big john

Eventually I got pretty good at not injuring myself or damaging the things I worked on.

abshipp 

I was replacing a mode door actuator up underneath the dash yesterday and thought "that wouldn't feel too great if I accidentally dropped this ratchet on my face".

So a few moments later I accidentally dropped the ratchet on my face.

Can confirm, didn't feel great. Thankfully just a little 1/4" drive.

t2p

then you should appreciate the next coffee even more

absence makes the heart grow fonder … ??? … something like that

LAJ

Under dash work is the worst.

t2p

big dose of flavonoids … ??? … you won’t need peace !

big john

Huge respect for the guys who do it every day. Seen some bigger guys able to contort themselves and get under there. The there's the tiniest little squeak or rattle that ""wasn't there before you worked on it". No thanks.

LAJ

Spot on.

Velo Vol 

Is there a way to improve steadiness? Training exercises?

big john

Probably but a certain amount is genetic and then there is experience and practice. I always wondered about diamond cutters and the pressure they must feel.

Velo Vol 

Or surgeons (pre-robots).

genejockey 

The key thing for me when working on watches was support. Not just the forearms, but frequently using the other fingers of the hand holding the tool to steady the whole hand. Imagine picking up screws the size of this , and having to properly orient them in a hole, then use a 0.5mm screwdriver to first back the screw off till it engages the threads, THEN screw it down, and all while the screw has almost nothing keeping it properly oriented in the hole. Do a few high grade, 21 jewel wrist watch movements, and when you work on a pocket watch movement you feel like you need a crane to move the parts around!

genejockey 

If the pressure caused them to screw up, they wouldn't be diamond cutters, I guess.

badger1

Never been able to fathom how surgeons do what they do. My late sister-in-law had a non-malignant brain tumour that had wrapped itself around her optic nerve and was slowly rendering her blind in that eye, along with causing other significant neurological issues.
The surgery -- successful -- took 13 hours. It was performed by a top-notch neurosurgeon here; no robots involved. He didn't open/close, of course, but did the actual micro-level work involved (unwrapping the thing from the nerve and then removing the tumour) himself. This was some years ago, but I still recall the look of him when he came out of the OR to speak to Mrs. Badger -- he was completely wasted.

t2p

I have a ‘poising tool’ - think that is what it’s called - so I’m going to claim I understand

got it a a flea market with a bunch of tools from a clock / watch guy

used it to balance small electric motor armatures …

clock / watch work is fascinating

t2p

Knicks are a tough team - that has become their identity - their signature … and of course led by Brunson (one of the best players in the NBA) … I think the Knicks now have two or three guys from that impressive Villanova championship team

Pacers were definitely helped by injuries to key Bucks players (including GA of course) … Pacers had huge contribution from the bench in game 6 - including two of my fav players … McConnell and Toppin … saw Toppin play in college - saw McConnell play all the way back to youth / high school days

Lakers had misfortune of playing the Nuggets

big john

Zen and the Art of Watch Maintenance?

datlas 

We had a good ride today. There was a lot of climbing. My bike weight did not matter much. Actually, I had the heaviest bike but was still the first one up most of the climbs.

big john

I worked for a guy who was a boat racer in the 60s. Built his own hulls and engines until he got picked up by Chrysler Marine. When I worked with him he built engines as a hobby, mostly for his friends but once in a while for a customer.

He would do custom cylinder head work and grind the seats and modify the ports all by hand. Lotta hours doing meticulous work which he could never get enough money for but he wasn't doing it for the money. Grind a little too much and you have to throw away the head.

He gave me a 67 Mustang and a bunch of parts to help me build it up. He had a saying about surgeons and what happened when they screwed up but I shouldn't repeat it here.

genejockey 

That's one of the things I liked about it - you had to focus on it to the exclusion of all else, so you end up in an altered state of consciousness. It's great for making the world go away for a couple hours.

But, as you probably experienced yourself in your work - you have to know when to stop and step away from what you're doing before you get frustrated and screw something up. Or worse, spend an hour being certain you know what the problem is only to discover that wasn't it at all, but you've not only wasted your time, but also have to spend more time undoing what you did.

genejockey 

Yep, I have a poising tool. One with jeweled jaws. Mine was an old one, which originally had a bubble level so you could level it in 2D, but that was long gone.

TMonk

nice, agreeable groove that my guitar player learned:

seedsbelize2

I appreciate coffee whenever and wherever. But after three it has deleterious effects on my sleep.

LesterOfPuppets

Still on the loose AFAIK. The memes are aplenty

seedsbelize2

nice

genejockey 

California really spoils you.

Tomorrow is the first Saturday in May, time for the Monthly SF Peninsula BF C&V Ride! It's been beautiful the whole last week - cloudless skies, temps in the 60s to 70s. Perfect weather for riding old bikes!

HOWEVER......


Living here, you get so used to the idea that it doesn't rain from the middle of April till the middle of November, that when it rains outside of that, it just seems completely out of left field. I saw this this morning, and I was gobsmacked! But of course, it can and does happen.

Boy, am I gonna have trouble adjusting to life on the East Coast!