Inches and feet.

[JimB]

What is the official definition of a mile in the U.K.? Are other non-metric units used (8-furlongs, 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards - and how are those defined?).

The quick answer is that I don't know.

At a wild guess, I would say that the Imperial units are defined in terms of the SI unit in a way that The National Physical Laboratory says they are, and in turn that is given authority by an Act of Parliament.

Earlier I said:

roadsign distances are in miles

But the Ordnance Survey, the government agency which makes and sells maps, has produced SI Unit maps since the 1970s.
Distances on the maps are scaled in cm to km, and contour heights are in metres.

JimB

 

[alec_t]

The sizes of wood blows my mind,

Mine too. I recall nominally "3 by 2'" (inches) timber being sold by the metre!

 

[gophert]

Mine too. I recall nominally "3 by 2'" (inches) timber being sold by the metre!

What meter lengths are they available? 2.44, 3.05 & 3.66 meters?

 

[granddad]

My wife has never changed from yards, feet and inches for her sewing , lbs, oz, fluid oz for her cakes ( Mmmm ) . and the dreaded Stones on the bathroom scales. Was only a couple of years ago our 'beloved' ( not ) council still measured our allotments area in poles ..
Is wood and timber the same thing

 

[rjenkinsgb]

No, I was serious. Is there a unit of imperial length that has an official metric length conversion definition in the U.K., as the US does?

Yes.
As of the "Weights and measures act 1963", the foot has a formal metric equivalent of 30.48cm, exactly the same as in the USA.
(2.54cm x 12 = 30.48cm).

 

[Constructionk88]

Even though Im American, I do support the metric system for it practical use. Especially for weight/volume measurements. Not so much for Temperature. Degrees F seems to work well for us here since its such a wider scale and no need for decimal points. But its not easy to convince a vampire to drink beet juice so, yea we wont change. Its just what we're use to.

 

[gophert]

Even though Im American, I do support the metric system for it practical use. Especially for weight/volume measurements. Not so much for Temperature. Degrees F seems to work well for us here since its such a wider scale and no need for decimal points. But its not easy to convince a vampire to drink beet juice so, yea we wont change. Its just what we're use to.

Americans have proven to be much more flexible that you seem to think.
A certain political party flipped 180° on protectionism, deficit spending, negotiating with dictators, ... nobody in the party complains.
Switching to the metric system just takes someone willing to make a decision and people will follow.
(Just my on observations of Americans' ability to deal with change - not an opinion on politics)

 

[Constructionk88]

Not political at all. But you seem to think what our government suggests, we would follow. The whole "American Experience" is about if you dont like something then dont do it or complain until it changes. Political leader, party, law, ect.. doesnt matter. In the end you have convince the entire nation, not just a governmental party, to change. Marijuana for instance? States caving in back to back after decades of nope nope nope. Suddenly the people are like "ummmm yes, Like now. srsly" And the states just say "well f it, fine, here". Even if one state says nope then its a nope.

 

[Ian Rogers]

I have a good friend in California... We use metres now... He gets annoyed as the USA still uses feet / inches THEN BLAMES US...

 

[Pommie]

In school I have two sets of allen keys made by an American company. A metric set and an inch set - it's as though they refuse to use the word imperial.

Mike.

 

[gophert]

I have a good friend in California... We use metres now... He gets annoyed as the USA still uses feet / inches THEN BLAMES US...

When I started in the chemical industry in the US, everything was imperial units. Then more and more regulations and international trade and harmonization of international regulations and finally, almost everything was done in SI units - even mandated test methods, packaging size limits and safety standards by US government statutes.

Also, the US auto industry in the US (global) is essentially metric as well. Not many fasteners left with imperial nut sizes (even if a 3/4" socket fits a 19mm nut).

 

[gophert]

In school I have two sets of allen keys made by an American company. A metric set and an inch set - it's as though they refuse to use the word imperial.

Mike.

Many wrenches in the US are listed as SAE for inch sizes. Even though the Society of Automotive Engineers recommends the use of metric sizes globally.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Many wrenches in the US are listed as SAE for inch sizes.

Do they also have Whitworth sizes over there? A lot of the older British machine tools I work on have whitworth threads and nut/bolt sizes.

 

[Pommie]

Are UNC and UNF still used or did that "standard" get dropped?

Mike.

 

[gophert]

Are UNC and UNF still used or did that "standard" get dropped?

Mike.

Still exists.

 

[gophert]

Do they also have Whitworth sizes over there? A lot of the older British machine tools I work on have whitworth threads and nut/bolt sizes.

Not on purpose. A friend is rebuilding an old British taxi cab and he keeps mentioning it.

 

[granddad]

I seem to remember the small brass nuts and bolts had a different thread size , neither inch or metric and the screws that fix the UK electric wall plates , they seem to be a one off ? some of the small CNC milling tools are like 0.1 mm US would not size these in inches ? { 0.00393701 inch }

 

[rjenkinsgb]

You are probably thinking of "BA" threads - British Association.
Those are actually metric based, with 0BA equal to 6mm metric (though a different thread profile than M6), but each increasing BA number being scaled to 0.9x the previous one.

They go down to almost ludicrously small sizes, I believe I have seen thread tables listing down to 30BA.

25BA is just a quarter millimetre or around 0.010" diameter..
I've got some 14BA parts, which are plenty small enough for me..

Early UK wall switch & socket boxes used 4BA screws, newer ones use M3.5 screws.

 

[Musicmanager]

We have 3 retail units and 2 industrial units scattered around town, all populated with a variety of commercial washing machines, tumble dryers, spinners, steam tables, steam cabinets and dry cleaning machines, ranging from slightly larger than domestic machines to washers that you can stand up inside and dating from 1975 to 2005 or 6.

Mixed in amongst that lot, seemingly dependant on age, are Whitworth, Metric, AF, UNC, UNF & BA threads .. .. it makes for a good sized spanner box !

S

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Do they also have Whitworth sizes over there? A lot of the older British machine tools I work on have whitworth threads and nut/bolt sizes.

Interestingly the area I work in was where Whitworth used to live, and we have lot's of addresses such as 'Whitworth Institute', 'Whitworth Hospital', 'Whitworth Road' etc.