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Measuring Tools PLUS Metric vs Imperial vs Not Measuring
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- čas přidán 3. 01. 2023
- Here, I talk about the measuring tools I like, why I switched to metric, and how NOT to measure in the first place.
Brands featured include Shinwa, FastCap, Starrett, Incra, and Veritas.
All measuring tools in the video are available in both metric and imperial with the same product features.
Affiliate links:
Shinwa Rules- amzn.to/3DsJRwD
FastCap Flatback PMMR Tape Measure- amzn.to/3HJHjwJ
Starrett 150mm Combo Square- amzn.to/3DtNjqH
Starrett 300mm Combo Square- amzn.to/40hPOpP
Incra T-Rule 300mm (Note: The one featured in the video is 150mm)- amzn.to/3wGBVEn
Note: In purchasing any of these items via the links provided above, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
When I switch to metric for woodworking, my results improved at a much great pace than before. I'm a hybrid woodworker and find that I make fewer mistakes setting up my machines with metric units.
Finally someone who gets the advantage of using the metric system and thank you for those useful tips 👍
Great video 👍 I use US measurements when framing and doing finish carpentry in houses, I use the metric system when installing cabinets and building furniture.
I'm so glad to see an American carpenter using metric. I'm an American & I've learned both systems since I was 5. Over time I became more interested in metric. Now I use metric for everything. I even switched to the 24 hour clock.
Yea!! Someone else that sees the value of using metric. I'm just now (at 65 years old) getting a dedicated woodworking shop and decided to make the change from imperial to metric for all my measuring tools. I'm just a DIY woodworker that's learning the trade. I've built a couple of end tables, a captains bed, floating shelves with drawers, built in cabinets etc. and now that I'm building my own shop vs. taking over the garage for a period of time and then giving it back to the cars, I'm going metric. New subscriber here, like how you present.
Wouldn’t mind a sector build video either!. Obviously they’re pretty simple but I liked your additional inlays and stuff.
Love the Sector Stick.
Really enjoyable video mate. I'm a 40yo British carpenter who uses metric on a day to day basis.. I recently decided to try and use Imperial and bought the fast cap Imperial only tape measure (Imperial only tape measures are very difficult to find in the UK in fact i think they might be illegal (that's not a joke)) but I found it really difficult to divide measurements in half. I thought I was being really stupid when I stood staring into space trying to figure out what half of 47 and 9/16ths is. But watching this has made me feel better😂
So I'm Canadian so I am pretty conversant in imperial and metric and I find myself designing things in imperial and working in metric because all of the material is typically imperial sizes and its easier to convey a sense of scale and proportion that way. Like you though I try to avoid measuring. I've never seen a sector before thanks for sharing, I'm going to have to make one now.
Here in Europe, the materials are all in Metric sizes... which drove me to use metric for design... lol
You should do a build on the sector. I would love to have one. Do you have the other scales on yours?
There really isn't much more to it than I described but if you want more information, check out Jim Tolpin and George Walker's books through Lost Art Press and their website at byhandandeye.com
Your last device is very interesting, great idea. Thanks for sharing!
Informative and entertaining presentation....Great Job.
Really handy tips. Thanks.
thanks for the video RC. I've tried using a story stick (or sticks) on my last few projects and found that pretty handy. Great explanation of using a sector, not see how to use one before.
Great video, thanks. The metric system makes a lot more sense to me and I have used it to transfer measurements at times. Where it falls down for me is in planning. If you tell me something is 250mm, I don't have a mental picture of how long that is. But if you told me it was 10 inches long, I have the mental picture. I guess that would come in time, but I'm not there yet.
Thanks for the tip on the FastCap tape, I didn't realize they made a flat one. I bought one from them that shows the fractional imperial measurements like 1/8, etc. that I really liked. In use I became frustrated with the curved nature of it when trying to mark measurements. I'll check out their flat ones. I think the lock button on the bottom of the tape measure is meant to be used as a brake (instead of a lock) when rewinding to slow down the tape so the end doesn't snap back so hard.
Usually missed with this discussion is that the Inch is also decimalized, divided into ten parts too, where more precision is necessary. So instead of fractions you can use tenths, hundredths, thousandths.
Did not know about the sector. That is brilliant. Thank you
Great video. As a new woodworker I found this very helpful and makes sense to me. I hate fractions.
That bar gage is brilliant! Great video.
YEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!
I'm on board with you! I was just telling a friend yesterday "why are we using that form a measurements!" its just more work! i've been in the process of converting and learning to use metric. even looking for a good metric tape measure! IM WITH YOU ALL THE WAY!!!!
Thats right take the first shot😅🤣😂! But they're not going to be able to help themselves! They coming🤣😂😅
Great video Awesome video!!! Loving it!! Keep'em coming sir!!!
A metric tape measure brand I love is Hultafors. I have the small ones (2 and 3m) and I love them. They also have larger more construction oriented/rugges models that I've never tried.
Measuring without units is the way to go! I'm a power tool guy so I take the measuring tool (pinch sticks) to my miter saw. I also use my chisels as the reference for my marking gauge, so it doesn't matter if it's 1/2 or 13. Finally, I have more than one marking gauge that I leave set to the appropriate measurement for the duration of the project.
PS, the Royal Navy sank the ship that was bringing the metric standards to the newly formed United States, so you Brits only have yourselves to blame! :op
That is a seriously fancy set of pinch sticks lol. I have several sets that matchup to the functionality but having it all in one package like that seems pretty nice. Only problem is I tend to have several pinchsticks sitting around holding measurements for various parts of my project "just in case" lol. I've seen the sector before, but never bothered to make one. It's a very cool bit of math going on there. I'll def make some.
On the imperial system bit, metric just uses one denominator for everything so no mental bookkeeping to convert to the common denominator. I ended up with measuring tools that are all in 1/100" increments instead of normal 2^-n increments. I think they might be old engineering or machinists tools. If ever need to replace them I'll probably just go metric. Not a lot of difference at this point other than having no intuition for distances in metric.
Your channel is great man. I hope you grow well.
Well done I like your system as metric is the best I picked up a few tips great work keep it up
Imperial or metric, i use whatever is needed. Fastcap tapes seem to break too easily for me. Here's a tip for you: A utility knife blade fits the slots of an Incra rule perfectly. It takes a little coordination, but just be careful to avoid cutting into the rule.
If you need a bar gauge for inside measurement, just take two rules from combination squares, and then clip a finishing nail to act as a registration pin between the rules. You can use a stair gauge to lock the rules together or a clothes pin, or just tape them in a pinch. If they're satin chrome rules I write on the rule, or I put a piece of tape on the bottom rule and mark that.
The hard part is with metric for me as an American is visualizing metric. Over time, i am getti g better.
In general, if following plans, use the measurement of the plan. Conversion usually results in insanity...
I live in Europe and all building materials are in metric... which has helped to move me faster to metric... but i sure would like to find some 2x4x8s ...
Thanks for the video. most of the arguments for imperial boil down to personal preference tired largely to what one grew up using.
Great tips.
It's cool seeing someone else also use the metric system. It's not that I hate imperial but it's just a hassle. When I wanted to really become a electrician I became very discouraged when I had to learn conduit bending the math was horrible. But in metric it was easy although no way would it be allowed on a job site so I gave up on that career path. Although I do not understand because the code book is all in metric then in parenthesis is the imperial measurement.
I just bought the Starrett 150mm "student" combo square a few days ago, I think it's a great option for the price.
Great video
That sector... thing is like a magic trick 🙂
"I seriously considered transitioning. And I'm not talking about to another gender, instead to the metric system." -@The Mountain Top Joiners Shop. I was laughing so hard when this was said! Thanks for the killer videos to help my craftmanship grow, and better my knowledge from your content!
My father was an architect and a professor. Growing up, when I I borrowed a ruler,straight edge, etc. I never knew which scale I was getting. We had fractional, meteric, architects, and engineer scales. Each of these have their uses and limitations. I am 66 years old. We were taught metric in grade school. Thomas Jefferson advocated for the metric system.
I too have just added a few of the thinner Shinwa rulers to my arsenal and love them.
If you don't have them yet I would recommend adding the rule stops. They cost about 8 - 10 $ but give you the option to repeat measurements across several pieces of material. Similar to setting a combo square but with a smaller footprint.
I especially like it for inside measurements (inside a box or from table saw fence to the inside sawtooth).
Seems much faster and easier than this bar gauge monstrosity.
Thanks for the heads-up on the rule stops. I didn't know Shinwa made them.
I think I would still encounter situations where I'd prefer the bar gauge but yeah, the rule stops seem like a great call. How to they tighten? Do they start to mar the surface of the rule after awhile? I have some trammel points that tighten onto a ruler via set screws and they pretty much ruin the surface of the ruler they're attached to.
@@themountaintopjoinersshop8422
They are tightened with a small thumb screw to the side of the ruler. So theoretically they could mar the side of the ruler. I would not put huge pressure against the stop. But for setting up a router or table saw fence or take an inside or outside measurement where you're just barely touching it is absolutely sufficient. And you can still read the measurement without having to remember. So last project I had two of these, a marking gauge and a combo square set up to keep track of different measurements simultaneously without writing anything down.
What I also use them for is for repeatable rip cuts with a track saw. You don't necessarily need the expensive parallel guide systems achieve that. Just reference from a clean board edge to the splinter guard, accounting for blade kerf. No pencil markings or measurements needed on the follow-up pieces.
For those on a tighter budget that like the look of the Bar Gauge but not the price tag, try a telescopic antenna. The type you may get on a vehicle or the old rabbit ear antennas for a TV. Not as fancy as the Veritas, with all of its bits and pieces, but it does the same job and works just fine.
The issue I see with the antenna hack is that it can't be locked in place, so if it gets knocked, you'd lose your measurement. I'm very paranoid about that sort of thing.
@@themountaintopjoinersshop8422
You are absolutely right about that and care has to be taken when using this method.
But for the non-professional woodworker on a budget it is a viable option to the more expensive tools. Particularly for getting those tricky inside measurements. The question is, is it better or worse than the errors that can occur when using tape measure/rules as you pointed out?
There are ways to prevent slippage ie tape or spring clamps. I just find that a moderate bit of caution is sufficient
I used to watch Acorn to Arabella, a boat-building channel....and one of the most ridiculous things I ever saw was them calculating plank widths at each station (mould) in Imperial. The only way they could sensibly make that work with the many hundreds of calculations etc was to use tenths of an inch, treat it all as decimals, and then convert it back to 8ths at the end of the calculation. Metric would have had the job done in half the time.
The other cool feature you missed on the Fast Cap is that, as well as being read from left to right , like most tape measures, they can also be read from right to left. Which is so much easier than reading the numbers upside-down for right handers.
Thank you for pointing that out. That's a nice feature.
And remember, the Flatback can't be used for inside measurements.
At 72 years young, I have no desire to change to metric. I do however agree with the 5/5 easier comment and due to 20 years of mechanical drafting in a younger life, I read fractions as decimals making the math easier. I'm also in agreement with you on not measuring at all and am liking your tools for that. Great info as always, thank you for sharing.
Same age, but if I was a young guy would switch to metric, it just so logical and easy. But the brain takes too long to visualize in metric for me to be practical.
Excellent. I don't measure unless must.
I can do everything in either metric or imperial. I am in my late fifties in Canada. Therefore started schooling in imperial and finished it in metric. However, I suggest to stick to one system for engineering calculations (loads, bending stress….). I only do them in metric. Mixing this a recipe for disaster. If you are not sure, ask the NASA satellite designers. At the end, you choose whatever suit you. Like you said it’s a personal choice. Don’t get me wrong, certain things are more obvious in one system then in an other. Example, weather forecast are in celsius. My pool water heater is set in Fahrenheit. My dive gear is completely in imperial (feet, psi, Fahrenheit). Distance are in km…you get the drift.
I have the Veritas bar gauge but did you know the same bars are used for the Veritas Marking & Transfer Tool? It has machined perpendicular edges to mark with. Basically a very fancy story stick. Same rods are also used in their tool guide and small router edge guide. I recommend the Marking and Transfer tool. It makes me use the bar gauge more even if they are separate tools. Stays out and in use way more than the somewhat limited use of the bar gauge alone.
Thanks for the info. That's a great suggestion.
You, sir, are completely correct about metric and we in the US should make the transition yesterday. In fact, in general, I use the SI system as often as is reasonably possible.
Loved this video. I am a beginner who far prefers metric and without a lot of time to convert imperial to metric. Have been looking for some projects that would help me develop my skills. Are you of any source for plans that use metric measurements?
I'm afraid I'm not aware of any metric plans. I've never used plans to build anything other than a few shop-made tools.
I'm interested in your sector.
Is the spacing between points of any particular significance, or just something convenient the way you use it?
No special significance. I just eyeballed it and said to myself "that looks about right".
Do you use a panel gauge? If so, which one? If not, what do yo use as an alternative? Maybe you can just use your incra t-rule for what a panel gauge would be used for.
I use the t-rule for short distances and I have a shop-made panel gauge for wide panels.
I too have four steel rules, 150-1000mm, although I dropped the little one behind a bench about six months ago and haven’t seen it since. I’m interested to know how you store yours, as I’m about to move into a new house and will be setting up a new workshop. You’ve put a lot of thought into tool storage and I’d like to shamelessly plagiarise your solution (if it suits the space).
I have a small area of pegboard in the corner to the left of my bench. I just hang my rules and straight edges there.
What is 8.016875 CM cut in half and added to 14.00969 CM.
This is the metric equivalent to your question and isn't any easier to answer. It also begs the question of why you need this precision in wood working? Either in imperial or metric?
What is half of 3/4"?
What is half of .75"?
Which is easier to do?
(BTW Half of 7/16" is not 7/32" it is 3.5/16ths" )
If you want a decimal system for Imperial, there is the engineers scale that uses that. Not 16ths. or 32nds but 10, 50, 100ths. I don't like that either.
For me, personally, the metric system has increments that are either too small or too large. I do not measure something in 48" or 82", the near equivalent of a CM. I also don't like using yards, the same for Meter.
No one uses the Decimeter, a mere 4" from the .4" of a CM. The next size increase is too much.
The veritas story board would be more useful if the ends snapped on with ball detents. Screwing and unscrewing is too finicky for me. Might as well have two sided ends so you don't have to change them.
The dividing thing was neat, easily made and simple. BUT there is an accordion tool that does division of spaces with nothing more than expanding it.
Trend Point-2-Point Equidistant Measuring Marking Tool for Quick and Accurate Locating and Setting Positions (3.3in to 24in), M/P2P01
although the sewing machine version is half the cost.
9 Pieces Expanding Sewing Gauge Aluminum Sewing Gauge
This guy gets it. I love when people throw out 1/64” as if they design in 1/3 mm all the time or when they try going back and forth between systems. Use what you want, stick with it and don’t make excuses about the end product because of your choices. Some of those comments just make me shake my head.
I've been transitioning to metric and it's beyond stupid I didn't do that in my youth. Dual divided rulers are great for a while but going cold Turkey is the best. Building trades don't get much choice, 16"=40.64cm & 24"=61cm, and materials are all in feet/inches the in the States, sad to say. But for most shop work for duffer DIYers, metric is sanity. Btw I immediately looked in the description for affiliate links, tsk, tsk, missed opportunity there. Thanks.
In the UK our sheet material (ply, plasterboard etc) is usually 8' by 4' which is 2440mm by 1220mm. And the usually spacing for studs is 400mm (close to 16"but not quite) so it doesn't divide nicely. We've not quite moved fully to metric and it's been about 50 years since they converted!
I've since added affiliate links to all my videos. Thanks for the reminder.
Love the Willy Wonka reference.
“Measurement is the enemy of accuracy.”
Once had an American friend try to tell me that Freedom measurments are more accurate than Metric... Being a sarcastic bloke I replied with 'Yeah, OK. That would explain why only three countries still use them. Two of which are 3rd world countries, you guess which two'.. He now uses Metric BTW.
7 and 11/64th inches. Who TF uses 64th, or even 32nd of an inch!?
I've used 32nds plenty. 64ths only really comes up when selecting drill bits for me.
Americans are just stubborn to seeing the simplicity of using metric measurements