So you have been a carpenter for a long time. Better yet, you have been a form carpenter for a long time. Now the situation has come up where the “Engineers” or “Survey” have tried to flaunt their inability to do fractions in front of you by using Metric Feet. Ha! Now you can be with the best of the innumeratati (sic) and use metric feet too.

How can I convert metric feet

Give ‘em the facts:

1. There are 100 parts of a metric foot.
2. This can be expressed as: 1/10 or 1/100
3. This can also be expressed as: .1 or .01 respectively
4. Any measurement beyond 1/100 of a foot is utterly useless and should be thrown in the trash as we are not building nano pianos.
5. There are 12 inches in a foot.
6. There are 8 parts of an inch known as “eighths”
7. Super Mystery Math fact: There are 96 1/8 (“eighths of an inch”) in a foot.
8. The difference between 96 and 100 is 4
9. You have a maximum error of +/- 3/16 of an inch if you are guessing a bad number by allowing a hundredth of a foot to equal an 8th of an inch.

So let’s go with the reason and rhyme. All of you metric non-imperial users can just skip this because you don’t know how to do fractions anyway.

The great Postulates of fact for fun!

1. In metric feet 6 inches = .5
2. In metric feet 3 inches = .25
3. In metric feet 9 inches = .75

Now you are armed and ready for the metric foot communication. Here it goes.

I am given a number by survey of the radio. The number is in metric feet. The number is .43 (feet). I think to myself… “Hmm, what is 43/8…?” Well, I know that 32/8″ is equal to 4 inches because 8/8 is one inch, 16/8 is two inches, 24/8 is three inches, and 32/8 is four inches. So, 40/8 must be five inches right? (If I use the math of 5/12 I will get the answer which is .42 (simplified). The answer is simple.

There are 96 1/8 inches in a foot and there are 100 1/100 of a foot. You can do the math in your head and impress your boss by showing him/her that you know what the heck you are talking about.

There is a reason that engineers and survey uses metric feet. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Communication is critical and over a radio fractions are a waste of time and money. At the same time in the field for critical fitting and communication fractions are essential for good construction. Remember this: You can build it, they can mearly “as build” it.