How thick is 3/32 of an inch?

james terrio said:
Google is your friend :)


Aww, c'mon now... no one is born knowing this stuff ;)
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I'm not poking fun, it's just one of those things that's second-nature and seems like the simplest thing in the world until you watch someone else try to do it. I made a coworker's jaw drop when I rattled off a bunch of decimal equivalents a few weeks ago. He says "How the hell do you know that?" and I said "countless hours punching measurements into a CNC press brake that doesn't like fractions"...
"What the hell is a Cianci Prezbrake?"
 
Thick enough. It depends on what you're doing with the blade. It is approximately the thickness of the Mora knives which have proven to be up to batoning and bearing a man's weight when the blade is stuck in a tree, even when just a stick-tang.

If it's a full and visible tang it should be stronger than most need. I think you would want to be smart about batoning, but it's actually fairly thick. I'm getting a 5/64" knife which is just under 2mm. What you will find with knives of this thickness is that they cut incomparably well against even 1/8" knives. Not quite a millimetre difference, but the difference in cutting ability is unbelievable.

I only carve with my 3/32", but there's no noticeable flex even with major carving tasks and removing heavy material.
 
Blais said:
I'm not poking fun, it's just one of those things that's second-nature and seems like the simplest thing in the world until you watch someone else try to do it.
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I totally understand :thumbup:

After doing stuff like that for a couple decades, you get to a point where you don't even think about it, and can get within a few thousandths just by "calibrated eyeball".
 
james terrio said:
I totally understand :thumbup:

After doing stuff like that for a couple decades, you get to a point where you don't even think about it, and can get within a few thousandths just by "calibrated eyeball".
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I used to know a guy who would claim he could measure +/-.005" with his scale. He had one of the Starretts with 10ths and hundredths on one side. He used a magnifying glass and was surprisingly accurate.
 
I'm an electrician by trade. I've had to work with grown men (apprentices) that didn't know how to read a tape measure. That was tough boy. I would have to say things like, "Go home and when your sitting on the couch, pull your tape measure out and study it. Start at the half inch mark and start counting backwards 1/2", 1/4" 1/8", 1/16". Trust me it'll come to you. If it doesn't, you might have to go dig trenches for a living cause your stuff looks like crap bro." Try saying that to a guy fresh out of prison. It was their job or mine though.
 
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Blais said:
I'm not poking fun, it's just one of those things that's second-nature and seems like the simplest thing in the world until you watch someone else try to do it. I made a coworker's jaw drop when I rattled off a bunch of decimal equivalents a few weeks ago. He says "How the hell do you know that?" and I said "countless hours punching measurements into a CNC press brake that doesn't like fractions"...
"What the hell is a Cianci Prezbrake?"
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This post (as well as your first one) have made me feel quite a bit better. I was going to respond with "look at a ruler", but figured id bite my tongue. But you're right, it is a skill. But not one I've thought about in quite some time (like reading an analog clock).

"cianci preszbrake"... That was worth some laughs, thanks man :).
 
ocnLogan said:
This post (as well as your first one) have made me feel quite a bit better. I was going to respond with "look at a ruler", but figured id bite my tongue. But you're right, it is a skill. But not one I've thought about in quite some time (like reading an analog clock).

"cianci preszbrake"... That was worth some laughs, thanks man :).
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20 years ago I couldn't even spell CNC. When I tried I spelled it backwards.

You know you're a machinist when...

*You've worked at the same machine 4 years
and worked for 3 different companies
*Your supervisor hasn't the ability
to do your job
*"Doing your nails" requires an
air compressor and a power sander.
*After your hands become coated with coolant
your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to pee.
*Christmas is like a day at the shop
You do all the work and the fat guy
in the suit gets all the credit
 
Now, where I work we use both Metric and Imperial units... like the UK. ;)

Sorry, couldn't resist.
 
Not sure if this has escaped anyone that owns a calculator, but if you don't know that you can divide the upper number by the bottom number and get the decimal equivalent. Sorry if this is apparent to many of you, but I have tried to train many want to be machinists in my career to realize this basic concept escapes many.

A calculator and calipers go a long way..However, learning fractions and equivalents are even more helpful.

One of the guys that I work with was telling me a story about someone he was training who had to be supervised to cut material on a band saw.

The guy would cut the piece of material and bring it to him expressing that it's supposed to be 1/2in. In response to this, my co-worker would measure it with a rule and respond "Oh man...it's 4/8ths..The guy would go and cut another piece of material expressing his anger and bring him the next piece and again....he would say...this one is 6/12ths. This went around for 4-5 pieces until another of his co-workers couldn't take it anymore and let the cat out of the bag you might say.

The whole point is...Learn the fractions and learn how to do maths (add, subtract, multiply at least) with them, including reducing them to their simplest form...Otherwise, you are the guy that is recutting the material and playing the part..you guess which part ;)
 
If you can make change on a fiver, you can figure out fractions and decimals. Forget the phone and puter, or doing it in your head, break out pencil and paper if you need to.

If not... *shrug*
 
bhyde said:
One of the guys that I work with was telling me a story about someone he was training who had to be supervised to cut material on a band saw.

The guy would cut the piece of material and bring it to him expressing that it's supposed to be 1/2in. In response to this, my co-worker would measure it with a rule and respond "Oh man...it's 4/8ths..The guy would go and cut another piece of material expressing his anger and bring him the next piece and again....he would say...this one is 6/12ths. This went around for 4-5 pieces until another of his co-workers couldn't take it anymore and let the cat out of the bag you might say.
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Ahhahaha! That is hilarious.
 
And as long as we're doing basic stuff...

Metric→Inch Metric number divided by 25.4
Inch→Metric Inch number times 25.4

*********************************************************
Anyone ever try to remember the SOHCAHTOA Mnemonic for their Trig?

S=O/H C=A/H T=O/A

Some Old Hippie Caught Another Hippie Tripping On Acid
:)
 
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james terrio said:
I totally understand :thumbup:

After doing stuff like that for a couple decades, you get to a point where you don't even think about it, and can get within a few thousandths just by "calibrated eyeball".
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My eyesight is getting worse with age.
Nowadays if I eyeball within .010" I perk up!
 
On things like this, one needs to do the math properly in a way that allows you to visualize it. Funny thread. I visualize this to be about classic or traditional slip joint blade thickness.

Another suggestion, they make tape measures with the fractions printed on the tape. Useful on the odd measurements.
 
I was going to say something mean when I first saw this thread but it's Christmas so I didn't.
 
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