kaiser
Rover Fanatic
worth his V8 in gold!
Posts: 136
|
Post by kaiser on Dec 5, 2014 5:34:32 GMT
History, fascinating. Here is a good take on the problem over time: www.metricationmatters.com/docs/MetricationTimeline.pdfwith a quote, rather apt: 1911 One of the leading antagonists of metric reform in the UK, Sir Frederick Bramwell, wrote: It is in the interest of British industry to retain British weights and measures because they are the best and most practical. Moreover, industrialists from the metric countries have been encountering difficulties in the Far Eastern market where the British weights and measures had gained earlier acceptance, and this constitutes an advantage that helps our merchants and industrialists in retaining their hold on those regions. Frederick Bramwell's view was put more tersely by the Australian journal The Surveyor of Sydney: Sir Frederick Bramwell is wont to assert that we enjoy an advantage over foreigners because we can readily grasp their metric measures while they will never be able to understand ours. (1911 January 31).
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2014 9:40:38 GMT
Before adopting metric we had the largest empire the world had ever seen,launched the industrial revolution,countless inventions and were known worldwide for engineering excellence and innovation. BSW,BSF,inches and fraction served well enough then didn't they? As for sockets and spanners that fit every nut and bolt,so it could be said,do mole grips. Metric?,it will never catch on!.
|
|
|
Post by Warwick on Dec 5, 2014 11:46:43 GMT
History, fascinating. Here is a good take on the problem over time: www.metricationmatters.com/docs/MetricationTimeline.pdfwith a quote, rather apt: 1911 One of the leading antagonists of metric reform in the UK, Sir Frederick Bramwell, wrote: It is in the interest of British industry to retain British weights and measures because they are the best and most practical. Moreover, industrialists from the metric countries have been encountering difficulties in the Far Eastern market where the British weights and measures had gained earlier acceptance, and this constitutes an advantage that helps our merchants and industrialists in retaining their hold on those regions. Frederick Bramwell's view was put more tersely by the Australian journal The Surveyor of Sydney: Sir Frederick Bramwell is wont to assert that we enjoy an advantage over foreigners because we can readily grasp their metric measures while they will never be able to understand ours. (1911 January 31).No I think you missed my point. I was pointing out why there were so many British standards. I wasn't saying that global standards weren't the logical next step or that the metric system shouldn't have been that step; they are and it is. I recall reading a letter to the editor in a Popular Science magazine about 35 years ago. The writer was explaining why the US commercial aviation industry had come to dominate the commercial aircraft market, well ahead of the Europeans. He explained that it was due to the quality of the US product that only comes from precision engineering. The Europeans used the metric system so they measured things to the millimetre. (Actually he probably said millimeter). Whereas the US aircraft industry measured things in thousandths of an inch. The problem we are having down here these days, 40 years after metricating, is that we're having the old system forced back on us again by the Chinese. It seems that because the US still uses their version of the Imperial system, and the US is China's largest English speaking market, anything they package and sell to an English speaking market gets US measurements. Things like nails, bolts, TV and computer screen sizes, etc. Bloody annoying.
|
|
|
Post by enigmas on Dec 5, 2014 12:39:21 GMT
Kev I grew up in OZ during the 1950's - 60s. Most of my primary education was based upon the history of England not Australia. The maps on the classroom wall had large sections in pink denoting the Empire. At its peak, the British Empire was the largest formal empire that the world had ever known. As such, its power and influence stretched all over the globe. QE the second has been the Monarch since I was 6 months old. Decimalisation was instituted in OZ in 1965 and metrication took place between 1970 and 1988. Before then the imperial system for measurement was the standard which OZ as a colony inherited from the United Kingdom. I've worked for the major portion of my adult life as a teacher and noted the confusion of a couple of generations caught between the two systems. I tend to woodwork/build in metric and carry out engineering tasks in imperial which I prefer, but I also use both at times. Interestingly 1000's of an inch are used in engineering...figure that one out? When I use digital verniers/micrometers I always set them to imperial as I can visualise the clearances easier. Measurements like .125" (1/8") make more sense to me than 3.175mm or .0025" than .063500mm.
Interestingly the USA, a country that uses Imperial measurement instituted decimal coinage in 1786. I have great respect for the UK. As a currency, pounds shillings and pence were a head ache to me in primary school. Euros, no thanks either. Dollars that makes sense to me and I still like 1000's!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2014 13:05:35 GMT
The problem I have is that even after all this time, I still visualise in the old imperial units. I look at a bolt and think that its 11/16 or maybe 3/4 but when my grandson describes a teacher as 2metres and 95 kilo or what ever I have to think for a while to know if he's taking about a midget or a rugby full back. The other thing I've noticed is that with the advent of calculators,decimal currency and the easy metric system etc is the inability of many youngsters to perform simple calculations in their heads. I remember when the metric system started to be introduced and my old foreman went round lobbing two inches off the end of any wooden rulers!.
|
|
|
Post by Welsh Warlock on Dec 5, 2014 14:21:28 GMT
When I bought a set of stainless wheelnuts I found that the original brace was a poor fit on the new nuts. I checked the old nuts and found it was also a bad fit.
I was still owrking for Snap-on Tools at the time and found (IIRC) an 18mm deep flank drive socket was the best fit and least likely to damage the nuts. I keep this socket in the boot with a spare 1/2" drive speed brace and a spare tommy bar. ETA: Unfortunately the socket will become redundant when I chamge the wheels as the new nuts for the new wheels are a completely different size.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2014 18:37:42 GMT
We've gone full circle. 18mm is close to three eigths inch whitworth which is the size the orignal nuts actually are.
|
|
|
Post by enigmas on Dec 5, 2014 19:33:13 GMT
I run Rostyle wheels on my MK3. The car had a wheel brace in the boot when I bought it many years ago and someone had welded a handle to the rear of it to turn it into a speed brace. The socket end that fitted over the wheel nuts was always a poor fit, enough to damage the wheel nut edges. I slotted three segments of the socket end between each flat with a slitting disc, compressed it in a vice on a wheel nut, then welded each slit closed with my MIG. Result, the brace now fits the wheel nuts snugly. I don't care if the fit is metric or imperial...it does the job properly.
|
|
|
Post by Warwick on Dec 6, 2014 0:13:06 GMT
Decimalisation was instituted in OZ in 1965. I'll have to pick you up on that one Vince. It was 1966. The 14th of February to be precise. The bloody television jingle, to the tune of Click go the Shears, is still stuck in my head!
|
|
|
Post by Warwick on Dec 6, 2014 1:48:21 GMT
Before adopting metric we had the largest empire the world had ever seen,launched the industrial revolution,countless inventions and were known worldwide for engineering excellence and innovation. Let's not get too carried away Kev and overlook what the colonies contributed. As Vince pointed out, we didn't get taught much Australian history when we were at school, so many of our most significant innovators remained largely unknown. www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_CvIg_z1rMwww.youtube.com/watch?v=ibqMfuAEc0Y
|
|