Any tricks for fast ordering/sorting of fractional sizes?

[zippyslug31]

Let me just say it pains me to ask this; I consider myself reasonably intelligent and I'm decent at math (I write software for a living, for God's sake!). Does anybody have a good tip, trick, mnemonic, whatever to quickly order items by their fractional sizes?

Lemme set the stage - I have a set of 29 collets in 32nd inch increments, all were jumbled on my bench prior to building a holder for them. I went to line them up, smallest to largest... and I was surprised (embarrassed?) how much this tripped me up. What I thought should take me all of 20 seconds probably took me a solid few minutes. Yes, I know to give them a common denominator but it irked me how much brain power I had to give this when I just wanted to sort the damn things and move onto the next task.

Is this just something that just becomes engrained in the brain over time?
Is there any tricks to make this easier to do, more quickly?
Any mental pictures that can help me just know that 21/32 is larger than 5/8, without doing the quick bit of math?
Do I hang a big *** chart on the wall of the shop?
Is my 55 year old brain starting to show signs of old-timer's disease?
Should I just move to Europe and give up SAE for metric?

 

[cmandp]

My trick is a wall chart as you suggested or the little Starrett pocket card of the same.

I am following hoping someone has a trick as you are asking.

 

[designer485]

Treat your 1/32 increments like you would the metric system.

Instead of 5/8, its 20/32. 3/16 is 6/32 and so on. You count even put a small label on each with the corresponding 32nd measurement, then just line them up, 1-32.

 

[Dave455]

You find that, if you use them at all, the “16 th” sizes are easy to learn, especially if you are dealing with a limited range, such as wrench sizes.

5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4 etc. Add as required.

If you can remember the 16th’s - it’s easy to fill in the gaps with the 32nd’s. 9/16 is 18/32 so one up is 19/32.

Works for me.

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

My trick is not practicable to copy. As a kid I was obsessed with basketball and memorized the shooting percentages that could go with player’s shot attempt results from a given game. I am admittedly quicker remembering decimal inch values of 16ths fractions but thanks to Kobe and Iverson I’m still pretty good with my 32nds too.

 

[RTM]

Math in my head, auger bits are in /16s, gimlets in /32s. Spend enough time doing it, and it works, most of the time. Sometimes 27/64 or some weird one will trip me up. But a chart with ever size in 64, 32, 16 etc will help learn it.

 

[RMERR]

I have the "big *** Starrett chart" and I also do the quick math you mentioned. I can't really think of another super quick way. It's just the "curse" of our SAE/fractional system. This is one of those things where metric has it all over us. Nobody in Europe would ever spend more than 60 seconds to organize their collets. I suppose you could make your own chart, with a list in 32nds and the reduced fraction next to it? Or skip the even #32 fractions and just list the reduced fractions and odd 32nds in one column? Make it large enough to hang somewhere easily seen.
something like:

8/32---1/4
9/32
10/32---5/8
11/32
12/32---3/8
13/32
14/32---7/16
15/32
16/32---1/2

Not much, but that's all I got...

 

[cgrutt]

I'm OK with 16ths from reading a tape measure past few years 32nds I need to think about I do it old fashioned way multiply numerator by whatever is needed to bring denominator to 32 (i.e. 16, 8, 4 or 2) but when measuring with a tape measure I'll just think "strong" or "light". If I'm marking measurement I'll just use a + or - and sometimes circle it. For example 5/8+ means 21/32, 3/4- means 23/32 etc. I'll never "think" in 32nds though, just on the mark (16ths) or slightly more "strong" / "+" or slightly "light" / "-". Don't even get me started with 64ths lol...

 

[mike93lx]

If you aren't doing it regularly, committing it to memory probably isn't worth it.

I think I would look to labeling as well

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I'm OK with 16ths from reading a tape measure past few years 32nds I need to think about I do it old fashioned way multiply numerator by whatever is needed to bring denominator to 32 (i.e. 16, 8, 4 or 2) but when measuring with a tape measure I'll just think "strong" or "light". If I'm marking measurement I'll just use a + or - and sometimes circle it. For example 5/8+ means 21/32, 3/4- means 23/32 etc. I'll never "think" in 32nds though, just on the mark (16ths) or slightly more "strong" / "+" or slightly "light" / "-". Don't even get me started with 64ths lol...

Me too

 

[zippyslug31]

when measuring with a tape measure I'll just think "strong" or "light". If I'm marking measurement I'll just use a + or - and sometimes circle it. For example 5/8+ means 21/32, 3/4- means 23/32 etc.

Funny... I also do this. I usually think to myself "heavy" or "light". It's usually limited to rough construction or doing wood working for shop stuff (shelves, cabinets, whatnot) where the accuracy is less critical.

That said, I also love to nerd out on my metal lathe by aiming for highly precise measurements. Something about it makes my analytical brain happy.

 

[zippyslug31]

I'm really loving the responses so far and that I'm not losing my marbles. Sounds like a big wall chart is in my future.

 

[mike93lx]

I'm really loving the responses so far and that I'm not losing my marbles. Sounds like a big wall chart is in my future.

Check out starrett. I got some for free last year-ish

Catalogs

Explore Starrett's comprehensive catalogs. Discover precision tools and solutions. Your source for excellence in measurement.

www.starrett.com

 

[zippyslug31]

Check out starrett. I got some for free last year-ish

Catalogs

Explore Starrett's comprehensive catalogs. Discover precision tools and solutions. Your source for excellence in measurement.

www.starrett.com

Wow, thanks for that tip; just grabbed a couple of wall charts for free (along with some other goodies).

In case others are interested, I found what looks like their marketing site here: https://starrett.byqqp.com/catalog/
I'm sure it's the same items; just needed to create a free account and away you go... all for nothing.

 

[minke]

This doesn't help, but: writing software might just be your problem. I strung code 'til about 20 years ago. In the beginning I was good at arithmetic in my head. After years of doing arithmetic in hexadecimal, decimal, octal, and binary I can't do any in my head.

 

[Sumboodie]

I remember them in decimal. 21/32 is about .656" 5/8 is .625"

 

[humber2]

When I’m sorting anything into sizes no matter where you start there are only three sizes.

They are what has first come to your eye or hand.

Then from that point the rest are either the same, bigger or smaller.

YMMV

 

[whitesco]

I haz an Excel spreadsheet. One column is text/string with the fraction (like ‘1/40). Second column is the calculation of the same (like =1/4). Sort by column 2

 

[skulldrinker]

I made this for sockets.