67 replies to this topic

[Dr Terry]

This thread began in the Driveline section.

More information required,Terry.

To my knowlege,AF refers to "Across Flats", which works for me.

Whitworth is whitworth,which is measured on thread diameter(I think).

Both are considered Imperial,as well as a couple of others.

Id be happily corrected on this.

Yes, you are correct, A/F means 'across the flats' as opposed to the old Whitworth & BSW standards which were based on a proportion of the thread diameter (BSW being the smaller proportion of the 2).

My problem is that they market SAE Imperial tools as A/F & they call metric tools metric, but metric is also measured A/F, so why is it not 'SAE & metric' or 'inches & metric'. After all they are both A/F.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not stressed about it, but it's just strange that one small company (Sidchrome) in this part of the globe, can do something wrongly for over 60 years & now companies the world over are following their mistake.

Dr Terry

[wot179]

Fair enough.

What does SAE stand for?

[wot179]

Found it.

Society of Automotive Engineers.

[76lxhatch]

I do agree that its worth addressing such inaccuracies. Clearly the world isn't going to end if someone uses a term incorrectly but where terms have specific meanings they are very useful in communicating succinctly, repeatedly and deliberately misusing them renders them meaningless and degrades this communication.

[wot179]

I picked up this wonderful old set of Dufor sockets at a swap meet a little while ago.

They are not marked either SAE or AF, but they are Imperial.

I just thought I would post a pic cos they are so cool.

[wot179]

I got this ripper of an old Rota toolbox at the same swap.

[TerrA LX]

So is a metric spanner/socket measured across the flats?

[wot179]

Yes.

[Dr Terry]

THe english language is bastardized beyond recognition.

Yes my generation has a lot to do with it, but it has been for a LLOOOONG time.

For instance, "motor car" "motor boat" "motor bike".....Should all be "engine" instead of "motor", unless there all electric powered....Or hydraulic lol.\

So stop bitching and live with it.

Cheers.

We're not bitching Bomber, we're just having a friendly discussion/debate.

My point is that both SAE sockets & metric socket are measured A/F, but they are labelled wrongly by multi-national corporations, not some illiterate 15 year old drop kick. This makes it credible to the masses allowing the mistakes to prosper. As I said it doesn't stress me, I just find it interesting that it's gone on for over 60 years.

I have a different view on the motor/engine definition however.

From the Oxford English dictionary:_

MOTOR. noun:- a machine, especially one powered by electricity or internal combustion, that supplies motive power for a vehicle or for another device with moving parts:

ENGINE. noun:- a machine with moving parts that converts power into motion:


Not having a go, just friendly discussion

Dr Terry

BTW wot179, love the Dufor socket set, I believe I have one of those ratchets in my tool kit somewhere, can't destroy it !!.

[76lxhatch]

Just because its already broken doesn't mean that we should make it worse either... like I said the world's not going to end but why deliberately do it wrong?

[Dr Terry]

So is a metric spanner/socket measured across the flats?

Precisely my point, Yes metric is A/F.

Dr Terry

[rodomo]

BTW wot179, love the Dufor socket set, I believe I have one of those ratchets in my tool kit somewhere, can't destroy it !!.

PfffffT! That's not a ratchet! It's made out of pressed steel!
I have a ratchet here that measures in clunks, not clicks.......................now THATS a ratchet!

[Dr Terry]

PfffffT! That's not a ratchet! It's made out of pressed steel!
I have a ratchet here that measures in clunks, not clicks.......................now THATS a ratchet!

No 'pressed steel' there, it has 2 solid steel plates riveted to a forged handle & a very coarse ratchet which makes a lovely clunk.

Dr Terry

[yel327]

We're not bitching Bomber, we're just having a friendly discussion/debate.

My point is that both SAE sockets & metric socket are measured A/F, but they are labelled wrongly by multi-national corporations, not some illiterate 15 year old drop kick. This makes it credible to the masses allowing the mistakes to prosper. As I said it doesn't stress me, I just find it interesting that it's gone on for over 60 years.

I have a different view on the motor/engine definition however.

From the Oxford English dictionary:_

MOTOR. noun:- a machine, especially one powered by electricity or internal combustion, that supplies motive power for a vehicle or for another device with moving parts:

ENGINE. noun:- a machine with moving parts that converts power into motion:


Not having a go, just friendly discussion

Dr Terry

BTW wot179, love the Dufor socket set, I believe I have one of those ratchets in my tool kit somewhere, can't destroy it !!.

Didn't the word ENGINE originate in the steam era? Where we had stationary steam engines and locomotives etc?

[rodomo]

No 'pressed steel' there, it has 2 solid steel plates riveted to a forged handle & a very coarse ratchet which makes a lovely clunk.

Dr Terry

O.K.....................as long as it "clunks"

[wot179]

A waterwheel is an engine.

[enderwigginau]

I picked up this wonderful old set of Dufor sockets at a swap meet a little while ago.

They are not marked either SAE or AF, but they are Imperial.

I just thought I would post a pic cos they are so cool.

Wot,
You're missing one socket, a shorter extension bar and a universal..........I have the same one. Great for plant, not so great for the torana........
That ratchet handle is heavier than three baseball bats..........

[wot179]

Yes,I know there are some missing bits.
They are on a list in my wallet for when I go to swapmeets.

[FastEHHolden]

Your dictionary definitions mean nothing. If Julia calls it an "Engine Car" the lovely ladies at Maquarie Dictionary will amend their publication post-haste!

[Dr Terry]

but never worked out / understood /(or worried too much) that the the fractional size stamps were different to my other imperial tools,

As a famous lady once asked, Please explain.

Dr Terry

[Dr Terry]

i think he may have brought whitworth to the party....

OK gotcha.

My old man was trained as a toolmaker/fitter/turner & he knew lots about this pre-WWII stuff.

What I didn't know, but have since learned that WHIT & BSW are different. Does anyone here know the difference ?

Dr Terry