Pat wrote:- The Australian experience is that metric transition can be done in less than a year if you use millimetres � and in about fifty years � if you use centimetres.
***************** So true, Pat. I watched some builders build my extension 5 months ago, two extra storeys on our house, and saw how easy it was for them to measure lengths of wood, etc, and cut them accurately every time to the nearest mm. They were working from plans 1:100 and had no problem with that. No mistakes at all. There's no question that it's easier to measure and cut a length of wood, say, 1234 mm long as it's easier to remember than 'one two three POINT four' cm long, and then try and work that out on your tape which is in mm anyway. Bound to lead to errors and hence wastage. Another main reason mm is used is because it's easier to have two units to work with than three, i.e.. mm and m, rather than mm, cm and m. Costings were accurate as calculations were done in mm and then rounded up as necessary. Folk who insist on using centimeters and Centigrade are usually those who live in the past and are not the practical type. Regards Mike Perth, Australia
