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why is the US not Metric

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Simon:

--- Quote from: bsfeechannel on November 04, 2019, 04:15:52 pm ---
--- Quote from: KL27x on November 02, 2019, 09:53:04 pm ---I've purchased metric collets for my routers so I can use metric end mills (cuz they're cheaper), so there's an example of adapting to metric TO SAVE MONEY vs spending money just be metric.

--- End quote ---

OK. Now that we've dispelled the idea that suggesting the US forgo this dreaded imperial system is an "attack" to the US, let's study how much it costs to maintain it.

Last year I made a series of videos about repairing a vintage Black and Decker drill. It was an imperial festival. Screws were not a big problem, although I could not find the exact models for a reasonable price.

I had also to change an oilite bronze bushing. You can find them in whatever supplier of parts for home appliance repair shops. The problem is that they are all metric these days. I could find one that was almost exactly the size I wanted but it would not be interference-fitted in the pocket, requiring a special Loctite® glue for oilite bushings. I'd also have to enlarge the inner diameter using a brand new drill bit. This bearing cost me US$0.30.

On ebay I found the exact size for my drill. It cost US$6.00 delivered. Let's discount US$3.00 for postage and there you have it: ten times more expensive. Just because it is imperial.

So does it take a lot of money to change to metric? And how about to keep it imperial? My sample shows that it costs a lot, perhaps more than the change.

--- End quote ---

You are talking about an old item. There has to be a cut off point. And you were still able to find the parts.....

bsfeechannel:

--- Quote from: Simon on November 04, 2019, 09:39:48 pm ---You are talking about an old item. There has to be a cut off point. And you were still able to find the parts.....

--- End quote ---

The fact that it is old is irrelevant. I'm repairing a mechanical Οlivetti printing calculator the same vintage and everything in it is metric. EVERYTHING.

What a relief!

tooki:

--- Quote from: bsfeechannel on November 04, 2019, 10:00:35 pm ---
--- Quote from: Simon on November 04, 2019, 09:39:48 pm ---You are talking about an old item. There has to be a cut off point. And you were still able to find the parts.....

--- End quote ---

The fact that it is old is irrelevant. I'm repairing a mechanical Οlivetti printing calculator the same vintage and everything in it is metric. EVERYTHING.

What a relief!

--- End quote ---
So... even if the USA could magically switch to 100.0% metric within the hour, you’d still be unhappy, because they didn’t change sooner? Sounds to me like another reason to not bother, if people are just gonna be mad no matter what.

bsfeechannel:

--- Quote from: KL27x on November 04, 2019, 08:21:20 pm ---We already took the knee to the rest of the world by changing all of our units of measurement to be defined by global (metric) standard. Why should anyone in another country care, beyond that?
--- End quote ---

Man, why so melodramatic? Is the US adhering to a global standard that has been proved to work better than all the previous versions a token of resignation?

Come on! You should celebrate.


--- Quote ---It would also "save money" if we decided on 10 models of car and made everyone choose from those 10 models instead of a hundred. But since we would be able to maintain those 10 models of cars for 100 years, it would tank our economies. It wouldn't just be the auto industry that would suffer. Just think of all that lost revenue from folks no longer having to buy that one stupid SAE/metric bit/wrench for a single job.  >:D

--- End quote ---

That's why we can't have nice things. When we say you should change, you say it is expensive. When we show that not changing costs more, you say it will hurt someone.

In that case I prefer rstofer's answer: "it is a question of national pride, we are willing to pay for it and we don't care about the rest".

It's not a reasonable answer, but at least it doesn't contain contradictions.

Cerebus:

--- Quote from: Simon on November 04, 2019, 09:37:42 pm --- Sure we could use the inch, but I'd never use feet or yards, ...

--- End quote ---

You'd have to use feet, otherwise you'd fall over all the time and your legs would fray.

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