

Talking to an American friend once, I realise Americans think we use millimeters, which is wrong, we measure things in centimeters (3/8") or meters (~3ft) ... I don't say I'm 1700mm tall, I say I'm 1.70 m and a nail is 5cm (2"). So a foot is 30cm, 3 feet is a meter (kinda), a table is 78cm from the floor. If you look at the tape measure you'll see the predominant mark is in centimeters... so and inch is just 2,5cm... It is the same confusion as with "bidet", we don't p**p in there, just wash hahahaha. Of course, we use millimeters but only when something is not an exact multiple of a cm or half a cm... just in case somebody wants to read my 2 cents on this ;) Cheers!!!

[@mikaihlberg2269]

What, you don't say "Usain Bolt is the holder of 10.000mm sprint world record"? :p

[@IronFreee]

It's like when Europe changed money. At first we had no idea of the value of that new money. I was trying to convert in the old money and it wasn't easy, 1 € = 6,55957 FF. That's not the way to do it, you have to forget the old currency and think with practical references. How much for a bread, how much for a movie, how much for my salary. Same thing with imperial and metric, the sooner you make new references in meters the sooner it will become easier to imagine. The biggest advantage of metric is the conversion. There's 1000 mm = 100 cm = 10 dm = 1 m 1 km = 1000 m All you have to do is to move the coma: 6575 mm = 657,5 cm = 65,75 dm = 6,575 You can also easily divide: 1 m / 2 = 0.5 m = 5 dm = 50 cm = 500 mm to remember them you can associate them with words like centimeters sound like century = 100 year millimeters like millennials = in 1000 of years No one use the decimeter... but it sound like a decade = 10 years

[@mattiasakerblom3426]

the decimeter is used. not as frequent as some of the other units but not uncommon. Mainly in speach or when pricing stuff like a carpet. The Hectogram is used in the same way, pricing mainly.

[@IronFreee]

@@mattiasakerblom3426 Yes, I wasn't serious about nnever using it... it was just a way of saying it is less used. People usually jump from meters to centimeters, spiking the decimeter.

[@daedalron]

@@IronFreee Actually, US won't have to move the comma, they'll have to move the dot. They use a dot for decimal separator, unlike many european countries who use a comma ;)

[@IronFreee]

@@daedalron Yes, Europe use dots for large numbers to help read them. Like: 10.000.000 for 10000000

[@nickeos]

@@IronFreee 1 cubic dm is also the same as a liter. I don't know why we say liter instead of cubic decimeter though... edit: actually it's kinda obvious... 1 liter is easier to say than 1 cubic dm

[@grkuntzmd]

I'm a retired physician and so have no trouble thinking in metric for things like centimeters, liters, ℃, etc. in medical applications, but when I do woodworking, I still use imperial. I am getting very frustrated with having to do calculations like dividing 5⅜ inches in two equal parts. Thanks for this rational argument for changing to metric woodworking. I'm going to give it a try in my next project.

[@bentswoodworking]

Glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@richardsinger01]

Yes, this is a pain in the neck to work out - particulatly if you want thirds. But there is another way. Use a pair of dividers and a sector. No measurements needed.

[@gudjonjonsson4272]

I work with metric and then I came to US and I had to learn Imperial and it can be frustrating Just like you said metric is Easy

[@renaebona1931]

I have recently switched to metric. I am a mini maker (dollhouse, furniture etc.) and very happy to use metric now. When I got an odd 16th or 32nd measurement I always took the closest even measurement and added scmidgy widgies to it. Weird I know, but I don't think I was ever meant to use imperial. Now I can even measure half a millimeter easily and be more precise in less time 😊 Great video!

[@bentswoodworking]

Glad you found it helpful

[@petersumpter1630]

Metric also ties things together. The distance from the pole to the equator is roughly 10,000km. One litre is 10cm x 10cm x 10cm. One litre of water weighs 1 kg. One cubic cm of water weighs 1 gram. One cubic metre of water weighs one tonne. In Celsius (centigrade) water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100 degrees. It just makes simple sense.

[@talalon4098]

Also- it takes one calorie to heat one gram (milliliter, cubic centimetre) of water in one celcius degree.

[@fryvox3147]

@@talalon4098 who is using calorie, better use Joule

[@talalon4098]

@@fryvox3147 that's true, but Joules aren't part of the daily metric system.

[@JimmeShelter]

..."roughly"..... lol

[@JimmeShelter]

It takes ROUGHLY one calorie to heat one gram (milliliter, cubic centimeter) of water one celsius degree.

[@davidwise1302]

Christoph Waltz in a hardware store in "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee": "I'm looking for something in centimeters." "Why?" "Because inches don't make sense." I agree with you. Working in inches you have to constantly do fraction arithmetic and most adults have nightmares about learning fractions. In high school and college I worked part-time in construction and carpentry for my father. I never did it constantly enough to read a tape on sight so I always had to figure out the fractions. Then in Summer 1973 I worked construction in Germany. First day on the job I was handed a Meterstock and was told to get a board of certain dimensions. The easiest thing imaginable. As soon as I returned home, I bought a metric tape which I still have -- measurements for my father I'd do in inches and measurements for myself in metric. Yes, it's obvious or should be: if you're doing in metric then do it in metric. There's absolutely no reason to convert it to inches. Pick your system and work within it! To eyeball measurements: for measurements in yards or meters, they're close enough to equivalent so treat yards and meters as the same. It's about 5 cm to every 2 inches, so just divide inches by 2 and multiply to 5 to get centimeters. Using that rule, a foot is about 30 centimeters. A centimeter is about 3/8 inch. A credit card is about 1mm thick, a house key about 2mm. And the more you use it the better you get at it. Slight quibble though. 1/32 inch is 0.79 mm, so you can measure with a bit more precision in 1/32nds of inches. However, using millimeters feels more accurate because you are more confident in making your measurements and you are much less likely to make a mistake or a miscalculation than you would if you were using inches.

[@vHindenburg]

Ironically usually just called Zollstock ( Inchstick)

[@MikeyDonna]

Well you finally convinced me to try metric. Like a lot of people I was stubborn and down played the metric system because I didn’t want to take the time to learn. Yes I can see that during the learning process it will slow me down. I’m retired now and slowing down to learn doesn’t matter. I’ve struggled with fractions all my life and I can see once learned it’s bound to be easier. Thanks for pushing me over the edge . Mike

[@chrisshannonmoeller781]

I am trying this for the same reasons, calculations are easier and more accurate.

[@bentswoodworking]

Go for it

[@rakashaagain]

accuracy I disagree. It's as accurate but it's much more complicated.

[@flokithemad3273]

Something to help out with metric that I don't see anyone talking about. If you look at the metric SI prefix list it becomes clear. Here is an example. Take a base unit, Meter is the base unit of distance, litre is the base unit for liquids, bite is the base unit of data. Milli will always be 1000th of the base unit. Centi well always be in increments of 100 of the base unit. Those are in the negative scale, so going lower than the base unit. there is also SI prefixes for going greater than the base unit. Kilo is 1000 of the base unit. Knowing this makes it easies to calculate in a multitude of fields. Hope this helps. Please google Metrix prefix for the SI unit table if you want to have a look yourself.

[@Llortnerof]

You prefixes are off by one digit. Milli- is 1/1000th, centi- is 1/100th. 1/10th is deci-. The prefixes are based on the latin words for 1000, 100 and 10, as well. For that matter, 10x and 100x are deka- and hecto- respectively (i.e. a dekameter is 10 meters, a hectoliter is 100 liters; these are rarely actually used). Liter is merely a synonym for dm^3 kept for historical reasons, it is *not* a base unit for liquids (or a base unit at all). In fact, *there is no base unit for liquids*. *All* volumes are measured in meters, just like areas and lengths, including volumes of liquids. Just in 3 dimensions instead of one or two. Byte is not an SI unit, there is no SI unit for data.

[@flokithemad3273]

@@Llortnerof I see that. Was typing in a rush. My apologies and thanks for the correction. I've corrected the typo

[@KnottyDogWoodshop]

This is a good video about why it was a easier switch in my shop too. Like you know I do a lot of cabinets and hardware is also based on mm so the transition to switch just made sense. Hope more people are open to trying it out!

[@bentswoodworking]

Cabinetry is what really does it for me.

[@mrklean0292]

Thank you for your perspective on this. Years ago I worked in a hospital pharmacy as a pharm tech. In hospitals across the US the metric system is used extensively. It took all of a couple of days in class to learn to use it, and once I did, I wondered how I went, at that time, 35 years without ever using it. I remember the push in the 70's to go metric, but then it just fizzled out. Now here I am almost 60 and I have recently gotten into woodworking. I bought an Incra fence with imperial markings a couple of years ago, but have slowly started to purchase metric measuring tools because of just the main reason you mentioned. It is easier. I don't have to look at my tape measure 20 times to make sure I did it correctly. Being visually impaired doesn't help much also. So now I am looking at converting the fence to metric. I love the fence, I don't think I could do woodworking without it. The only other imperial tool that I regret purchasing was a 36" Woodpecker t-square (not that I regret the Incra fence, I just wish that I had gotten the metric version first). I have never used it and will probably sell it.

[@measuretwicewoodworks]

Great job explaining. I use both as I’m at the age where I was taught imperial until the age of 11 and then the school system changed over to metric.

[@bentswoodworking]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@chrisshannonmoeller781]

Where did you grow up? Seems odd they would switch.

[@phatphat7089]

@@chrisshannonmoeller781 probably Canada we switched in the 70s im in the same boat got taught imperial till grade four or five then got switched over to metric!

[@EarlJohn61]

Possibly Australia... I was taught British imperial measures in primary school: miles, Feet, inches, stones (I weigh in at 18 stone) pounds, ounces, acres and (as a farmer's son) bags per acre. Then in Secondary school the teachers introduced us to these new measurements... I find I can use either... Just please don't mix the two... 4 meters of 4x2 will get you 3 feet of 100 X 50p.a.r. between the eyes!

[@michaelkaye4998]

I’m in the same process. I bought several measuring devices including a tape measure. My test project is building cabinets to fill in under a mobile bench. I did all measurements in metric. I kept all measurements to .5mm. Anyway it is easier to combine measurements. But I still have trouble visualizing a space in metric.

[@bentswoodworking]

Me too for aure

[@darrylbuckett5380]

You got it in one my friend, I was born to imperial but moved to OZ back in 74 which uses metric, so at the ripe old age of 70 I both use and think in both ways depending on what i'm making the materials i'm using and the fact the house I live in was built using imperial. But if I had to choose one then I would go with metric, it is easier and the way everything is done now and into the future. one last thing, the fact your american who uses metric, that makes you an honary Oz. Cheers

[@customer7903]

I live in Europe and what you are saying makes so much sense. When I tried to do conversions for making woodworking items (the plans I get are generally imperial) I have had such a issues doing a conversion in the hardware store I get in a real mess so I am going to take your advice and just go for the nearest equivalent pieces of wood and run with it. My problem was so many (most) plans and drawing online are in imperial so I just did not give them a try. I also had real issues when I was in school trying to use imperial so metric is SO MUCH easier - many thanks for giving me the confidence to run with metric for my amature woodworking at home.

[@dk70]

Im sorry, but when you say "not everybody should so this"...uh, they probably should. Maybe not if they have grown up with it, but they certainly should be taught metric at school. Nothing is easier in imperial units. Metric is also pretty intuitive for day-to-day things.

[@Delgen1951]

excepte for time which is NOT Metric any were in the world, even France which tried to change time gave up on it after ten years of of trying to make it work, look up a photo of a metric timepiece, and you will see why.

[@johannesbohm6458]

@@Delgen1951 time cant be metric since the metric system only describes distances, areas (distance squared) and volumes (distance qubed). Everything else is part of the SI-units (which metric is a Part of) and seconds, hours, etc. are SI-units.

[@brentprosser5563]

I’m switching right now. I didn’t know you had switched, but it made sense to me. The biggest step was finding plans that were in imperial. I found changing one measurement to a close metric measurement would allow me to basically set my own measurements for the rest of the project. Of course, most of my festool tools I just purchased are now in imperial so I’ve got to get that changed.

[@Sbjweyk]

I think you make it more complicated for you than it should be. Try to use cm and meters instead of just mm. picturing 1000 mm in your head is kinda hard but 1 meter is easy once you know the dimension of meters. A good way to remember what a meter is it is a big step. Of course it’s just roughly a meter but it’s a great way to get an idea of the dimensions of something like a room.

[@juliushoffman15]

Good way of looking at conversion and making it easier. Though I haven't been looking to convert to metric, one of my measuring devices has both metric and imperial and I have used the metric side when it made small measurements easier.

[@bentswoodworking]

Thats kinda what got me to look at switching actually.

[@rossrandall7106]

I started learning imperial at school but then our country (Australia) switched to metric. Metric is far easier to use and easier to teach kids.

[@19FlyingWombat76]

I`m great with Math but never had anything to do with Woodworking BUT as I inherited all the old tools from my Grand-Grandfather who was Carpenter I started and loved it in a second! That`s why I followed your channel to learn more about it. I recon I couldn`t do it easy on imperial as both of my countrys @ half German/Aussie use the metric system and it`s the logic thing.....even in the view of Math. Thx for your channel Mate and keep going! I have MUCH to learn!

[@jeffjordan5426]

I switched over to using metric a year ago and never looked back! So much easier to do that math in my head with metric vice imperial. Like Jason, I still have trouble visualizing what longer lengths would be.

[@Rene-Hernandez]

Same!

Suggestion: Use meters for longer, ex. 1,5m or 150cm length instead of 1500 mm

[@totherik91]

Try to measure your bodyparts or common objects like arm, finger, washing mashine, your car, etc and even if you wont remember the exact numbers, you will get in the correct ballpark.

[@Dutch1961]

When you're new to the metric system and you're having trouble visualizing longer lengths you could use what you know. You know what one foot looks like and you know what five foot looks like. One foot is just over 30 cm or 300 millimeter (30.48 cm to be precise). So one meter (or 1000 millimeter) is just over three foot, (=91.44 cm) and 1.5 meter (or 1500 millimeter) is just under 5 foot (152.4 cm). It isn't accurate but it will give you an impression. If you want to be accurate use a tape meassure.

[@misfit4777]

Being new to woodworking I've been considering this and exploring it further. I got a Fastcap metric/imperial tape measure last week and held off on buying any new (expensive) measuring tools as I'm building up my shop. Timely video and thank you.

[@misfit4777]

My biggest question is why aren't centimeters used - everything is milimiter based? Wouldn't that make the larger measurements easier to visualize? I don't get why both aren't commonly referred to.

[@bentswoodworking]

They absolutely do, but that would have opened a whole other can of worms in this video lol

[@silknfeathers]

I grew up originally with Imperial. My father was an engineer pattern maker, he dealt with thousandths of an inch daily. When we moved to Australia and then took up metric, initially he was annoyed. One day, whilst discussing it he said "thousandths of an inch makes sense, it is easy to work out thousandths". That's when I pointed out to him he was correct, it IS easier, which is why the metric system is based around this (a thousand millimetres, etc.). Eventually he came around. Only the blindly obstinate could prefer imperial, but I do understand thinking what you are used to is the best, because, well, that's what you are used to...

[@billshiff2060]

You obviously didn't learn much machining. Metric is crap for machinists. Great for mechanics wrenches. I do both and imperial is better for machining and metrology. .001" is perfect for most everything .0001" for fine work is just right. The resolution of the metric system is clumsy and impractical, forcing machinists to count by 5's or 2's or some crap in between. .1mm is too big .01mm is too small and .001mm is way too small. The use of commas is idiotic, I'm sure they did that just to be "different", very french. Not to mention that thread chasing dials are near impossible on metric lathes, which are standard in imperial lathes, because metric threads are not whole fractions of the master lead screw. .00039 There are other problems too. In Australia,they don't use the centimeter, it is forbidden. They only use units with a factor of 1000 to prevent confusion, so only microns, millimeters, meters, and kilometers.

[@silknfeathers]

@@billshiff2060 No, I don't do much machining, unlike my brother and friends. You're problem with metric is that you don't use it, your systems are set up not to use it. Everyone I speak to in industry (building and mechanical- including engineers) prefers metric. I am well aware of the use of division of thousands, we grew up with it (well, I'm old enough not to have, but still prefer metric by a country mile!😁

[@billshiff2060]

@@silknfeathers I have a full compliment of metric tool and measuring instruments. I work metric stuff regularly including today. What is ridiculously comical is that I can plainly see that some anal metric bone head has converted some previous drawing from imperial to metric with the attendant loss of accuracy only to have me convert it back to imperial and restore the original intent. I see 9.5mm and I know it is a sloppy conversion from .375" etc. Dicks gotta be dicks I guess. Imperial units evolved over eons directly from the actual work being done and those units are ideal for their applications. The metric "system" was pulled directly out of some frogs bung hole and FOISTED on everyone regardless of the suitability of the scale. The inch/foot/yard was created BY humans working with them FOR humans working with them. Metric is entirely arbitrary with no consideration for actually working in it. For every supposed "advantage" the metric system presents , there is at least an equal advantage in the imperial system. Likewise for Disadvantages. In reality 1 micron has NO meaning since no one can reasonably deliver it.

[@stephenrichie4646]

I use both. All scales I use, including those on my tools, have both. Metric, based on tens, makes shop arithmetic easier. Juggling fractions is a PITA. Like you, The challenge for me is instantly visualizing longer metric dimensions without converting in my head. In getting better though. I know I am about 178 cm tall, for instance.

[@bentswoodworking]

Just takes time for sure

[@mattiasakerblom3426]

Then you are probably roughly about 178cm between your index fingers

[@grg200]

Jason, I completely agree, my only issue is most of my measuring tools are imperial. I will convert over time. Thanks for your content and, from a former Marine, thanks for serving.

[@bentswoodworking]

I actually find that has not been an issue as I don't use most of my layout tools for measurements. the small ones that I use frequently are usually both metric and imperial.

[@chrisshannonmoeller781]

“Former Marine?” So you were dishonorably discharged? I doubt it. “Once a Marine Always a Marine.” Same for other veterans. Even for an “Army Puke,” I love Jason’s work. He is an amazing craftsman and social media personality. I have told him so in another post and am actually disappointed when he misses a post on Thursdays. (Yeah, my life is that sad I guess that I track this now...) Seriously, I am not trying to attack you. I applaud yours and Jason’s service. We need to drop “former” when we describe our service affiliation. My opinion only, feel free to disagree.

[@RWWarner3608]

@@chrisshannonmoeller781 What an ass you are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@chrisshannonmoeller781]

@@RWWarner3608 been called worse. Don’t like people disparaging themselves when they have served with pride.

[@felixfromnebraska8648]

Great video, Jason. I have often thought about changing over to metric for the same reason. I guess after your explanation, I will have to try it. Thanks again, Felix!

[@bentswoodworking]

Go for it

[@backbeatwoodworks]

I use both systems. If you do any digital making with 3D printing or CNC kind of stuff, it's much easier to use metric.

[@bentswoodworking]

Yes I am finding metric easier with the cnc for design

[@daltrywoodworks8811]

I've thought many times about switching. It usually comes down to having to buy new measuring tools, bits, etc and a small portion is communicating with the client. If they want something 48" I work to that.

[@noa.sendlhofer]

As a European it's my favourite thing to watch Americans be impressed by the metric system haha

[@martinum4]

Same, and i love it

[@billshiff2060]

Only the ignorant would be impressed by a system that has only 2 factors baked in to EVERY level.

[@astranger448]

Worked as a European exchange student in the US, summer of 84, in a machinist/engineering company. Machinists worked in imperial, on imperial machines. The engineers would convert to metric, do their calculations then convert back to imperial because it was quicker and much less error prone.

[@federicosbetta1368]

to eyeball bigger measurements just start from meters, 1 meter is more or less 1 yard that both are more or less one step, those 10cm difference are irrelevant when doing a rough visual estimation, at that point you don't need to calculate a conversion, you just move the decimal point. If you are used to feet it might be usefull to think in terms of half meters.

[@TheJonasbz]

I would say if you are used to feet, try think in decimeters, no one talk about more than one halfmeter

[@allent555]

Wow, this is so cool! My cousin and I were having this exact conversion this morning over breakfast before this video.

[@bentswoodworking]

Perfect timing!

[@corvus1238]

I was brought up in the UK using imperial and made a conscious decision to change to metric in the 80's. I have never looked back. I would say that if you want to convert start by thinking of 1 inch = 25mm, 2 inches =50mm and 4 inches = 100mm. Once you get that into your head you'll be away. The problem with imperial is all those fractions. Thousandths of an inch need to be converted to sixteenth of an inch at times (hard sums!) The equivalent in metric would be achieved by a multiplication or division of 10 in other words add or take away zeros and even this is rarely necessary if you just work with one unit; millimetres. Most architects and designers just use mm now so no need to convert mm into cm or metres even. All measurements integrate too; 1 cubic metre holds 1000 litres of water and weighs 1000 kg (1tonne) and it all relates to the size of the earth; the distance from the equator to the north pole is 10,000 kilometres, neat isn't it? Life is so much easier for those of us who use metric.

[@michaeltempsch5282]

All in mm on building plans also removes the risk of lost, or added smudges being interpreted as, decimal signs (. or , depending on where you are)

[@martiekr]

Very nice explanation. I hope more people see this and try to use your suggestions on using the metric system.

[@craigreed6610]

I have the same issue with those pesky fractions. Going to give it a try on my next project.

[@bentswoodworking]

Nice!

[@chrisshannonmoeller781]

You will (probably) not regret it!

[@NochSoEinKaddiFan]

If you want to "see and feel" longer measurements, maybe think like this: one bigger step is roughly 1m=100cm=1000mm so 2.5m is roundabout 2 and a half steps. You can roughly walk along a length and count your steps; roughly of course, since we are not standardised but human. But still, maybe that helps :)

[@thebarnworxgarage4806]

Good video man! Being Canadian I use both as well.

[@bentswoodworking]

Thank you

[@TheChemicalWorkshop]

4:39 when i measure cables for electrical work i can quickly measure a spool and know if it's 10, 15, 20 or whatever meters the distance from tip on my fingers to about my armpit is about 1 meter

[@irish73tjk]

I began switching to metric after discovering Mattias Wandell, my math is also so-so. it's made a world of difference for me, Thank you Jason!

[@bentswoodworking]

You're welcome!

[@balthazarbeutelwolf9097]

If your imperial mesurement rulers give fractions in powers of 2, you could use hexadecimal numbers to avoid complicated number conversions, e.g. 60 inches becomes 3C inches, and in terms of 1/16-inches this is then 3C0. There is just the minor inconvenience of visualising in your head hexadecimal quantitites...

[@JD-ff4of]

It doesn't matter which one I use, I still measure once and cut twice!!

[@bentswoodworking]

🤣🤣

[@AlexKall]

So relatable 🤣

[@miroslavkral5406]

All is well until you cut three times and it is still too short for you.

[@conikapernick3713]

🤣😂

[@G.J.G.P.]

There was an research study in australia on metric vs imperial. They built 2 equal houses and ended up with much more scrap material, i think it was more than 2000lbs, by using imperial then by using metric. Because the worker made lots of mistake in measuring by using imerial. By using metric you can also switch easily to volume f.e. liter. One liter is 10cm x 10cm x 10cm= 1000cm² or 100mm x 100mm x 100mm= 1000000mm². Converting from mm²/ cm² to m² ( 900000mm² / 90000cm² = 9m²) is 1000x easier then converitig from "² to ft² ( 432"² = 3ft²)

[@DynamicDaveJonker]

Need more convincing... all the youtubers are always complaining that 3/4" plywood is never 3/4"... No, but 3/4" plywood is always 18 mm :-)

[@bentswoodworking]

Lol. Exactly!

[@3dmazter]

No its not. 18mm plywood is rarely 18mm exactly. Its closer to 19 most of the time.

[@labrat7357]

The thing that always gets me is the simple 3/4" ply Vs 18mm ply. One is close and one is correct. It only takes a few 3/4" dividers to make an error big enough to ruin a project.

[@InspireWoodcraft]

Interestingly enough neither 3/4" or 18mm is actually 3/4" or 18mm. 3/4" plywood in the states is almost always milled at 23/32" (18.25mm) and stamped and/or sold accordingly. 1/2" is 15/32", 5/8 is 19/32, etc. Most of the time due to variances in milling operations, where said plywood is manufactured and shipped from, and varying densities and qualities of the species used to make plywood, it is rarely exactly 23/32" (or the appropriate near equivalent) as advertised either. 18mm plywood imported to the US is not typically 18mm either, but somewhere around 17.3mm to 17.7mm. And as I found out recently after a purchase, 18mm phenolic ply is well over 3/4", closer to 20mm. In my experience most of the time these small variances do not matter. But when trying to do intricate joinery or when those small variances compound, it makes an enormous difference and can really be frustrating. Although I am one of those "KZbinrs", I grew up in the lumber industry and spend half my adult life buying and selling the stuff. It can be quite the headache.

[@gertbrugge973]

@@3dmazter maybe in the USA, but here in Europe it is 18.00 mm. Regards from a cabinetmaker

[@davidmanger5193]

Great talk, Jason. Here in the UK we changed to metric years ago and I, like you, can’t really do 8ths, 16ths etc. I also tend to say things like ‘the table is about 6 feet long’ and it’s quite tricky to think of it as 180cm. Although sheet goods are labelled in metric in the UK, many people still call them 8 by 4s! Old habits die hard!

[@bentswoodworking]

Definitely, it’s hard to break what is so natural

[@bdboyo]

Theyll be 8x4s forever and ever, mind you timber sizes in the uk are bloody odd.

[@seybertooth9282]

Metric vs imperial.... which might be the best? Tricky. Could it possibly be the one adopted by 96% of all humans? Just an idea.

[@peterkotara]

Sensible gun policy vs mass shootings, Universal health care vs medically induced bankruptcy, Proportional representation vs electoral college, Actual journalism vs Fox "News"........I could go on.

[@justinkase1360]

@@peterkotara What a joke your comment is, I do appreciate it.

[@Yaroslav_Tselovanskyi]

​@@peterkotara Your comment implies everyone else except US are commies, that is simply idiotic assumption.

[@peterkotara]

@@Yaroslav_Tselovanskyi How so? I can't see how you could arrive at that conclusion. P.s your comment would read better if it were written "Your comment implies all countries except the U.S are communist, that is simply AN idiotic assumption"

[@JimmeShelter]

Everyone should be right handed too I guess.

[@zaldyvar]

Starting to incorporate Metric for my measurements/cuts but still in imperial for visualization. Thanx for sharing.. 👍👏🙏🏼

[@bentswoodworking]

You’re welcome

[@bonyfletcher7657]

Nobody says "this right there is 2500 milemiters" They say "this right there is 2.5 meters"

[@peterkotara]

When I'm discussing measurements with a colleague we almost always use mm without actually saying the "millimetre/s" part on the end E.g twenty two fifty eight by three oh six. If not using mm then we would state the unit E.g eighteen sixty lineal meters, Three fifty micron film build.

[@wowwipeout71]

Technical not true, most trades in Australia especially building, quote in mm's like a sheet of plasterboard will always be advertised as 2400 x 1200 x 10mm because that is what you will accurately buy then if you want to cut that in 1350 x 950 , saying to someone to cut 1.35m x 950cm is confusing - plus your measuring tape has mm, cm and m and to the mm is more accurate :)

[@bonyfletcher7657]

@@wowwipeout71 Yeah, but i was refering to eyeballing something. Say you looking a tree, you'll say "This tree is about 5 meters tall"

[@PLF...]

Bony> carpenters do all the time. Also if you count precision, "2.5 meters" could be 2.486 meters. Something you definitely don't say is "2.5 zero zero" meters. If you work in millimeters all day it's not really do that weird.

[@Durin01]

@@wowwipeout71 1350mm x 950mm ≠ 1.35m x 950cm... 1.35m x 95cm would be correct. But your point is still correct. Measurement is normally given in mm.

[@nogardniwt]

100% agree with you. I find myself counting and marking ticks on the tape measurer too much. Haven't fully converted but I likely will.

[@bentswoodworking]

Glad you found it helpful

[@seanmcintyre3986]

I moved from Kenya where we used imperial to Australia where metric is used, my god! Metric is so much better.

[@williamhardes8081]

from an aussie, so true. n thanks for coming to join us 😁

[@joescharbrough3120]

I switched a couple of years ago and you are exactly right if I need something that is about 60 inches I put that into my calculator and convert and see that the metric is 1524 millimeters so I round up or down and build from there. When I was making the decision to switch I heard this quote about metric and it always stuck with me " There are 2 types of countries in the world, those that use the metric system and the one country that put a man on the Moon!" Good video keep up the good work.

[@bentswoodworking]

Lol my friend use to say that to me

[@kvernesdotten]

Props to you for being open minded enough to try! The most critical of the metric system tends to be those who never tried. Both systems have positives and negatives

[@bentswoodworking]

Agreed

[@mattiasakerblom3426]

What is the good thing about imperial? (Serious question?)

[@kvernesdotten]

@@mattiasakerblom3426 it's completely linear so adding or subtracting will never change or have to be converted. 5 is always bigger than 4 etc instead of trying to add 7/16 and 5/8 and such. Also it is very handy when looking at ranges, for example if you have a bunch of sockets and you see 17 and 19,you know 18 is missing without already knowing what fractions should have been there.

[@mattiasakerblom3426]

@@kvernesdotten that is the good thing about metric. What is the good thing about the imperial standard?

[@kvernesdotten]

@@mattiasakerblom3426 while metric is good at addition and subtraction, imperial is good at multiplying and dividing because you can never end up with never-ending repeating decimals like 33,333333

[@dafnakharisma7117]

here in my country we use metric, but for some measurement like tubing and something like circle thing we use imperial. but in my head i always said 4 inch means 10cm and that always right eventhough it's actually 1.6mm less

[@bentswoodworking]

Interesting

[@ZapAndersson]

Yeah, to be fair, even in Sweden some things just don't go away... you say a 2-by-4 or a three-quarter-inch pipe, even though it's actually a 100x50mm piece of wood (or more often 95x45 planed) and the pipe is probably actually a 20mm pipe :)

[@conspickerous]

As an architect by profession and after living and working in SE Asia for 10 years, I got used to and love Metric. However, after moving to Canada five years ago, I got used to using both at the same time. We primarily use Metric here but have to use imperial in cases where we needed to fit an equipment or furniture because they were made in the U.S.A.. It just looks weird in plans that there are dimensions not rounded off to the nearest hundred or ten (e.g., 2134mm, 762mm, etc.)

[@bentswoodworking]

True, and that is actually a concern of mine with making plans that have both moving forward. Exactly for the reason you said.

[@g.fortin3228]

I'm with ya' I can only visualize our english system lengths. But i tend to use metric sometimes when I make small items from scratch without any plans. Just is easier to remember the measurement from the time I measure to the time I get over to cut it, especially if I get sidetracked in between.. seem to still remember the whole number easily but if it were a fraction i'd find myself returning to remeasure.

[@luvwud]

I'm of the generation that's had to learn both. I measure in metric (like you bad maths) and visualise in imperial. But also write sizes down in both. Very true no one version is better than the other.

[@bentswoodworking]

I think it boils down to what your more comfortable with

[@billinfarmington5189]

I'm well over 70 and converted about 3 years ago to metric. Like you, I still visualize in Imperial but my Incra fence is in mm as is the ruler for my chop saw and most of my tape measures. I do have 1 tape that shows both so if I am thinking 18" I look at it to see what it is in mm to set my saws (or I convert on my phone). What was really fun is seeing European building blueprints in thousands and thousands of mm measurements. Even for something like a shopping mall they don't convert to meters, centimeters, etc. They lay it out in mm. My life is too short to get really used to it but everything else is so much easier. Bill

[@bentswoodworking]

Interesting with the blueprints

[@0987brian]

Brit here I use Metric and Imperial. Just a tip when using metric don't use/think meters centimetres millimetres use/think in milimeters. eg 2meters 53centimeters 7millimeters is 2537mm

[@JimmeShelter]

Now that's an honest man who has had a pint of beer.

[@sanderd17]

Some comparisons that may help you visualize metric sizes: If you stretch out your thumb and pinky, the distance between them is about 200 mm (depending on the size of your hands, but if you try a few times with a ruler, you can get pretty consistent). A big step is around 1 m A door is typically 2 m high, and around 900 mm wide. 600 mm is a default depth and width of a kitchen appliance (oven, washing machine, depth of a cooker). For guessing big distances (if you're ever in a quiz and they ask you the distance between new York and Paris), just remember that the circumference of the world is about 40.000 km (which was one of the first definitions for the meter), and try to guess what part of the circumference you're traveling (about 1/8 for Paris to New York, or 5000 km).

[@bentswoodworking]

That’s helpful, thanks

[@Thyme2sea]

Stretch your arm and look the other way: the distance between your index and your nose is very close to one meter ;-)

[@warrenpeterson6065]

I'm Canadian and we started converting to the metric system in 1970 and ended in 1984. I'm old enough to remember all the Nay Sayers and the common complaint was "The US isn't converting so why do we?" ... lol. Living next to the US, our largest trading partner, forced us to maintain both systems and this provided an old dog like me time to learn. What I find interesting about the US is that it's Healthcare, Scientific, Engineering, Mechanical, and Mathematical based industries all use the metric system but the average Joe can't or doesn't want to figure it out. Let's see ... approximately 7.6 billion people around the world use the metric system and a few hundred million refuse to .... well doesn't that just about explain everything you need to know about the US.

[@billshiff2060]

If everyone jumped into a bituminous cauldron, would you jump in too? -Beldar Conehead

[@cbarnes2160]

​@@billshiff2060You can't be serious.

[@PhilipKloppers]

I agree with the other comments to use the larger measures (BTW, the metre is the standard, all others are multiples of it - kilo, deci, centi, milli, nano etc) for getting familiar with it. An easy way to get your head to the approximations is a metre is just over 3 feet or around 1 yard.

[@Jmvars]

The US already uses more metric than most people realise, for example: How many cents make a dollar? 100 cents. Does that sound familiar? How many centimeters are in a meter? 100 centimeters. "Centi" means "hundreth". Think of the word "percent". It translates to "per hundreth". 14% would be "14 per hundreth", or 14/100. Honorary mention: "per mille" is "per thousandth", which at least in Norway is used to indicate blood alcohol content. Think of the words "decade" (10 years), "century" (100 years) and "millennium" (1000 years). "Deca" is "ten", "centi" is "hundreth", "milli" is "thousandth". You've probably heard the phrase "give me x cc, stat" from medical shows. cc stands for cubic centimeters (cm³), which equals to 1 milliliter. 10cc would be 10mL. cc is also used in engines as a measurement of displacement.

[@caramelypoops]

In the UK tapes generally have both systems on them but I recently got an all metric tape because half the time the metric measurements are on the wrong side of the tape. I don't know why for years I was buying tapes where half of it was useless to me.

[@agn855]

No German would say "that door is 2000mm", it‘s just 2m high. Only Australian construction workers are using mm for building houses (for a good reason, they’re only wasting a fraction of material AKA money that way). Means, using that "billion mm“/big numbers“-argument against the metric system is complete nonsense.

[@tonyjordao2595]

In South Africa is the same, all dwawings for construction or metal fabrication are in mm, take a wile to get that wen i arraive is South Africa, in 89, were in Europe everything is in cm.

[@paskovalokki6589]

@@tonyjordao2595 Atleast here in Finland all technical drawings are in mm but in real life we still use cm and meter too

[@capti443]

Totally agree with you! I'm very much the same when it comes to visualizing since I, like you, grew up in a world of Imperial measures and instinctively know what that means when I size something up. However, metric is considerably easier when it comes to dealing with numbers. Plus, much of our stock, like baltic birch plywood, uses a metric standard. I will say, however, that my late dad, a machinist, had ruler (metal scales) in inches but were subdivided into fractions of 10. I use them occasionally, but it does not translate easily into much except digital calipers for example. I think that as we work more in the m,etric system, we'll slowly learn to more readily have that gut feel with time. Take care!

[@bentswoodworking]

I agree for sure!

[@Bushcraft-xz6xd]

Being British in my late forties I can use both and visualize in metric or imperial. Had I been fully taught in Imperial before the switch It might have been harder to adopt Metric. Where I too fall short is adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions of an Inch in anything other than same type numbers. Halves, quarters and eights added to themselves are ok but doing 7/32 divided 3/4 is where my mathS falls short.... (note the S on the end of Math......we do more than one sum usually here in Blighty!! lol.

[@bentswoodworking]

Lol. I know what you mean with the different fractions. That’s where my head wants to explode

[@markoddo9414]

What you do is say, Hey Alexa, what’s 7/32” divided by 3/4” ? and presto you have your answer, lol

[@CraigUSAF]

I totally agree with you on metrics. learning from you, making sense. easier by far.

[@jeffreymurillo3131]

I switched a long time ago. The problem is I still have tools like drill bits that are. Lets say I drilled a 3/16 inch hole but it's too small. What's the next size up 4/16? Of course it isn't or I don't think it is, see how confusing imperial is for me.

[@SuperSrjones]

It is the next drill in the drill index LOL But personally i have a set of metric and imperial drill gauges and Metric Imperial and Number / Letter drills

[@jeffreymurillo3131]

That would probably work if someone didn't threw away the cold container for it to save space.

[@JimmeShelter]

@@jeffreymurillo3131 I have the container, but I am missing some bits...

[@ZenoDovahkiin]

The thing is, I totally get 4:15. You can more easily visualise imperial, but that doesn't have to be the same for your grandchildren if metric becomes popular. Like, in my head I don't convert costs to German Marks to determine whether something is expensive, I grew up on the Euro.

[@andrevanlooy1012]

2200 mm ? We never say that in Europe ... here we measure in meters and centimeters. So 2200 mm becomes 2meter20. Only when is has to be very precise we add mm, and even tenth or hundreds of millimeters.

[@nicolasinvernizzi6140]

same here in south america, like for example i am 1 meter 76 cm tall. we would never say 1760 mm. all measures are expressed on the biggest posible unit within the context.

[@Llortnerof]

It's ultimately all the same anyway. The base unit is the meter. The prefixes all just define what multiples or fractions you use, but you're technically still working with meters. Meanwhile, Imperial and US custom actually have to convert between different units. You could actually just go and work in kilo-inches and milli-inches if you wanted to, although few people would understand what you're doing.

[@HotelPapa100]

Depends on the jargon, really. Mechanics, metalworkers find mm in their drawings and use it while working. They still may talk in meters when getting the bar stock from the shelf. Woodworkers use cm. Builders usually work in m or cm. Surveying is done in m AFAIK.

[@HotelPapa100]

@@Llortnerof " work in kilo-inches and milli-inches if you wanted to, although few people would understand what you're doing." Dunno, the mil is pretty common in metalworkin, AFAIK. a mil: A thousandth of an inch for an American mechanic. a millimeter for a British mechanic a milliliter for a chemist...

[@puncheex2]

Even on your metric plans? My assumption was that construction plans, for instance, say only millimeters. Do they not, or do you just use a conversion in your head when you see the naked number on the plans?

[@eoj1823]

Jason, I am on the same page with you. I use both but don't ever compare one to the other. I probably would do more damage then good doing that. ha. Metric works well when marking out equal spacing between two points. Lot easier to know where to mark and more accurate in my opinion. Thanks and keep the 5 minute talks coming, I really enjoy them. Take care.

[@bentswoodworking]

I ham really enjoying this format.