I think that could be made to work too. I would suggest that a garden could be laid out on 100 mm grid, with no or very few dimensions finer than that. There are very few plant spacing recommendations that could not be rounded to multiples of 100 mm. (If only I could get my weeds to grow "on grid.")
I think I might express that grid as 0.1 m, as 100 mm will surely cause him to break rank and subdivide the space, he is less likely to introduce a second decimal digit. For the planting crew, I would paint 100 mm lines on the handles of their trowels and shovels. If any intermediate distance is required, it can be estimated. Gardening is not high precision work. In the end, it is about digging a hole and shoving a plant in it. The trick is to arrange the holes artfully. ________________________________ From: Martin Vlietstra <[email protected]> To: John M. Steele <[email protected]>; U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Mon, June 13, 2011 7:46:22 AM Subject: RE: [USMA:50610] Re: Not the way to metricate I would give a look-up table with metric units in whole numbers with the imperial/customary equivalents alongside and tell him that I want all designs in metric units. Decide on how units are to be represented (metres, centimeters or millimetres) and instruct the designer accordingly. All dimensions are to be to the nearest 10 mm, except for dimensions below 100 mm, when they shall be to the nearest millimetre. Advise him to work entirely in metric and only to convert back to imperial/customary for purposes of his own sanity-checks. ________________________________ From:John M. Steele [mailto: [email protected] ] Sent: 13 June 2011 12:35 To: [email protected]; U.S. Metric Association Subject: Re: [USMA:50610] Re: Not the way to metricate I agree. Metric-only tapes are hard to find in hardware stores in the US , but they can be ordered online. Please review the original article. The "gardener" in question is only experienced in inches and has to submit a metric drawing for approval to an Expo in South Korea . If the drawing is approved, then that metric garden will be built for a show in 2013. How would you quickly teach him to use his existing experience but produce a design in metric? Deadlines await. There are actually several gardeners on the team. I rejected their plan of letting all but one design in feet, and that one converting everything. That would obviously produce a design with plants spaced on multiples of 304.8 mm, or, even worse, 30.48 cm. If no one likes my dual tape "crutch," I am asking how YOU would teach experienced designers with no exposure to metric to design (produce a garden layout and bill of materials) in metric? ________________________________ From:Martin Vlietstra <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Mon, June 13, 2011 7:06:44 AM Subject: [USMA:50610] Re: Not the way to metricate The problem is that hardware shops do not want to stock two items where one will do. If the gardener in question is taking orders from a member of the general public, what you say is fine, but if the owner of the business decides to do all work entirely in metric units, then using metric-only measuring devices is in order. The real problem arises when government initiates a metrication program and then refused to take the lead. ________________________________ From:[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John M. Steele Sent: 13 June 2011 11:38 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:50609] Re: Not the way to metricate I am NOT advocating dual tapes for general purposes. I am advocating it for one specific purpose. To help a garden design experienced in inches design in metric without teaching him a bunch of conversion math. I'm open to alternate approaches, but exactly how would you do it. He only knows plant spacings, sizes, etc in inches and has to produce a metric drawing. ________________________________ From:Martin Vlietstra <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Mon, June 13, 2011 3:07:30 AM Subject: [USMA:50604] Re: Not the way to metricate I find a dual tape a pain up the ****. Even though I inherited half a dozen tapes from my father-in-law (he measured up windows for the double glazing business), I still bought a single unit tape when I was last in Belgium to replace my old one which gave up the ghost. ________________________________ From:[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Pat Naughtin Sent: 13 June 2011 04:49 To: U.S. Metric Association Cc: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:50599] Re: Not the way to metricate On 2011/05/31, at 21:37 , John M. Steele wrote: I know Pat will disagree, but a dual tape is a good way to identify a round metric number around an inch dimension you have in mind. It is not a bad crutch for a a couple of jobs, but it should then be replaced with a metric-only tape. It can be used to get across the point of sensible rounding very well. Dear John, You are wrong. I agree with you when you say: a dual tape is a good way to identify a round metric number around an inch dimension you have in mind. It is a good approach if you want to retain the use of old pre-metric measuring words for as long as you possibly can. Friends who spent some $30.00 on a high quality dual sided measuring tape in the 1970s still have them and they can't see why they should buy a millimetre only tape now. However in agreeing, I also note that you have chosen to use metric conversion as part of your approach to metrication. With this approach I totally disagree if complete metrication is your aim and a FAST metrication upgrade is one of your requirements . See http://metricationmatters.com/docs/ApproachesToMetrication.pdf and http://metricationmatters.com/docs/MetricationInADay.pdf Cheers, Pat Naughtin LCAMS Author of the ebook, Metrication Leaders Guide, see http://metricationmatters.com/MetricationLeadersGuideInfo.html Hear Pat speak at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lshRAPvPZY PO Box 305Belmont3216, Geelong, Australia Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA . Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada , the UK , and the USA . See http://www.metricationmatters.com/ to subscribe.
