What's in a "foot"? (Surveying)

[mapper]

I have a 2 chain tape around someplace that we bought for a project a few years ago... it needs a good cleaning though, and they are no where near as heavy duty as I remembered. How many remember how to throw one?

I think I remember how, have to give it a try next time I'm out in the shop. Do you remember how the half chain trailer was used (hint: it relates to the topog scale on an abney level)

 

[lennyzx11]

Way off the original topic.
I built a small wooden sailboat 10-15 years ago. The plans were in metric.
After struggling and struggling with the conversion formulas, I broke down and bought a metric “yardstick “. And I quit “converting “.
The project went rather well after that and last I heard, the boat was still floating in a harbor in Maui.

Can someone convert British Whitworth to cubits for me? I can’t find a measuring stick...

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Back when I was taking freshman Chemistry, our professor told the class about a previous science class he had taught. It was during a final exam, and one student asked what units he wanted him to use for the answer to one particular question. He told him that he didn't care; what ever was easiest for him. When he graded the exams, the guy had his answer in furlongs per fortnight. The prof said that it took him a while to convert the answer, but the answer was correct!

 

[Agvg]

If manufactories keept to the old DIN norm you didn't had to have many metric tools sizes. 7,8,10,13,17,19,22,24,27,30 and 32.

 

[KennyG]

If manufactories keept to the old DIN norm you didn't had to have many metric tools sizes. 7,8,10,13,17,19,22,24,27,30 and 32.

But none of them seemed to. If I remember correctly, the Japanese liked the even number sizes and the Europeans liked the odd numbers. 9, 12, 14 and 15 seemed to be the most used.

 

[aczlan]

But none of them seemed to. If I remember correctly, the Japanese liked the even number sizes and the Europeans liked the odd numbers. 9, 12, 14 and 15 seemed to be the most used.

And for some reason, Chevy seems to think that 18mm is an excellent size for caliper bracket bolts...

Aaron Z

 

[Professor Marvel]

It is absolutely a shame that the US has never switched to the metric system.

i like inch/pound and certainly see no shame whatsoever in not knuckling under to other countries. If they want to deal with us they need to change.

 

[RandyT]

And for some reason, Chevy seems to think that 18mm is an excellent size for caliper bracket bolts...

Aaron Z

Honda ATV's spark plugs are 18 mm also.How many people own an 18 mm spark plug wrench. JD also likes to use 18 mm for their blade bolts on their lawnmowers. I really love the SAE bolts with metric threads. Or the fact that all modern spark plugs use metric threads.

 

[Agvg]

And for some reason, Chevy seems to think that 18mm is an excellent size for caliper bracket bolts...

Aaron Z

18mm is ISO norm, you save a few grams and some cost vs the old DIN that uses 19mm head.

 

[Agvg]

But none of them seemed to. If I remember correctly, the Japanese liked the even number sizes and the Europeans liked the odd numbers. 9, 12, 14 and 15 seemed to be the most used.

The Japanese uses a lot of 7, 8, 10, 12,14,17,19.

Europe uses much the same on older vehicles but 14mm is a Japanese and east European thing. But now a days cost cutting and not norms are the order of the day.

6 and 9mm are very rare if things haven't changed much in the later years.