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What is something that desperately needs to be standardized? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 4 months ago* by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
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[–] 1 point 4 months ago (1 child)

Well seeing as you worked in an auto shop you know all about the continuous global use of standard measurements! Your tires are always in inches, even when a metric tire (wheel size to be more specific). Every ratchet made is in inches as well as I previously stated. You cant get away from it. I'm not sure why square drives in ratchets haven't moved to metric considering not many are made in the states anymore, you will use a Taiwanese ratchet to turn a chinese made metric socket using a SAE sqr drive. Wheels I don't understand the faith to inches either, not like most cars are made in the states. I'm impressed the equipment from the 50s wherever you are doesn't have inch measurements, as a every machine ive seen of that vintage or older is exclusively in SAE but I suppose my anecdotal evidence is every bit as valuable as yours.

Your life sounds as though it has been quite interesting, neat variety of work you have performed. If you are curious about machining history, I recommend looking into Robbins and Lawrence machine shop. I live nearby and they are the first place on earth to achieve interchangable manufacture on a practical scale. This is what led to SAE being so common on legacy machines and manufacturing for 100+ years after! It was the birth place of machining as we think of it today, but before cnc (1845).

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago (1 child)

    Shit, you are right about the tires. I feel kind of stupid now. I ask you now (because of my utter unitrests to start to google anything right now.) How you guys mark the tire sizes? Like we have something like 175/65/14. 175 mm wide, profile is 65% and 14 inch diameter.

    Ratchets tough, never once given even a tough about the size. It was just what fit in what ever bullshit hole it needs to fit and hopefully gave enough leverage. Sockets are in mm and those were the ones I usually needed to worry about.

    Robbins and Lawrence is familiar name from school, but never really given any tought about them, nor i dont think im going to realistically ever travel to Vermont(?)

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago

    Yea it is strange the consistent proliferation of SAE units globally for certain things like tooling and tires. Not sure where else it is common, I only know about where it affects me on a daily basis with what I do for work. The tires are crazy because the aspect ratio is based off the mm width and the wheel size in inches so now units are being mixed! And square drives (like the half inch chuck key u used to tighten the chuck on ur metric lathe) could just as well be say 13mm instead of half inch, or 10mm instead of 3/8ths but the world just refuses to move on in certain areas. This is to say all the more how badly we need to standardize units of measure globally in our intertwined global world. Robbins and Lawrence was one of the first contractors for us gov to make guns that could be easily repaired with replacement parts in the field (before then all guns were hand filed and built so each part was bespoke, and repairs required craftsmen). When an industry starts with a certain standard (tools, tires, machining) that sets and industry standard which takes precedent over all other standards in that field. This is why all these things have stuck with SAE for so long, but these standards were set 100+ years ago. There is no reason not to move on at this point honestly.

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