Price of powder in 18th century

[Semisane]

Ain't no way I'm buying donuts by the ten.

 

[Black Hand]

In addition to a couple of 3rd-world nations, the USA just can't seem to get with the program...

And why should we? This is America. We do our own thang. atriot: Further debate not necessary.

It's not a matter of "do your own thang", it's a matter of efficiency and accuracy. As an example, much expense and time could have been spared if people hadn't screwed up the calculations to land on Mars - would have been avoided if the metric system was used in all parts of the USA http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/index.html.
I can tell you what 1mm is but what the hell is 1/64th"....

While the USA is a unique place to live, the ultra-nationalistic attitude is off-putting...

 

[azmntman]

They spent less time teaching us metric than they did Geography. Final exam was name the capitol of the 50 states. ZERO world Geography. Thats why I refer to everything as Far northern AZ (canada) etc. :redface: :youcrazy:

I dont like metric myself :idunno:

 

[Redstick Lee]

in general.......

SAE allows for decimal OR fractional readings
metric allows only for decimal

i'll keep my SAE thanks.......

 

[Rifleman1776]

In addition to a couple of 3rd-world nations, the USA just can't seem to get with the program...

And why should we? This is America. We do our own thang. atriot: Further debate not necessary.

It's not a matter of "do your own thang", it's a matter of efficiency and accuracy. As an example, much expense and time could have been spared if people hadn't screwed up the calculations to land on Mars - would have been avoided if the metric system was used in all parts of the USA http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/index.html.
I can tell you what 1mm is but what the hell is 1/64th"....

While the USA is a unique place to live, the ultra-nationalistic attitude is off-putting...

Forgive the slight ff drift here. I spent three years in Europe, courtesy U.S. Air Force. I have a special fondness for the people there. But, I found the adherence to perzactness, correctness somewhat boring. What, and how, we do things in America drives the rest of the world nuts. Our seemingly, loosey, goosey, disorganized way of doing things here, politics included, is beyond comprehension for most folks across the pond. OTOH, our way is the most successful in the history of the world. atriot: Will stop here before I get mod zapped. :v

 

[nhmoose]

:hatsoff:

 

[necchi]

Seein's how this has gone off topic,, how about 19th century Hudson Bay records?
Transporting to the interior did change the cost;
1827, Norway House;
1 pound powder= 1s 3d
2 pounds shot= 1s 6d
1 gallon of rum= 12s

1826 York Factory;
1 pound powder= 11d
3 pounds shot= 1s 3d
1 pound ball= 5d
(rum stayed the same)
1 fine gun, half stocked= 4pd 11s 2d
12 gun flints= 2d

 

[Stumpkiller]

It's not a matter of "do your own thang", it's a matter of efficiency and accuracy. As an example, much expense and time could have been spared if people hadn't screwed up the calculations to land on Mars - would have been avoided if the metric system was used in all parts of the USA http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/index.html.
I can tell you what 1mm is but what the hell is 1/64th"....

While the USA is a unique place to live, the ultra-nationalistic attitude is off-putting...

Maybe if the US had adopted the metric system we would have been just as incapable of reaching Mars as the Europeans are. We make have collided with Mars . . . but at least we tried. ;-)

Now what have we learned about contracting out work to foreigners?

 

[M. De Land]

Our measurements based on 12 actually come from scripture. It is in the Torah given Moses on mount Sinai.
It was used in the building of the portable temple the Hebrews carried with them in the wilderness of Sinai and the other two permanent structures in Jerusalem.
America founded on Jewish/Christian principles is the reason it was used then and now.
In machine practice tenths is much easier to use.

 

[George]

Our measurements based on 12 actually come from scripture. It is in the Torah given Moses on mount Sinai.

Ah, yes, the twelve commandments, wasn't it?

Spence

 

[Zonie]

The Mars story was published in 1999.

Since then, the INCH system as allowed the US to land a large number of things on Mars including probes and rovers.

Mars rover, "Opportunity" is still active in 2018 after landing there on January 25, 2004.

It was also designed and built using the inch system of measurement.

Before we get back to the price of black powder in the 18th century, I might add, the European Mars lander, "Schiaparelli", crashed in 2016 on the planet due to navigational problems.
It was undoubtedly using Metric system as a basis of measurement. :blah:

 

[M. De Land]

There are actually 613 commands in Torah to be exact contained in the Ten Commandments, the ten are just an over lay that include all of the 613 when defined.
The inch of course is broken down into thousands which gets us to tenths and is what most American machinists are used to and keep using but increments of ten in metrics for this purpose are just as exact and easier to learn from the start.
There are of course some cross over points that are so close as to not need any translation.
The V thread of 1in12 pitch is a good example that does not require a separate gear cluster to cut the equivalent in metric as they are so close as to be interchangeable.

 

[M. De Land]

Getting back on track, I am curious as to the amount of time, which is really our most precious commodity,it takes, converted to cash,then and now, to purchase a pound of powder.
I bet they are not all that dissimilar when time, cost and earning ratios are compared.

 

[tenngun]

In school my math teacher was named Dr Pigg, he was retired and just taught this class as part of his retirement. He taught at MIT and worked on America’s Nucular program.
He told a story, that while he was working for the government he was assigned to teach Europeans how to work fractions.
Cost of goods in the old days is a hard thing to work out. Things on the frontier could be more expensive then in town, but not always. In the 1850s a guide was written to immigrants crossing the frontier. It was recommended to buy horses in the west as they were cheaper then in the east.

 

[Black Hand]

Our measurements based on 12 actually come from scripture. It is in the Torah given Moses on mount Sinai.
It was used in the building of the portable temple the Hebrews carried with them in the wilderness of Sinai and the other two permanent structures in Jerusalem.

So what...

America founded on Jewish/Christian principles is the reason it was used then and now.

Sorry - this assertion isn't correct. America was founded on secular principles.

 

[George]

There are actually 613 commands in Torah to be exact contained in the Ten Commandments, the ten are just an over lay that include all of the 613 when defined.

Can't comment on that, I don't do magic.

Spence

 

[M. De Land]

You apparently don't do history very well either! :rotf:

 

[M. De Land]

Your simply wrong about that! But getting back to the cost of black powder in colonial times. When was the demarcation between English denomination and dollars and cents which would be easier for me to get some idea of the relative costs of powder in colonial times?

 

[George]

You apparently don't do history very well either! :rotf:

I do it well enough to recognize what it ain't.

Spence

 

[M. De Land]

So would you say that powder was cheaper then or now considering time, labor and product value? My guess is that all considerations being evaluated they might well be very similar in relative cost.