How much kicking and screaming

[kentauros]

will be required to bring the USA into full and complete across-the-board use of the metric system?

I was just handed a stack of piping drawings to convert from metric to inches

The drawings are complete. Why not adapt and just use the metric system and save untold hours of conversion work?

[HopeHoops]

1. All of our lumber is in inches and feet - that's going to be a bitch!

Of course, you have to subtract half an inch from the width and depth measurements ANYWAY!

[kentauros]

2. Yes, shrinkage is a bitch, ain't it?

:P

Luckily, steel process piping doesn't shrink ;)

[HopeHoops]

5. LOL - no, it is MILLED that way!

A 2x4 means the raw dimensions before it is milled.

[kentauros]

6. Yeah, I remember

but they also milled it that way originally because of shrinkage. There still is some, just not that severe.

And I remember talking to a woodworker that had an opportunity to make cabinets in metric measurements. He loved it so much, he never went back to standard :)

[TZ]

3. I'm halfway there.

I work in a lab and therefore all my work is measured in the metric system.
And I agree that we should switch over. But that would take a lot of Larnin..something a large population of people seem to be allergic too...

[kentauros]

4. I think they're allergic to the idea of a big switch

but if you do it in small bites, they don't notice. Only those industries and numbers that are in their lives every day (like fuel and speed limits) seem to be noticed when there's something amiss. I imagine a local municipality could convince the local populace that the metric system is great for the delivery of potable water by telling the complainers that they're getting more water (in liters) for the same cost. I bet most would fall for it, too :P

[KitchenWitch]

7. THANK you!

all the calculations are so much easier in metric.

[hobbit709]

8. Don't bet on it.

I've seen people have problems accurately multiplying or dividing by 10.