Dimensions

bmetcalf

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Just to show that I have an open mind on measurement systems, I present http://www.whitechapel-ltd.com/hardware/bobsrule/bobsrule.shtml

As far as Metric goes, the first time I used it as a tool was making concrete takeoffs for a cost estimate on a Danish plant. My God, it was quick, as opposed to converting inches and fractions to decimals of feet, then dividing that by 27 to get cubic yards. Also, on another project, I was surprised to find out that a cubic meter of water weighed 1000kg!
 

Albervin

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Personally I do miss the rod, pole perch, furlong & chain...:rolleyes:Used to have it all on the back of the school writing books along with the times table. On the other hand I was glad when drams, drachms, minims & scruples were phased out. Not those scruples! Ah, the good old days.
 

mr.hutch

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Personally I do miss the rod, pole perch, furlong & chain...:rolleyes:Used to have it all on the back of the school writing books along with the times table. On the other hand I was glad when drams, drachms, minims & scruples were phased out. Not those scruples! Ah, the good old days.

Hi Albervin,

You may be pleasantly surprised to know that Allotments ( vegetable gardens ) are still measured in ' Rods " in Suffolk, England, I can't say for the rest of the UK, but the one I have had, for the past thirtyfive plus years measures about some fourtysix feet square, something about one eighth part of an acre, wonderfully inprecise.
There were Bushels, Pecks, Pints and half Pints for buying loose seeds or shellfish!as I'm sure you remember. Oh yes, don't forget the paper sizes, Royal, Imperial, Elephant, Double Elephant and their many sub-divisions, though the mere mention of IMPERIAL gets a lot of stick in these enlightened times.
They were what my working life revolved around, but they just dont vanish, I still have examples of these as real sheets of paper.
What's this got to do with the VOC ?
I don't know, it's just the way a thread goes sometimes.

Go carefully, mr.hutch. ;)
 

peterg

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Howdy MrHutch,

And you're surprised a VOC thread has wandered off to assume a life of its own? Very few here haven't and it must be a ploy to keep us reading attentively.

How but the California lad's interest in buying his first Vin that by the third page had morphed into a discussion on speedometer accuracy. I learned more from that one than any previous so titled on the subject.

I'm at the moment particularly keen to learn the history of my machine LND 940 of which my previously titled post came up with nothing. Imagine now if I inquired about my Shadow speedo needle dancing around below 40mph with a picture of the front number plate in the background I'd soon have a complete machine history while learning nothing about stabalizing its skitz-o-frinik movement...which is of marginal interest anyway.
 

mr.hutch

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Hi Albervin,

I've just read again my reply to your thread of last Wednesday and the most important bit I left out, namly that my allotment is 12 RODS, one of the units of measurement you mentioned.
The yearly rental is per ROD @ £2.20 making £26.40.
I realise this totally irevelant, but it helps to remove one of many "senior moments" from my conscience.

Go carefully, mr.hutch :eek:
 

Alan J

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Units-Imperial

My wife asked a man "laying" a hedge how far in a days work? "Oh, about a chain", he replied. I am told that ladies still use "teaspoons and tablespoons when exercising culinary arts!! Sorry, a chain is 22 yards, for the younger members!! {more useless info!}:confused::confused:
 

Comet Rider

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Calibrated Chains

My wife asked a man "laying" a hedge how far in a days work? "Oh, about a chain", he replied. I am told that ladies still use "teaspoons and tablespoons when exercising culinary arts!! Sorry, a chain is 22 yards, for the younger members!! {more useless info!}:confused::confused:

Hi Alan,

When my Dad used to organise the sprint meetings at Bassingborn he used the official MOD chain for measuring out the 440 Yd (20 Chains) course:D

An advantage of bveing a member of the RAF, which also meant he could hire the Airfield for a nominal sum:D

Neil
 

mr.hutch

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
more useless information

My wife asked a man "laying" a hedge how far in a days work? "Oh, about a chain", he replied. I am told that ladies still use "teaspoons and tablespoons when exercising culinary arts!! Sorry, a chain is 22 yards, for the younger members!! {more useless info!}:confused::confused:

This is not useless information Alan, it's part of our national heritage, like the almost lost art of laying a hedge compared to the flailing machines of today.
Table and Teaspoons are alive and well, I promise you.

This though, is really, really useless information,
when I was at school, within the geography lesson, we were shown how to " Throw" the "Gunters Chain", its not something I've done since 1956, am I missing something in my life?, should I get out more often.

Sad old person needs reasurance?

Go carefully mr.hutch ;)
 

clevtrev

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
This is not useless information Alan, it's part of our national heritage, like the almost lost art of laying a hedge compared to the flailing machines of today.
Table and Teaspoons are alive and well, I promise you.

As are the spoons in France. Draw your own conclusions.
 

Alan J

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Chains etc.

You must be as ancient as moi, Hutch-in school in'56!! {I "Left" in 59} Question, how big is a "smidgeon, or a gnats whisker? or a "tad"? much more fun than a metric inch!! Talking about "rides"-Morini 8, A.J.S. 4--Vincent 0!! must do something about this,or Mr. Johnson will be on my trail!! :cool::cool:
 
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