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04-03-2013, 09:48 PM
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#21
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Senior Member
Trailer: 13 ft Boler
Posts: 1,176
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Its amazing to me how we in North America laugh a countries that have the weirdest
monetary systems but base their measuring system on multiples of 10.
We base our monetary system on multiples of 10 and have the weirdest measuring system. Wonder who laughs at us.
I work with wood but would never call myself a carpenter. Lol Every time I need. Tape measure I always look for one that is metric or imperial only as the dual ones always cause me a problem when working.
As a senior Canadian I grew up Imperial, was introduced to metric in grade 9 high school chemistry and embraced it.
Where I live metric fasteners are still hard to get and I will stock up when I cross border shop in Idaho,,go figer? Ive never needed enough volume to worry about price.
Fred
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04-04-2013, 07:16 AM
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#22
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Senior Member
Trailer: No Trailer Yet
Posts: 5,112
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FRED SMAILES
.............I work with wood but would never call myself a carpenter. Lol Every time I need. Tape measure I always look for one that is metric or imperial only as the dual ones always cause me a problem when working...................Fred
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OK, now I just gotta ask. In the US we commonly build walls with a stud that measures 1.5" x 3.5", but is commonly referred to as a 2x4. If I go into a Canadian lumberyard and ask for a wall stud, what will the dimensions be?
I know it will not be 3.5" x 1.5" because Canada is a metric country.
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04-04-2013, 07:26 AM
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#23
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Commercial Member
Name: Ian
Trailer: 1974 Boler 1300 - 2014 Escape 19'
Alberta
Posts: 1,380
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Our dimensioned lumber uses imperial (i.e. 2x4 but actually 1.5x3.5) but our plywood sheets are metric, specifically in thickness. We frame using imperial stud spacing (either 16" or 24" on center).
.... but we can only buy metric hammers
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04-04-2013, 07:31 AM
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#24
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Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Escape 19 and Escape 15B
Alberta
Posts: 523
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas G.
OK, now I just gotta ask. In the US we commonly build walls with a stud that measures 1.5" x 3.5", but is commonly referred to as a 2x4. If I go into a Canadian lumberyard and ask for a wall stud, what will the dimensions be?
I know it will not be 3.5" x 1.5" because Canada is a metric country.
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Wood frame construction industry in Canada operates primarily in imperial units. Still use 2x4's and other old standard imperial sizes, and when spacing studs or joists in a building they are typically at 16" or 24" centers, primarily to allow use of 4'x8' plywood or drywall that comes in 2' length increments.
I remember working for my dad's home building company when metric lumber arrived in Canada. After a few unsuccessful attempts to space studs, joists, etc at metric distances, we went back to the old imperial system and just cut the metric plywood down to imperial lengths before using. It was not long before the industry switched back to imperial sizes only.
__________________
Dave W - 2013 Escape 19', 2013 Escape 15B and 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser
"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there." - Yogi Berra
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04-04-2013, 07:33 AM
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#25
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Senior Member
Name: jim
Trailer: 2022 Escape19 pulled by 2014 Dodge Ram Hemi Sport
Pennsylvania
Posts: 6,710
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".... but we can only buy metric hammers "
now that is funny, I guess your dozen eggs are only 10?
ps- my house has real, actual 2x4's- I believe "true 2x4" is the name
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04-04-2013, 07:51 AM
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#26
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Senior Member
Trailer: No Trailer Yet
Posts: 5,112
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ice-breaker
....... After a few unsuccessful attempts to space studs, joists, etc at metric distances, we went back to the old imperial system and just cut the metric plywood down to imperial lengths before using...........
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04-04-2013, 09:48 AM
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#27
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Senior Member
Trailer: Boler 1984
Posts: 2,938
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Sae or metric is not that difficult. You pick up your sae wrenches and try to find the right size. Then you go through all your metric wrenches to no avail. Then you pick up an adjustable and quickly round over the corners before grabbing your locking wrench. Ahhh!
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04-04-2013, 10:09 AM
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#28
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Senior Member
Name: Randy
Trailer: 1980Trillium 1300
Ontario
Posts: 373
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Canadian lumber....jack!
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04-04-2013, 10:37 AM
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#29
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Senior Member
Trailer: No Trailer Yet
Posts: 5,112
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Quote:
Originally Posted by james kent
Sae or metric is not that difficult. You pick up your sae wrenches and try to find the right size. Then you go through all your metric wrenches to no avail. Then you pick up an adjustable and quickly round over the corners before grabbing your locking wrench. Ahhh!
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Good point. I keep both a metric crescent wrench and metric vice grips handy. They augment my left handed screwdriver set, nicely.
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04-04-2013, 10:50 AM
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#30
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Senior Member
Name: Jack
Trailer: '98 BURRO 17WB
Delaware
Posts: 2,548
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The 1-3/4"X3-9/16" 2by replaced the original sawn stud which was indeed roughly 2 by 4". Multi head mill planers made it possible to surface lumber very efficiently to consistent dimension and rectilinearity. Now the numbers are 1-1/2X3-1/2 in the U.S. A S4S nominal 2X4. To underscore Jim's comment, I've seen frame houses with sawn studs and joists dating from as recently as the late 30s.
jack
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04-04-2013, 11:12 AM
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#31
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Senior Member
Name: Jack
Trailer: '98 BURRO 17WB
Delaware
Posts: 2,548
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I notice Ian uses decimal inch, another bastard multi-modulus system, which is nonetheless so much faster in computation than fractional inch as to make me wonder why I was ever borne in a country that got rid of a king, kept his foot, and then divvied almost everything up by the methods of ancient geometry?
jack
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04-04-2013, 11:12 AM
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#32
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Moderator
Trailer: 2009 19 ft Escape / 2009 Honda Pilot
Posts: 6,230
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The only reason that Canada has not gone completely metric in the building industry is due to the amount of export of lumber goods to the US. I too have built homes for a brief period using metric lumber, though the studs were the same size, just called 38x89 instead of 2x4, but the plywood was in metric sizes, 1200x2400. Our stud spacing was either 400 or 600 O.C.
Being in the construction industry, both through education, work experience, and now owning a custom building and renovation company, I sure wish we had of stuck to our guns, and completely embraced the metric system, as it is WAY simpler than using imperial.
Having all measurements based on the most common substance in the world, water, makes things a lot easier.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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04-04-2013, 11:20 AM
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#33
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Moderator
Trailer: 2009 19 ft Escape / 2009 Honda Pilot
Posts: 6,230
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rabbit
I notice Ian uses decimal inch, another bastard multi-modulus system, which is nonetheless so much faster in computation than fractional inch as to make me wonder why I was ever borne in a country that got rid of a king, kept his foot, and then divvied almost everything up by the methods of ancient geometry?
jack
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I have done lots of surveying, and before metric was implemented, most measurements were in fractional feet, not inches. This metricizing of imperial units made measuring and adding lengths together much easier. Basically, a measurement like 1'-4 9/16" would be shown as 1.3802 feet.
Adding together various fractional measurements is a real pain in the tush, whereas with metric it is real easy.
Most engineering in the US is done with metric too.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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04-04-2013, 11:43 AM
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#34
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Senior Member
Name: Jack
Trailer: '98 BURRO 17WB
Delaware
Posts: 2,548
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Think it's a question of suitability to the scale of the item in question. Decimal inch focuses in tight on customary machinist practise at a very restricted scale. Surveying has longer vistas. At some futuristic scale, we would talk decimal parsecs. And we'd most likely still be trying to cut the pie in six or eight.
Jack
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04-04-2013, 12:28 PM
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#35
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Senior Member
Name: Francesca Knowles
Trailer: '78 Trillium 4500
Jefferson County, Washington State, U.S.A.
Posts: 4,669
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Quote:
Originally Posted by james kent
Sae or metric is not that difficult. You pick up your sae wrenches and try to find the right size. Then you go through all your metric wrenches to no avail. Then you pick up an adjustable and quickly round over the corners before grabbing your locking wrench. Ahhh!
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I probably wouldn't want to rebuild an engine with one of these, but it serves me very well for an in-a-pinch socket for my traveling kit.
Universal Socket
Francesca
__________________
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04-04-2013, 02:08 PM
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#36
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Senior Member
Trailer: Trillium 2010
Posts: 5,185
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When I built my house all the plywood was stamped with very odd fractional thicknesses i.e. 15/32 or 23/32. At first I though it was like the 15 oz. pound of coffee until I spotted MADE IN CANADA. I guess they felt the need to translate .
In regard to hardware, try finding metric thread rod at your local US hardware store. Raz
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04-04-2013, 02:23 PM
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#37
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Senior Member
Name: Jared
Trailer: 1984 19' scamp
Kansas
Posts: 1,610
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Thank god we have a fastenal and wurth here.
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04-04-2013, 03:00 PM
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#38
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Senior Member
Name: Jack
Trailer: '98 BURRO 17WB
Delaware
Posts: 2,548
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Peter, what you describe is the translation (transnumeration?) of a metric measurement into fractional inch. Curse of box bodger and laminate slammer. Want a box to finish 24"by 24" finish dimension? Looks simple but more than you think will go "nominal" by considering 23/32nds as close enuf to 3/4" thickness. So they cut two sides 22-1/2 width to butt and a front and back 24" to overlap, bang it together and it finishes at 23-15/16s X 24. If they alternate between butt and overlap and cut both width and length 23-1/4, the box comes out only a 32nd under in both width and length and is least potentially square. These days you tell a staple gun artiste fresh out of a UBC&J apprentice program to factor in setback for sheet laminate to yield a finished dimension and you won't have hair left by the end of the workday!
jack
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04-04-2013, 03:33 PM
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#39
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Senior Member
Name: Mike
Trailer: 2001 Spirit Deluxe 17" K5NAN
Texas
Posts: 688
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Speaking of Milk. Its weird but in Bellingham you will see Canadians come down here to Costco and buy gallons of Milk by the pallet. Costco has a whole fridge room set up just for milk. And watch out when you get in a gas line because there will be some dude with 6 or 8 Gerry cans filling up with gas in his trunk. God forbid he gets hit in the rear end on the way back North.
__________________
Mike
K5NAN
"Miss Adventures"
If you Rest, You Rust
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04-04-2013, 03:33 PM
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#40
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Senior Member
Trailer: Boler 1984
Posts: 2,938
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Metric speed is "ROUGHLY" 6/10 mph. So therefore 90 Canuck kilometres per hour (kph)= approximately 54mph which is close enough to be called 55. Simple enough to to whilst one is driving.
Maybe some day I'll actually get the hang of the durn thing. In the mean time...... It's good enough for this ol guy.
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