European Mic Stands

Bobbsy said:
As so often happens, I find myself disagreeing with John. In my 35 years working in the UK (and on locations all over Europe) I saw more 5/8 inch stands than 3/8 inch but basically had to carry a small tub of adaptors because, unless I carried my own everywhere, I had to be ready for either.

And yeah, the UK is technically metric but tons of stuff is still done in the old system--pints of beer, 19 inch racks, 5/8 inch mic stands, most road signs, etc. etc.
Click to expand...

We do roadsigns in miles on the left hand side of the road and kilometres on the right to accommodate our foreign visitors...:)
 
witzendoz said:
Or the apprentice that is sent to the tool store for .... A long weight.

Alan
Click to expand...

The guy in the store we used to use would send them back with the message that they only had short weights.

We would then instruct the poor fellow to return the store for 2 short weights, a left handed hammer, some sky hooks and the nail stretcher.
 
rob aylestone said:
It is a pain, especially the adapters down to ⅜ that only have slots on one end, so they put a perfectly good mic clip out of action.

Measurements wise, we are a mess. Gyprock wall board is in metric 1.2 x 2.4 size, but MDF comes in 1.22 x 2.44 as it's still 8 x 4!!! We all buy fuel for our cars in litres but our car tells us we are doing 45 miles per gallon! In college you ask the students what measurements you want to talk in and half will say inches half will have no idea what an inch is, yet we talk in miles! Railway people and cricketers talk in lengths of chains, and as for cooks, their measuring jugs have so many scales it's confusing. Litres, cups, fluid ounces, even gils. Pecks and bushels are worth googling. At least money is now sensible, with metric systems like the US, who for once didn't copy us with a pound formerly have 240 pennies, or 20 shillings, let alone another term like Guinnea that was one pound, one shilling as in our modern one pound and five pence!

For what it's worth, I'd estimate 95% of my stands are 3/8th with just a few, that look identical, with 5/8th
Click to expand...

The sheet material sizes really piss me off....:cursing:

A Guinea was 21 shillings, a shilling was 12 pence, 5 new pence is equivalent to 12 old pence. So, an old pound had 240 pence or 20 shillings in it and guinea had 252 pennies. The new pound had just 100 pennies and no shillings in it. Guinea definitely only had one "n" though Rob...;)

It's very hard to fathom.....

No stop there....
 
In mechanic land, we would send the newbs for Beetle coolant fans, belts, radiators, water pumps etc. (which now are available). One of my favorites, the Jeep CJ wiper motor for the passenger side. ;)
Left handed screwdrivers, adjustable sockets, 16# frustration wrench, just to name a few tools. All in good fun.
 
muttley600 said:
We do roadsigns in miles on the left hand side of the road and kilometres on the right to accommodate our foreign visitors...:)
Click to expand...

I hear the UK is changing to driving on the right later this summer but that they'll phase it in gradually. Buses and lorries over 7.5 tons will change to driving on the right from July 1 while cars and motor bikes will change on August 1.
 
BroKen_H said:
In mechanic land, we would send the newbs for Beetle coolant fans, belts, radiators, water pumps etc. (which now are available). One of my favorites, the Jeep CJ wiper motor for the passenger side. ;)
Left handed screwdrivers, adjustable sockets, 16# frustration wrench, just to name a few tools. All in good fun.
Click to expand...

Hah! There is a play called The Miniature Ruling Machine (one of the northern playwrights) where a young apprentice is verbally bullied and the guy involved sends him out to get such a machine which he "knows" does not exist.
However, the lad ends up in the bowels of the factory with an old retainer who tells him that there was a model of the full sized ruling machine made as a test piece. As I dimly recall the outcome, they find the model and put the bully's nose seriously out of joint!

Dave.
 
gecko zzed said:
I would be dead keen to get a look at that. Do you know any more about it?

I did a fruitless quick google for it
Click to expand...

Sorry man! Long time ago but I am sure it would have been BBC I shall have a varder for thee!

And! Striped paint. There is a trick. "Paint" some stripes on a board using a candle, the result is invisible, then show the "a'hole" that sent you that red emulsion does indeed come out striped!

Dave.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top