If the GVCS set shall spread worldwide, it might become a necessity to convert the designs to metric. Parts and raw materials in imperial sizes are difficult to get in Europe; since the UK has dropped the imperial system it's becoming ever harder and expensive.
My assumption is that the situation is basically similar in Africa and Asia where Imperial has never been used except in former British colonies.

I guess it's currently easier to build a machine in metric in the US than in Imperial elsewhere. I read occasionally reports about large US companies developing and manufaturing new models of machinery in metric because of exports. So aquiring metric components in the States seems to be less of a problem.

Conversion of designs shouldn't be underestimated; it is far more than a numerical conversion. All components that are readily purchased have to be changed to standardized sizes of the new system. If you are unlucky, you have to redesign whole assembled groups completely.

Also the conversion of material standards isn't simple.

It might be the first task of an European region to do this conversion, because worldwide spread of OSE designs will depend on it

Mike

I definitely see the logic of the unfortunate practical reality in that, and thank you for answering my curious questions.  Eventually, when the GVCS is more complete, I'm guessing Factor E Farm will be able to build and mill more of its own stuff, and then revising the prototypes to metric measurements would be more practical when they aren't as dependent on buying parts and materials because they'd be making their own instead.

Hello Paul,

a lot of questions in one post. I'll try to give You some answers.

#1
It's right, You will need tools to manufacture anything out of the GVCS toolset, which one depends on the machine You are planning to replicate.
The primary construction tools aren't released first for several reasons. OSE wants to give people, who have some tools available, something useful to build and use and not to complete their machine shops during the first year.
The primary construction tools like measurement tools and metal machine tools are among the most difficult and precise machines, and to build them without already having a complete toolset is more or less hopeless in my opinion.
OSE and FeF are currently developing some shop machine tools, but the progress is slow and their performance and precision very unclear now. This reflects the difficulties in building quality machine tools as I described it above.

#2 I don't know of anyone currently selling machines from the GVCS toolset, but there are building machines outside FeF, so this might change soon.

#3 Which machines require the least tools for building them
Because there are not many finished designs available yet, choice is simple. CEB press and Power Cube don'T require precision cutting machine tools, because complicated parts like motors are off the shelf yet. Finally, the order in which to acquire tools is dependent on what You plan to build. IMO, being able to build the complete GVCS set will require a lot of tools and even some real large machine tools not commonly found in home shops.

Mike

Yes, one can power the CEB press with only a power cube, as this was the good thing about the modular design.

On the other hand, until the design is either changed to use standard (non-surplus) parts, its direct reproducibility will be limited to those who have access to that same set of surplus parts, which often will mean when the surplus pool dries up, then the design is kaput and needs to be changed (again)...

That's also why I was thinking WTF??!? when I saw the recent post on OSE taking "pre-orders" for their Jan 2012 production run...  Even if OSE can buy enough surplus parts to build for this, where does that leave the consumer, when the tractor/CEB Press/Power Cube/etc., that they bought, needs replacement parts???  Stuck with expensive repairs that fly in the face of what the GVCS claimed to stand for?  Facing a total cost of ownership that starts to rival its commercial equivalent, but without the support, testing & engineering that the commercial equivalent would have?  With buyer's remorse over gambling on this purchase?

Until OSE is up to making its own parts, Caveat Emptor?

You guys are correct in saying that the use of surplus parts and parts only available in North America is a problem, but to that I would also say that because all the designs/CAD will be available online, switching to another brand is entirely feasible. It may require a bit of redesign of the structure for modified spacing or what not but still definitely doable. Of course the manufacturing of our own hydraulic and other precision parts is the ideal, though that is still a little ways off.