I was recently plumbing a new sink in the kitchen. I almost fell foul of the
wonders of imperial nomenclature applied to metric fittings when I selected a
1/1/2"  drain (the bit that fits the hole in the sink) and a 1/1/2" bottle trap
.....

both from Mr B&Q

When I suddenly noticed, that the drain was threaded 38mm, and the bottle trap
was 40mm


How stupid is that :-)

--
Jim
"a single species has come to dominate ...
reproducing at bacterial levels, almost as an
infectious plague envelops its host" 
http://tinyurl.com/c88xs

"Jim Lawton" <ucan@use.your.initiative> wrote in message
news:75nqc19hu06drdh3f07kisicqkvio8nba5@4ax.com...

> I was recently plumbing a new sink in the kitchen. I almost fell foul of
the
> wonders of imperial nomenclature applied to metric fittings when I
selected a
> 1/1/2"  drain (the bit that fits the hole in the sink) and a 1/1/2" bottle
trap
> ....
>
> both from Mr B&Q
>
> When I suddenly noticed, that the drain was threaded 38mm, and the bottle
trap
> was 40mm
>
>
> How stupid is that :-)
>

It sounds to me like you've got one at 1 /1/4" and t'other at 1/ 1/2". I
agree though about the confusion with sizes. Imperial sizes referred to the
bore of the pipe, whereas metric ones refer to the O.D.  It confused the
hell out of me when it first started changing, because I'm not a plumber,
I'm a mechanic, and therefore I know that an inch is 25.4mm, not 28.

Steve

On Thu, 7 Jul 2005 20:00:24 +0100, "shazzbat" 
wrote:


>
>"Jim Lawton" <ucan@use.your.initiative> wrote in message
>news:75nqc19hu06drdh3f07kisicqkvio8nba5@4ax.com...
>> I was recently plumbing a new sink in the kitchen. I almost fell foul of
>the
>> wonders of imperial nomenclature applied to metric fittings when I
>selected a
>> 1/1/2"  drain (the bit that fits the hole in the sink) and a 1/1/2" bottle
>trap
>> ....
>>
>> both from Mr B&Q
>>
>> When I suddenly noticed, that the drain was threaded 38mm, and the bottle
>trap
>> was 40mm
>>
>>
>> How stupid is that :-)
>>
>It sounds to me like you've got one at 1 /1/4" and t'other at 1/ 1/2". 


If only - they both said in big friendly letters on the top  11/2"  !!!

I

>agree though about the confusion with sizes. Imperial sizes referred to the
>bore of the pipe, whereas metric ones refer to the O.D.  It confused the
>hell out of me when it first started changing, because I'm not a plumber,
>I'm a mechanic, and therefore I know that an inch is 25.4mm, not 28.
>
>Steve
>


--
Jim
"a single species has come to dominate ...
reproducing at bacterial levels, almost as an
infectious plague envelops its host" 
http://tinyurl.com/c88xs

worrying that the UK turned metric some 30 years ago  eh ?

"D. A. Hicks"  wrote in message
news:dasplq$831$1@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...

> worrying that the UK turned metric some 30 years ago  eh ?
>


And it was being taught in schools for many years before that to get the
next generation ready for the change.  It was amazing to see kids in the
shops tell their mothers and fathers what the conversions of the new money
and weights were.  :-)

"BigWallop"  wrote in message
news:m3mAe.67247$G8.53514@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

>
> "D. A. Hicks"  wrote in message
> news:dasplq$831$1@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...
> > worrying that the UK turned metric some 30 years ago  eh ?
> >

It doesn't worry me. I went to school in imperial, but trained as a mechanic
in SI. The only thing that bothers me is the plumbing sizes which are wrong.
As I said earlier, an inch is not 28 mm, it's 25.4. There is a very good
reason for pipe sizes being quoted by the bore size, because a pipe of X
bore will pass the same amount of fluid regardless of the OD, which can then
change to allow for different pressure requirements.

I'm quite happy to work in either system, or both according to convenience.
If I want to cut a piece of metal and I measure the required size with a
tape rule, I can cut it to 200(mm) x 18 (") and it fits. Result.

Steve

I was not "having a go" shazzbat, simply stating that we have had metric
measures in out midst for some 30 years, and still getting problems ??????

Like you I work in both Metric in UK and Europe and the antiquated Imperial
when stateside,  now that does cause some confusion !

"D. A. Hicks"  wrote in message
news:davlgj$lqa$1@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk...

> I was not "having a go"

I know. I wasn't offended.


>
> Like you I work in both Metric in UK and Europe and the antiquated
Imperial
> when stateside,  now that does cause some confusion !
>

And have you, like me, still got Whitworth spanners available?

Steve

"shazzbat"  wrote in message
news:davu1s$seb$1@news5.svr.pol.co.uk...

>
> "D. A. Hicks"  wrote in message
> news:davlgj$lqa$1@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk...
> > I was not "having a go"
> I know. I wasn't offended.
>
> >
> > Like you I work in both Metric in UK and Europe and the antiquated
> Imperial
> > when stateside,  now that does cause some confusion !
> >
> And have you, like me, still got Whitworth spanners available?
>
> Steve
>


Yes, and a set of sockets and box spanners.  I still use them quite often in
fact.  :-)

What's 'metric' ? - never heard of it !!!





"D. A. Hicks"  wrote in message
news:dasplq$831$1@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...

> worrying that the UK turned metric some 30 years ago  eh ?
>
>
>

Met-Tric is what the London  police do to catch criminals !  ( whoops, did I
say that out loud )

"D. A. Hicks"  wrote in message
news:db266a$djh$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...

> Met-Tric is what the London  police do to catch criminals !  ( whoops, did
I
> say that out loud )
>

LOL!!!  Your coat's over there >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   LOL!!!

On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 21:00:34 GMT, "Blueyonder" 
wrote:


>What's 'metric' ? - never heard of it !!!
>
>

In that case it's prolly what you passed instead of "O" Level :-)
--
Jim
"a single species has come to dominate ...
reproducing at bacterial levels, almost as an
infectious plague envelops its host" 
http://tinyurl.com/c88xs