[ARC5] Cost of sets - 1950 and 2010

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

Another basic flaw in all of the numerous Metric threaded fastener 
"standards" is that as a general statement, bolt/screw heads are too small and 
thread pitch is too fine relative to the diameter for use in the dirty real 
world.  OK to put together - just don't expect to be able to get them apart again 
half a century later.

In a message dated 9/23/2010 4:35:07 PM Central Daylight Time, 
kgordon2006 at verizon.net writes: 
> On 23 Sep 2010 at 11:26, Henry Mei'l's wrote:
> 
> >Europeans shake their heads about the Anglo-Saxon use of  feet, inches
> >etc. BUT one advantage is that an inch is the rough quivalent of the
> >top joint of your thumb, the foot ... , the yard the length of your
> >extended arm to mid-chest, etc.
> 
> Another advantage is that the English system has been standardized for 
> well 
> over a century.
> 
> As far as I can tell, there are STILL no universally standardized metric 
> threads and diameters. 
> 
> This is one reason why a metric tap and die set in the U.S. is so cheap 
> when 
> compared to an "English" set: the metric tap and die set only fits itself.
> 
> I remember an Italian rapier I once worked on which had a damaged thread 
> where a special nut held on the hilt: it was metric diameter, and 
> turns-per-
> inch. 
> 
> I cut the darned thing off and welded on a piece of 1/4-20 threaded rod.
> 
> In my opinion, from a machinists standpoint, it really doesn't matter what 
> 
> standard you use....as long as it IS a standard.
> 
> Furlongs-per-fortnight would be just as good.
> 
> Ken Gordon W7EKB
> _

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