Built like a Mercedes (?)

Actually, all plywood is now metric. Canadian bricks are metric. You can buy metric bolts and nuts at any hardware store , Canadian Tire, Home Depot, or whatever. Not always all sizes and threads, but they will be there.

Out here in the "small towns" of "silicon valley north" things seem to be more Metricated than in the "big smoke".

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Not in Toronto, it's not.

Perhaps, I haven't bought any.

Two or three sizes in one or two lengths, covering 9" of shelf space, compared to an entire aisle of inch sizes and lengths in different materials, does not count as "available".

Must be!

In an industry in which an inch doesn't equal an inch anyway, not sure it makes much difference. :)

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

That's because the old system was so so messed up.

Metric makes a lot of sense for some things and personally it's mypreferences. But on both sides of the coin (ha ha I make joke) there are things that are just f'ed up: kilopascals on one side and Olde English currency on the other.

True for thicknesses, but not for length. For instance (and I know this isn't plywood...) 2" x 4" and a 4cm by 10cm may well be the same thickness, but 8' just isn't the same length as the closest reasonably round metric number, 2.5m.

Why do you insist on posting things you have no clue about. ALL PLYWOOD? Does the term ALL PLYWOOD mean all the plywood you have used today? It sure as hell does not mean ALL PLYWOOD. Because there is plenty of plywood available in proper sizes. Of course, if you insist on buying the imitation plywood that Menards sells, yes some is not accurately made. But if you buy your plywood from reputable lumber yards, it is actually true nominal size.

Maybe you want to take your time, think (I know that must be hard for you) and do some research before posting.

************************* Dave

An inch does equal in inch. You just need to understand what nominal means. It makes a big difference when you purchase the cheap shit Menards is trying to pass off as plywood lately. They are selling

3/4" plywood (actual not nominal) that does not measure anywhere near 3/4". Plays hell on someone who isn't expecting them to substitute crap and say it is the same as what everyone else sells, when you have already used your 3/4 bit to cut a groove. ************************* Dave

You can get metric lengths, a number of places that sell birch plywood import it from Russia, and the lengths are something approximating 3' by 5', whatever the metric equivalent is. I have not bought any myself, but all you have to do is check some wood working sites to get the exact sizes.

************************* Dave

I was not referring to plywood. I was referring to things like a 2" x

4" nominal cross section being something on the order of 1-3/4" x 3-1/2" (or thereabouts) and similar nonsense.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Joe Pfeiffer wrote:

BINGO! As long as one can sell less for more, the esoteric terms are irrelevant!

In the USA go to any so-called 'fast food restaurant' (e.g., it isn't fast and it isn't food) and order a drink. "Large" has as many differences as there are 'fast food joints'. While the metric system generally isn't used in the USA, it IS resorted to when deception is in the mix! It's the whole idea of "I know something you don't" thus "I'm superior". The bottom line is to ask and ask and ask and ask and keep on asking as may questions as you need to to FINALLY get to the bottom line of 'what do you mean'? Ask to get an understanding of exactly what is being said. You won't be appreciated, but at least your chances for being ripped off will decrease. This applies to ALL areas of life, not just in the area of liter, meter, metric and ounce area, but in the esoteric language used deliberately to deceive you - a fool and his money are soon separated. More often than not, car salesmen do NOT know the meaning of the terms used to sell cars. They will verbally give you a song and dance...it's up to you to hear the sour notes and disharmony. Life didn't used to be like this as much as it presently is. An example in the USA is that once a group (societal conditioned to believe any study from Harvard is sacred and must be immediately adherred to) does a study that says: "whole grain" cereal is healthy, SUDDENLY 99.9 percent of the cereal boxes state WHOLE GRAIN in HUGE letters while microscopically stating a disclaimer.

Cavet Emptor! Indeed!

Helen

Length can be sawcut to whatever you want. But width and thickness are not what they purport to be. Case in point--a standard 2X4 board.

- snip -

I can just imagine the exchange between the sales guy/girl at Menard and Dave afterward...... ouch

cheers, guenter

In Canada all plywood is designated in metric sizes today. If you buy

3/4" Canadian plywood it's not 3/4 inch any more. It is 18mm. Standards are 3-18mm.

Mabee I overstepped when I said ALL, because we get plywood from all around the world. But all CANADIAN standard plywood is now officially metric.(as is finnish , russian, and most asian supplied hardwood ply) Many US suppliers also provide plywood in metric sizes (as well as "imperial") These include AmerPly (NJ), Boise Cascade , Champion Intn'l(Wa), Multinomah(Or), Murphy (Or), Oregon Strand, Potlach (Wa), Roseburg (Or), Stone Forest (Or) and Vancouver Standard (Wa).

If you get plywood from these suppliers it could be either standard.

In the US, the General Services Administration, GSA Metric Program (ADM 8000.1B) required that all procurement in the construction industry be in metric measurements by Jan 1, 1994.That doesn't mean it has necessarily happened, but MANY federal projects DO require metric design (PBS-PQ260)

Never start a plywood project assuming the plywood to be one or the other without measuring, and buy all plywood for a project at the same time (measuring to be sure it is the same) so you do not cut rabbetts etc the wrong size.

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"Nominal Sise" dimensional lumber has been standardised for decades.Rough cut lumber is cut to (or slightly larger than) the stated size - then the lumber is planed to an industry agreed size -

2X4 is 1.5X 3.5. 1/8 inch is removed from both surfaces of less than 2" nominal dimension, and 1/4 from both surfaces 2" and larger nominal up to 6".3/8" is removed from both surfaces larger than 6" and up to 12"

So there is the 5/4" nominal lumber, which is 1" decking.

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Other peeve about the US measurement system is the volume:

8 ounces = 1 cup 2 cups = 1 pint 2 pints = 1 quart 4 quarts = 1 gallon

I've had the days when the recipe called for ingredient in ounces when that ingredient came in pints or cups at store. I had to do the math to ensure I have enough amount. Sometimes I did the math wrong and ended up with too much or too little. In Europe, I could easily glance to determine how many cans, bottles, boxes or which amount to buy.

If I lose the 1/8 cup measuring cup, I have to hazard the amount by guessing with 1/4 cup measuring cup. However, one cannot do it by the seat of the pants when doing the bakery. Everything has to be precise for making bread dough.

OMG, powers of two are SO hard.

Don't lose your measuring cup. If you lose your tools, metric won't help you.

It is the same thing, Bill, they are sold in nominal sizes. When you buy rough lumber at a mill, a 2x4 measures 2" x 4". When you joint and plane it, the finished size is slightly smaller. If you go to a really good mill, you can get 1" oak that actually measures as much as

1-1/4". So you are able to plane it down to a full inch for really great shelving, or whatever you are doing. ************************* Dave

Someone else already pointed out this is incorrect, so I won't bother.

************************* Dave

And your point?

Sounds like you have trouble with math.

Guess you do.

If you can't add 2 + 2 and get 4, the difference between our measurements and your simplistic ones don't matter.

Nope. I make bread all the time, and pizza dough, and all kinds of other baked products. I NEVER worry about getting things precise. They all come out fine.

************************* Dave