Fractions and mm

[burn]

I am forever looking up imperial fraction settings to mm conversions.

Extracting my digit, I generated my own and thought it may be of use to others. I now have a number of copies of this table around the workshop.

[knucklehead]

Thanks Burn I'll use that.

I often feel like I need an interpretor when they start talking in imperial measurements.

[mat]

Some other useful tables - not all of them open

http://www.modernscrews.com/html/useful_tables.html

[Rocker]

Lee Valley used to give out a credit-card-sized conversion table to their customers for fractions of an inch to mm and decimal inches. I have found it invaluable. Maybe Rob Lee would consider reviving it.

Rocker

[Ratbag Oz]

I have found that lurking on an international forum used to bring me no end of conversion stress, most often for Celcius/Farenheight conversions. I found the formula for the conversion (yes it is a complex one) and entered it into an Excel spreadsheet, all I had to do from there was type in the measurements I wanted and it would pop out the answer instant and to the point, with just one number entry. Easy! and at my fingertips all the time :D
I now have all sorts of conversions on the one sheet, and No worries.
All my friends have asked me to send them this, so they now realise that 45 degrees is actually bloody hot!

Ratbag

[anthonyd]

Burn,

Nice idea - might print it out myself.

Here's another way of doing it. Just about all verniers have both mm and imperial units on them. Set the vernier to the imperial measurement and then measure off the metric reading. Of course the problem with my method is that verniers either do imperial as fractional or as thousandths but not both!

[Ivan in Oz]

I use this one at work:-
http://www.jennessent.com/unit_conv/Manual/no_frame/installation1.htm

Like a broard spectrum one, there are 'some' conversions not there:confused:

[DPB]

I use this.

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/6311/metricconvertor3tt.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[mat]

Try convert on
http://www.joshmadison.com/software/

[keith53]

Thanks Burn. very useful.

[gazaly]

I use this one, I made in Excel:

[Markw]

If your going to have the PC running then you may as well use this
http://www.onlineconversion.com/

[MajorPanic]

Geeeeeesussss you guys!!!!!!!!!!!

I gotta tell ya I'm no quantum physics PHD or even close but you really need conversion calculators for fractions???????? http://www.ubeaut.biz/scared2.gif :eek:

Try this.........

Divide top fraction # by bottom fraction # & multiply result by 25.4........ answer is in mm.
A simple calculator is all thats required :cool:

[namtrak]

Hey DPB, yours doesn't work - and I poked a hole in me bloody computer trying to use it!!!!!

[Gra]

Im with matt, convert is a sensation

[AlexS]

Just use metric, it's a dozen times easier.:D

[Shedhand]

I use this.

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/6311/metricconvertor3tt.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
I use this. :D

[doug the slug]

I dont want to sound over-critical here, but if you need that degree of accuracy when converting from one unit of measure to another perhaps you are working with some material other than wood??http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon10.gifhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Shedhand]

I dont want to sound over-critical here, but if you need that degree of accuracy when converting from one unit of measure to another perhaps you are working with some material other than wood??http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon10.gifhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon10.gif
You a nightowl like me doug (those boobs are pretty.....distracting) ;)

[markharrison]

Maybe I'm missing something here. What's wrong with working with the measurement system that the plan is drafted in?

Admittedly I come from that brief generation that neatly straddles (born in 1962) both systems but I still think that converting from metric to imperial or vice versa is bound to end up with far more unchecked errors. Besides even if you are of the completely metric generation, the imperial measurement system is really not that difficult to grasp.

The only thing I really don't understand is when the 'murricans talk about 12/4 or 8/4 lumber. For the life of me, I don't understand what is wrong with just using the nominal dimensions of the timber.

[burn]

Mark,

This table first started as my wanting a quick chart of fractions to thousandth's of an inch - save reaching for the calculator or pen and paper. Also, for small values, I can perceive length in mm but not fractions of an inch (except 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4), so having all three figures make sense. I think this is an artifact of also growing up in the cross over period.

Regards
Burn

[vsquizz]

I have posted this before but if you really want a good system and don't want to go online: go here; http://www.katmarsoftware.com/uconeer.htm

and download Unconeer. It is not another system resource wasting icon sitting in your tray. Its the best free conversion system going around.

Cheers

[mudguts]

Hey all

Its not that hard
one inch = 25.4 mm
do the mathematics
didn't we all got to school
i did

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Who needs to convert? I catch myself using measurements like (11" 3mm) when doing rough framing. :o It ain't me who needs a convertor, it's the people I deal with. :p

[Ivan in Oz]

Get an "P&N" or like,
Drill conversion chart from one of the 'Industrial' shops.

Goes from something like.......... 0,0001" to 1.000 Inch.......0.00254mm to 25.4mm

AND the conversion both ways, all listed in Black and White...[Actually Black and YELLOW]

[anthonyd]

Maybe I'm missing something here. What's wrong with working with the measurement system that the plan is drafted in?


Mark, it's not always that simple.

Case in point - I have an incra jig on my router table. Now as you know these things are good, but only work in imperial units. Now if I am doing something and working in metric and decide I need to move the fence by 4mm I need to convert that to a fractional imperial measurement. Unfortunatly I missed the crossing over period so I never had to deal with imperial ever in my life - it all seems very strange and arbitary to me!

[Tex B]

Burn,

Thanks for the chart. I grew up imperial and switched to metric about 10 years ago, in my mid 30s (when I moved to Oz). I use a calculator, which is not near my tools. ditto computer. pencil and paper and brain work OK, but I have printed your chart and will tape it on the wall of the workshop for easy reference.

BTW, I love metric. Much easier to work with. Why the US doesn't switch over like the rest of the world is a bit of a mystery. Coca Cola switched to metric in the 70s, I think they realised a litre was less than a quart.

Too bad we still need both sets of wrenches.

Tex

[mudguts]

Who needs to convert? I catch myself using measurements like (11" 3mm) when doing rough framing. :o It ain't me who needs a convertor, it's the people I deal with. :p




lol

[Just George]

I'm going to print it off twice, laminate them taking one to work and take the other to my own workshop.

[burn]

We all learnt, by wrote, our times tables at school.

This is just another table, nothing more, nothing less. A short cut to many of the issues raised in this thread.

[markharrison]

Case in point - I have an incra jig on my router table. Now as you know these things are good, but only work in imperial units.

I understand that this is not exactly true. Incra make metric racks for their jigs. Call the folks at Woodpecker.

[Blocklayer]

I wrote a Metric~Imperial converter you might find handy. It is on this web page
http://www.blocklayer.com

[ozwinner]

I have found that lurking on an international forum used to bring me no end of conversion stress, most often for Celcius/Farenheight conversions.

Easy.
Take Farenheight, minus 30, divide by 2.
The answer is close enough, its either too hot or too cold.

Al :eek:

[silentC]

Simplest approach, and the one I use, is never measure anything. Just make it about that big, by about that, and if it's too small/too big make it a bit bigger/smaller. Mark your dimensions off the thing they're meant to fit directly, or use a story stick if that's not possible. Simple, see? ;)

[bitingmidge]

OK, you've all had your fun.

Get a Mac, use the standard conversion Widget that comes with the OSX, hit the F12 key and punch in what you want to convert.

By some miracle, it even does current currency conversions.

It's all been said above, but FWIW, if I am actually working on a project that requires accurate conversion (like a boat or paddle plan for instance) I set up a spreadsheet at the beginning of the job and convert all the offsets in one go.

Column A = inches Column B= numerator (top part of the fraction) Column C=denominator (bottom part of fraction) Column D= THE CONVERSION FORMULA: <=A+(B/C)*25.4>

There it is.

It's a simple process, and if as in a boat plan one is dealing with offsets, a little bit of care gives the output in the same format.

Cheers,

P
:D

[anthonyd]

I understand that this is not exactly true. Incra make metric racks for their jigs. Call the folks at Woodpecker.

When you day metric racks - are you talking about the sawtooth racks or just metric scales?

I would think you would need to change both.

[Andy Mac]

I'm with Skew' on this one, using Metric and Imperial together!!:o It all depends on which increment lines up the best: I mean to remember something like 1062mm when a nice round number like 3'6" is sitting on the tape there ready to be used. So my scraps of paper and offcuts have have combined things like 450mm x 1'2" written on them. For appearance sake, I try to convert them for public scrutiny (eg. when ordering material) least they think I'm a bit odd, but many is the time I've been out by exactly 100mm.

Cheers:D

[silentC]

Yes you can get both. I haven't bothered with mine because, as I say, I don't measure anything. I move the fence a bit and try it, then move it again if necessary.

[markharrison]

When you day metric racks - are you talking about the sawtooth racks or just metric scales?

I would think you would need to change both.

Well, I expect so. I don't own one. I'm just regurgitating something I seemed to recall seeing somewhere.

Have a look in the Incra forum.

[Ashore]

The only imperial to metric conversion I remember was that a 69 convertes to 181 :D


Ashore

[mudguts]

all.

isn't it amazing how many of your replies contain the number 25.4. Gee this must be the magic number.

cheers

[mat]

Another good chart

http://www.sutton.com.au/uploads/downloads/Drill%20-%20Decimal%20Equivelant%20Table.pdf

[bennylaird]

all.

isn't it amazing how many of your replies contain the number 25.4. Gee this must be the magic number.

cheers

Do you mean the Magic number or the Golden Rectangle?

Something we can use to base designs upon?

Can any one help me convert?
From struggling to filthy rich?