The UK doesn't want the Imperial system back.

[An Ankoù]

Funny how on site everyone still orders sheet materials and lengths of timber in feet and inches but then cut them up to metric measurements.

I find imperial easier for making rough mental calculations/estimates but for fine accuracy metric works better.

I disagree that metric works better in practice. Sure, with metric we can go to as many decimal places as we need for the accuracy required eg. 3.50000325 metres, if that's what's called for, rather than 3½ metres. But I always felt more comfortable with factors of 2,3,4,6 of a foot and then the ability to halve the inch and then halve again ad inf. instead of working in tens and tenths. I think it actually involves a different way of looking at measurement. As I'm old enough to be lucky enough to be able to work both systems with equal ease, I can see that they're not simple alternatives.

 

[AlBrew]

But I always felt more comfortable with factors of 2,3,4,6 of a foot and then the ability to halve the inch and then halve again ad inf. instead of working in tens and tenths.

Once your past about a 1/16th you measuring in thou or tenths of a thou so basically gone decimal by that point.

I agree that thinking in fractions can be easier on the brain than breaking everything into chunks of 10 and assessing what that means.

 

[Tanglefoot]

I disagree that metric works better in practice. Sure, with metric we can go to as many decimal places as we need for the accuracy required eg. 3.50000325 metres, if that's what's called for, rather than 3½ metres. But I always felt more comfortable with factors of 2,3,4,6 of a foot and then the ability to halve the inch and then halve again ad inf. instead of working in tens and tenths. I think it actually involves a different way of looking at measurement. As I'm old enough to be lucky enough to be able to work both systems with equal ease, I can see that they're not simple alternatives.

While I agree most of that, all drawings I work to nowadays are in metric so there isn't a choice.

That said, everyone still finds it easier ordering 6"x2" timber or 8'x4' sheets !

 

[Rodcx500z]

There are 201.168 metres in a furlong and there are 10 chains in a furlong.
201.168 is so close to 200 that it seems fair to speculate whether it wasn't once a metric measurement and the latter have now been defined with greater precision. Or it might just be coincidence.

But 201.168 sounds a bit flat compared to furlong

 

[Tanglefoot]

Once your past about a 1/16th you measuring in thou or tenths of a thou so basically gone decimal by that point.

For the work I do measurements to the mm are close enough, probably different for other trades like engineers though.

 

[.Peter.]

Bought a sheet of ply 8' x 4' x 12mm

 

[Clint]

Aren't thou and mil imperial? (One thousandth of an inch). I gap machine rollers in work in thou,measure and weigh in metric but the trucks cannot exceed 5 mph.

 

[foxy]

Bought a sheet of ply 8' x 4' x 12mm

See it here too. 8mm tube 6 feet long!