Just The Problem
Neither the familiar system of Feet and Inches nor the Metric system of meters and millimeters are suited to the type of measurement and calculation woodworkers and other craftspeople use day in day out.
The Solution
A system of measurement that retains Feet and Inches and then divides the Inch into 24 parts.
The Argument
The Metric system excels at smaller measurement while Feet and Inches are better suited to larger. Because of these innate characteristics I have always used both, often in awkward combination. The Metric system’s only real asset is the particular size of the millimeter. This happens to be an ideal “small” unit of measure. Smaller than a 1/16" and larger than a 1/32", it can be distinguished easily without reading glasses while at the same time is fine enough to be a basic increment of woodworking precision.
In every other respect the Metric system is inadequate. There can be no rational argument in favor of a system that divides and multiplies by tens. It is perhaps not surprising that we break the day into 24 hours rather than 20, the hour intoU 60 minutes rather than 100 and so on. By the same token we divide the circle into 360 degrees rather than 100 or 1000. It is because the basic building block of twelve is vastly more versatile than ten, whose capacity for easy division by five and multiplication by ten is a talent I cannot remember ever having needed in 25 years of woodworking. Hell the only reason to post this is to fuel on the fire with a new system.
Feet and Inches supply a manageable series of larger increments. Feet and Inches break up what in the Metric system tend to be long easily corrupted numbers into readily recalled chunks. For example a Metric length of 2286mm equals 7 feet 6 inches. While 2286 might easily become 2268 in our fallible memories, it is hard to not notice 7 feet 6 inches becoming 6 feet 7 inches. The inspired division of the foot into 12 inches rather than 10 allows easy division into halves, thirds and quarters.
The great failing of Feet and Inches is the multitude of unsatisfactory fractions that make addition, subtraction and division an exercise in mental agility and provide ample opportunity for error. Nobody can quickly and reliably add 11 7/16" and 4 5/32" then divide the result by two, let alone three.
With our new rulers all these issues become a thing of the past and we find a system that combines the best of both of the old without any of their failings. This is achieved by employing the 1/24" as the basic increment. The 1/24" is a useful increment in a number of ways. Like the foot, which can be easily divided into halves, thirds, quarters, sixths and twelfths, an inch made up of 1/24th’s can be divided into halves, thirds, quarters, sixths, eights, and twelfths (try that with the metric system). The 1/24" is very close in size to the millimeter and so has the same natural advantage as an ideal small unit. These rulers allow us to take advantage of the largely forgotten 1/24" and elevate it to its rightful place as a core unit of measurement.to confuse the units discussion by introducing bobsrule.
It might be good for woodworking and the legality plank.
