Michael Walker      (at 5:20pm, Sat 2nd Mar, 19)

I am confident that the daily mental workouts deriving from your interests in Meccano modelling and the world at large, will keep your grey matter in good shape for many years to come.

DIYSwede      (at 1:31pm, Sat 2nd Mar, 19)

Thanks Dick and Michael for pitching in! This is what's so great with communities (if used properly): To expand the total knowledge mass. Personally, I'm not a subscriber to the proverb that "-You can't teach an old dog new tricks". On the contrary - that's just about ALL I can do, being easily entertained in absorbing new (or hitherto unknown to me) info and getting completely new problems to solve. Hopefully that will continue 'til my last breath, or if/ when dementia or other degeneration hits me.

Michael Walker      (at 12:09pm, Fri 1st Mar, 19)

Dick Watson's comment about Gunther's Chain is fascinating. The Meccano modelling fraternity has always been a rich source of such information, probably because it brings together expertise from many professions.

Dick Watson      (at 11:44am, Fri 1st Mar, 19)

Metrication actually revived Mr. Gunther's chain. It is 22 yards long and has 100 links, (Surveyors used a decimal system when possible). This means that is only sightly longer than a 20m one. Surveyors' chains are not very accurate, because, as every Meccanoman knows, chain stretches with use and so they need to be checked regularly. So, if you want a Gunther's chain, a second-hand 20m one will do.

DIYSwede      (at 5:10pm, Thu 28th Feb, 19)

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Michael - much appreciated.
Odd thing is that my little Cheat Sheet posting a few days ago got over 1400 hits during its first day up. None of my Meccano-related postings or pics have gotten that amount, not even over the last few years.

Michael Walker      (at 12:15pm, Wed 27th Feb, 19)

I would reckon that the reluctance to fully adopt metrication is down to sentiment plus a negative cost/benefit perception.

The older generation, including myself, are not sufficiently motivated to make the effort, as the perceived benefits are deemed insufficient for the time we have left to live. It's hard work to change the habits of a lifetime.

But time marches on, and despite the older generation's delaying tactics, metrication is bound to win out in the end.