# Thou to Chains (thou to ch)

Source: https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/thou-to-chains/

**1 thou = 1.2626262626263E-6 ch**

One thou equals approximately 1.263 x 10-6 chains. A chain (792,000 thou) contains about 792,000 thou. The thou measures engineering precision; the chain measures English land parcels.

## Formula

Convert Thou to Chains

## Conversion Table

| Thou (thou) | Chains (ch) |
|---|---|
| 1000 thou | 0.0012626262626263 ch |
| 10000 thou | 0.012626262626263 ch |
| 100000 thou | 0.12626262626263 ch |
| 500000 thou | 0.63131313131313 ch |
| 792000 thou | 1 ch |
| 1000000 thou | 1.2626262626263 ch |
| 5000000 thou | 6.3131313131313 ch |
| 10000000 thou | 12.626262626263 ch |

## Units

### Thou (thou)

One thousandth of an inch (0.0254 mm). Also called a mil in the US. Used in engineering, manufacturing, and for measuring thin materials like plastic film.

### Chain (ch)

Exactly 66 feet or 4 rods (20.1168 m). Invented by Edmund Gunter for land surveying. 80 chains make one mile. Still used in US public land surveys.

## Background

A chain is 792,000 thou. A 1-thou gap is about one-millionth of a chain. These units never interact outside conversion tables.

## Good to Know

The thou and chain are the imperial system's precision extreme and area extreme. The thou measures the finest tolerances; the chain measures the largest land parcels. They share the inch as ancestor but serve different professions entirely.

## FAQ

### How many chains is 1 thou?

One thou equals approximately 1.263 x 10-6 chains.

### How many thou are in 1 chain?

One chain contains approximately 792,000 thou.

### Is this conversion used?

Never. Precision machining and land surveying operate at different scales and eras.

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### How many thou of tolerance per chain of fence?

A farm fence post might be milled to 10 thou tolerance. A chain (66 feet) of fence has about 4 posts. Total machining tolerance: 40 thou over 792,000 thou of fence = 0.005% tolerance. Fencing is not precision engineering. Cows do not notice.

### How many precision parts span 1 chain?

A typical 1-inch (1,000 thou) part fits 792 times into a chain. 792 precision parts end-to-end = 1 chain = 20.1 m. A production line 1 chain long produces a lot of parts.

### Could you measure a cricket pitch in thou?

A cricket pitch (1 chain = 792,000 thou) in thou would require 6 digits: 792,000 thou between wickets. Nobody wants to hear 'bowled from 792,000 thou.' Cricket commentary in thou would last forever.

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## See Also

- [Chains to Thou](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/chains-to-thou/)