Why is the U.S. system of measurement so weird?

In this video I explain how measurements used in American woodworking and construction work.

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#woodworking #metric #imperial

[RonaldJS]

It's also useful to remember that to cut a fraction in half keep the top the same and double the bottom. Half of 5/8 is 5/16 half of 11/16 is 11/32.

[MrKockabilly]

I grew up with imperial, but later would alternately use both imperial and metric in most of my simple projects. But when it comes to more elaborate or complicated crafts where you need to also divide length by 3 or 5 or sometimes by more irrational numbers, metric is the way to go. By now, I'm always metric whenever I start a work from scratch.

[riuphane]

"the most important thing to know is that a 2x4 is actually an inch and a half by- aw, shi-"
This. This is exactly my struggle. I get both metric and imperial and they each have a place, but that's the kind of thing that is so difficult and confusing to me... But I'm learning, thanks to your videos!

[gordonstewart]

Get a tape measure with both imperial and metric, and if the plan is in imperial, use the imperial side, if it's metric use the metric side. You don't ever need to convert one to the other.

[perrybrown]

As an engineer (in Australia) I communicate in either millimetres or metres, depending on the application.
My wife always talks in centimetres - the conversion is trivial, but it always creates a little double take for us.
Interestingly, Australians still talk about things being "miles away" and such like, even though nobody under 50 really has a good feel for how far a mile is. "Kilometers away" just doesn't roll off the tongue in the same way.
I am so happy we rationalised our measurements, I would hate to have to deal with all the odd units and their scaling factors.
And guys, what is with "ounce" being both a volume and mass unit?

[dwb]

Steve, great video! Thanks! I started my work career as a machinist. Unknown to me, this would pay dividends later in life. Memorizing key fraction to decimal equivalents was SO helpful in converting to metric:
* 1/16” = .062” = 1.6mm
* 1/2” =.500” = 12.7mm
* .039” = 1mm
* 1” = 25.4mm

[vinkelto]

You have a good ability to explain "difficult" things, easily. Thanks for the good explanation. Greetings from a hobby woodworker from Europe.

[doncripemccertifiedsr.med]

I apologize for being wordy. I am a YouTube fan of yours. I am writing this to several presenters.
About 60 years ago, I took high school woodshop. Thereafter, I learned a few basic things from my grandfather and father. Over the following 20+ years, I had neither the money nor the space to do any woodworking. About 25 years ago, some tools were passed on to my by parents, so I took over my garage, but my skill was rudimentary; the things I created were crude and imprecise, but I enjoyed the process.
About 5 years ago, I got very sick. During my recovery, I discovered you and your colleagues on YouTube. Since then, I have been a junky watching mostly woodworking videos. I must THANK YOU and your colleagues for teaching me so very much. I moved to a new home and created a shop on casters (I have to move cars) and have tried many of the things YOU have taught me—and bought way too many new tools!.
I now spend as much time as possible in my shop and have actually created some pretty good project products and shop furniture. Without you to help me through my convalescence and your clearly understandable videos, I don’t think I would be enjoying this hobby as I do. Thank you and the whole YouTube woodworking community.

[raterus]

I've been in USA my whole life, and I'm the first to admit woodworking in metric is so much easier. I'll find myself often using metric when doing fine measurements, as it just makes sense. For tools like wrenches, it's so much easier having wrench sizes like 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, than 5/16, 11/32, 3/8, 13/32, 7/16. If you gave me all the Imperial fractions between 0 and 1 to a 16th of an inch, it'd probably take me a minute to even put them in order. Metric, it's as easy as counting to 10... Imperial is just one of those things I live with,

[TxFrannie]

I just found you today. I love love our videos! Also, your sense of humor…. Love it the most! Thank you! You have answered so many questions I have. I’m new to woodworking! Can’t wait to start doing more!

[TheyCallMeScifi]

"kind of dumb but you get used to it" applies to so so many aspects of life.

Additionally as someone who's former day job was software for a countertop manufacturer I can empathetically state that fractions are the devil. Having to constantly flip back and forth between 3/8 and 0.375 was just a nightmare. And then there's the math...

[markpalmer]

That's a great explanation. I'm always converting 'an eighth' in my head to about 3mm when watching US YT content.

[okrahjnr]

Thank you steve
U motivated me to buy my first table saw and start woodworking this year

[startpilot]

I'm french and i watch you'r channel fron 9 years without understanding the mesurement, thank you very much for this vidéo !! I did not understand everything but it's on the good way to learn 👏👏

[Grumpy_Guy]

As an American living in Germany, I am very familiar with both systems. I usually use metric for most measurements as the math is easier for my simple brain. Converting plans can be difficult, but doable.

[hanygenena]

Hi Sir...I am from Cairo, Egypt and you just made life a lot easier. Thank you sooo much 👍👍👍

[charleshettrick]

I did the opposite. Many years ago I made a math error adding fractions in my head (always a bad idea due to limited brain capacity) and cut to 15 & 9/32 instead of 16 & 13/32 on a critical piece. That was it! My next trip to China I purchased a whole set of metric educated sticks, tapes and never looked back. Joy has has ensued. Just a few weeks ago I needed to measure a distance that exceeded the metric educated measuring devices. I was shocked. ALL my American educated devices had disappeared from assigned spaces, including the many from my father. Panic! Over many years I had moved the American stuff further and further into the dark recesses of the shop and forgotten. 20 minutes later I found the newer 100 foot tape measure, forlorn and dusty in a box with the other unused rulers, measures and stuff. Not sure where my father's 150 footer is. That is disturbing. I keep watching over my shoulder for it dangling from the rafters, ready to throttle me.

[LucasBenderChannel]

I'm sure I'm never gonna need those freedom units, but thank you for explaining them!

[Kevin]

It is an interesting situation. The USA was one of the first signatories to the metric convention about 130 years ago.

[Terekane]

It's only when you start measuring things like "5 ft, 23 cm" that you truly ascend to measuring like a Canadian.