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Starrett's Fractional Dial Caliper, a Boon to Woodworkers
We wouldn't need this if we could just get on metric
I hate that I wasn't raised with the metric system, and have a shop full of tools sized for Imperial dimensions only. With calipers I've been exhaustively measuring a broken antique piece of furniture in hopes of reproducing it. Yes, by now I know that 0.3125" = 5/16", .375" = 3/8", etc. but the conversions are giving me a headache.
I was thrilled to learn that Starrett produces this 1202F dial caliper, even though no other country in the world really needs it. It's got the dial helpfully laid out in fractions, a boon to American woodworkers:
I was unthrilled to learn these run about $140. Damn you, Imperial.
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Comments
I live in a metric country, and while metric is scientific, it's really not that great. People building stuff for human use like imperial units because they're intuitive and work well. Metric also has that whole, "Thou shall have no other god but me" vibe - nobody ever says "let's use both systems."
I worked recently with people from a 'metric only' country, and I was surprised by little intuitive feel they had for measurements. If someone says six inches, I get it. If I said, 150mm, they'd get out a ruler and look.
People in countries that switched can usually use both. I've seen exchanges like, "How long is this?" "Six foot eight and a half, and a millimeter." If metric is really that great it would have taken over because people would use it no matter what. As it is, people who want to like it bitch that they can't. Again, having used both systems, it's not that great. If you want a good system, you're a designer. Make up something better. Better yet, consider what you really want out of a measurement system and whether, "It's scientific!" is really a sound basis for deciding.
"If I said, 150mm, they'd get out a ruler and look." uhm, I'm from a metric country and I can't relate. Must have been the people you were working with I guess.
Check out the HF version for $30. I got it for woodworking. Much easier to see how far off you are from from a fractional target vs digital caliper
https://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-fractional-dial-caliper-63655.html
Fractional calipers have been around for some time now.
I find digital ones much more handy as a press of a button does any conversion as you switch from imperial to metric and back.
As a woodworker, I also find the accuracy of a Starrett tool a bit of overkill.