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Machinist Talk

Machinist Talk

In general conversations or math class you may hear numbers spoken one way, in a Machine Shop, you may hear the same number described differently for example:

Keep in mind for the following:
In math class everything is based on 1.0
In a Machine Shop using Inch measurements, everything is based on .001" (one thousandths of an inch)

So, how would we say the following?

0.1000
in math class = "one tenth"
in a machine shop = "one hundred thousandths
    WHY? because if everything in a machine shop is based on .001 then there are 100 - "thousandths" of an inch

.0100
in math class = "one hundredths"
in a machine shop = "Ten thousandths"
   
.0010
in math class = "one thousandths"
in a machine shop = "one thousandths" or "one thou"

.0001
in math class = "one ten-thousandths"
in a machine shop = "one tenth"
     WHY? because if everything in a machine shop is based on .001 then there is 1/10th of one thousandths of an inch

.00001
in math class = "one hundred-thousandths"
in a machine shop = "Ten Millionths"

Machine Shop examples:
12.3456 = Twelve inches, Three hundred forty-five thousandths and six tenths

0.12345 = One Hundred Twenty-Three Thousandths, Four Tenths and Fifty Millionths

0.5430 = Five Hundred Forty-Three Thousandths

0.0123 = Twelve Thousandths and Three Tenths