dollar bill test

[John Mulders]

Thanks Shell !

Now back to the tread topic.

I am sure you all sunk lots of dollars into your car already , why put more in the exhaust ?

John

[DonaldSmith]

3 meters is close enough to 10 ft. My attempt at satire was a soft conversion of the old expression "I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole."

The magazine for the Construction Specifications Institute has gone PC, and would have stated "Avoid contacting subject with a 3m (10 ft) pole." It makes reading very tedious.

Does Canada still sell metric plywood in 1200mm x 2400mm? Do they cut 3/4" off one side and 1-1/2" off one end?

I heard some years ago that the metric standard for lumber is a close conversion of the actual trimmed size, since most of the lumber is imported from the US or Canada, and Canadian lumber is sized for the US market. A 2x4 is actually 1-1/2" by 3-1/2" (89mm x 28 mm). Take that to your lumberyard.

Back to automotive stuff, for years there was one metric thread on Amertican cars, the 14 mm spark plug. Go figure.

[Young Ed]

One of my friends was redoing tile. As with many things the tile is sold by the sq foot. However all the tile is made outside the US in metric countries and comes in a 13x13sheet. So while its priced by the square foot you can't buy one.

[55 Fargo]

3 meters is close enough to 10 ft. My attempt at satire was a soft conversion of the old expression "I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole."

The magazine for the Construction Specifications Institute has gone PC, and would have stated "Avoid contacting subject with a 3m (10 ft) pole." It makes reading very tedious.

Does Canada still sell metric plywood in 1200mm x 2400mm? Do they cut 3/4" off one side and 1-1/2" off one end?

I heard some years ago that the metric standard for lumber is a close conversion of the actual trimmed size, since most of the lumber is imported from the US or Canada, and Canadian lumber is sized for the US market. A 2x4 is actually 1-1/2" by 3-1/2" (89mm x 28 mm). Take that to your lumberyard.

Back to automotive stuff, for years there was one metric thread on Amertican cars, the 14 mm spark plug. Go figure.

Lumber and building materials are sold by inches, feet, ply wood 4 X 8 ft sheets, from 1/8 to 3/4 inch. Lumber 2X4,2X6,2X8,2X10, sold by the linear, and board foot. Nails screws 1 inch, 2inch, bolts 1/4,3/8, not in metric, unless you want metric nuts and bolts.

2X4s being 3.5 X1 1/2 were standardized long before Canada became Metric.

My Father was in the lumber business, and also knew the US measurements for nails being Penny Weights.

Flooring and carpet is sold by the square yard, off 12 ft rolls, the list goes on and on.

Canada does however stick to the liquid measurement ,temperature, road distance/speed limits, in Metric.

I was educated in both, and know both, but prefer Imperial Measurement.........Fred

[Young Ed]

Fred when did Canada switch? My 1954 built house uses 3 7/8x1 7/8 2x4s.

[55 Fargo]

Fred when did Canada switch? My 1954 built house uses 3 7/8x1 7/8 2x4s.

Not sure Ed, the old houses, up here have the bigger 2X4s too. Canada went metric in around 1976-77.

2X4 studs are made here 92 5 /8 inches, you add 1 2X4 on the bottom and 1 2X4 on top, for 96 inches, that way 8 foot sheets go right up.

Don't forget we export a huge volume of lumber to the US........Fred

[Young Ed]

Yup we have the 92 5/8s thing too. Of course I think code now is 2x6 walls. I wonder when the houses used the 1 7/8s 2x4 did they have a shorter stud or just end up with a higher wall?

[B-Watson]

Canada went metric in 1978. The change was approved in 1976, giving everyone time to change. Car manufacturers, except Chrysler, made the change with the 1978 model year. Chrysler did the change for the 1977 model year.

Bill

Toronto, ON

[55 Fargo]

Canada went metric in 1978. The change was approved in 1976, giving everyone time to change. Car manufacturers, except Chrysler, made the change with the 1978 model year. Chrysler did the change for the 1977 model year.

Bill

Toronto, ON

Your absolutely correct Bill, I recall everything switching, in my first year of driving 1977, that goes for road signs, speed limits, buying a gallon of gas changed to buying by the litre......etc

[blucarsdn]

Building material sizes can be very confusing to the average citizen:

Lumber has been somewhat modular since the late 1930's. a 2 x 4 was 2"x 4" for many years then when it was sold a rough mill grade. When lumber became milled to size the amount milled off was not deducted..

Bricks, cement block and ceramic tiles are sold with the joint size taken into consideration... The tried and true 4-1/4 x 4-1/4 tiles requires 8 pc's per sq. ft.. If you take away the imaginary 1/4" from the two sides of a piece of tile, when added together all of the pieces will equal 1 sq. ft.

Where did the 4-1/4 x 4-1/4 size come from... nobody knows for sure.. It has something to do with an old English sizing...

Remember.. for a long time the Colonies could not manufacture many things, by law, products had to be imported from England. Ceramic Tiles were not produced in America in any volume until the early 1800's.

The exception to the rule is 6x6 tiles, they are generally 6" X 6", two tiles will generally span at least 12-1/8".

As the size of the tiles grow larger it gets more confusing... it takes 4.5 pieces to make a sq. ft of 4" x 8" tiles.

Cement really throws people for a loss... why does a sack weigh 94 lb.? Because it is one cubic foot. Concrete is generally sold by the cubic yard.

Edited November 27, 2010 by blucarsdn