Ah hah moment.

Today, I discovered that 16" = 40 cm. Why does this matter? I'm cutting my firewood 16" and I'm not good at guessing, so I use a Spencer tape. I always loose track of multiples of 16 (32, 48... awe shucks...). But the back side of my tape is marked in 10 cm intervals. Much easier on my simple brain to mark out 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36... I'm sure I'm not the first person to figure this out, but, boy does it make marking out WAY easier.

 

You just joined the Canadian way of thinking.

 

I don't even think about it now. I've got a 16" bar and I go about 18" or so on my cuts. I do want to put an 18" bar and chain on my 029 super for less bending over, and to get my 18" lengths.

Then again, I've never cut years ahead before this winter so maybe I should start paying more attention.

All of the inserts I'm looking at take at least 18" pieces, if not 20-22" pieces, but I want to make sure they for whatever one I get.

 

You get used to metric if you work with global companies.

 

Yeah i have never understood why we insisted on being different. So much easier with the metric system. Doesn't help my brother is a scientist so any number or figure I get from him I have to try and remember the conversion. Usually i just make him do both

 

Are you suggesting a new one?
I remember learning about the metric system in grade school, and most of the kids didn't get it. I did, but I like to think I'm like Yogi...."smarter than the average bear".
I don't anymore, .....so there's that.

 

It's our mini revolution... Sticking with saw, and not going to metric.



Don't tell the US automakers though.

 

The English use metric too. Maybe that's why we use inches?

 

Yeah, that's what I figured, but thought we needed clarification so you didn't get a knock on the door by some very straightlaced looking gents with sidearms drawn.
You know, like "Men in Black".

 

I remember years ago, (like 30+) in grade school, that we were converting to the metric system. It would take some getting used to but it really is much simpler and half arseing things like we are now is just confusing.

 

Fell, limb,then put on the length jig (now use a supermagnet) to mark
Less thinking & all the same length. Been working great for several years now.
Hillbilly method

 

That's it, hand in your citizenship. We don't do metric here.

David

 

25.4 mm = 1 inch
2.2046 lb = 1 kg
4.448 N = 1 lb
1 in-lb = .113 N-m

Off the top of my head. Wish I could do only one.

David

 

A much easier method that rolling out a tape measure.... just mark a piece of scrap wood!

I cut 18" rounds: I take a 1x2 and cut it 72" long. I then mark it with orange spray paint at each end, and then at 18" intervals across it. Just lay it on the tree, and mark each line, I use a big 2" think piece of colored chalk I got for $2 at a craft shop ("Michaels"). I can mark the entire tree, fire up the saw and cut it all up without having to stop.....

 

Most tape measures have the multiples of 16 marked in red for laying out wall studs, etc.

 

That's how I do it.

 

Yeah, but I use a Spencer tape. It's 75 ft long and relatively light compared to standard 25' carpenter's tape measures.
http://www.cspforestry.com/Spencer_Logger_s_Tapes_p/spencertape.htm