The Metric System and the Woodworker

The metric system . . .

There are only three countries in the world that don't use the metric system Myanmar, Liberia, and the United States. An odd group of countries to say the least. I'm not overly concerned with the first two. No offense, but they don't land on my woodworker's radar. As a wood worker what I am concerned with is the American reality. America being non-metric has significant ramifications for woodworkers.

Now I have to say, I get the metric system. I understand, I really do. It is a far, far superior system. It is better built, it is easier to use, it makes more sense, it makes math easier, it makes all the sciences easier. It is certainly far less confusing.

The first problem is, I think in both systems. I measure height in inches and feet not centimeters but big distances come in kilometers (unless I'm on the farm where the roads are all 1 mile apart). I have no idea what a pint or a quart are; litres and milliliters are so much easier. I go for pounds before kilograms, I go either way with tonnes and tons, but absolutely I prefer grams before ounces . (I mean who thought it was a good idea to have ounces be a measure of weight and volume then make cups and pounds have different totals of ounces in them.) Fahrenheit is a ridiculous joke compared to Celsius. Yet, I'll take an acre over a hectare (heck I had to look up how to spell hectare). It causes no end of confusion in my life. Fortunately, almost everyone around me is in the same boat of split system thinking.

The second problem, and the one we as woodworkers need to deal with, is the fact that our profession/hobby is in the midst of system crossover. It has been years since I have seen a 3/4" sheet of plywood that was in fact 3/4". Now I wouldn't mind as much if it actually said 19mm (or whatever it is), but it is always labeled as 3/4".

I find that many of my tools are no longer the appropriate size. For instance, I can no longer use my router and 3/4" bit for making dadoes. Even my dado cutter needs little cardboard spacers to make it work. I've run into off sized dowel pins, I've had wrong length screws.

Maybe I am just complaining here, but I just find it to be annoying. There is no easy solution here. The whole world is not going to revert to an archaic and inferior system just for my woodworking convenience; nor would I want them to since I like the metric system in general. More and more, we are going to see imported tools and wood. Thus, an American can't just sit isolated. American wood workers using one set of items the rest of the world another. America seems to have decided that switching is just too hard. Suggest to your average American that they should just swallow the pill and make the switch and you will near get shot. I really don't want to carry two complete sets of tools. Help!

What is a woodworker to do . . .