Random Thoughts - Part Deux [NO POLITICS]

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by soundman98

the worst part is the front cover of the ladder rack instructions has a beautifully detailed image of the completed product. i never opened the manual, i just looked at the one picture!

[soundman98]

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by soundman98

i'm really irritated tonight. i'm stuck on a multi-week job, so the boss tried 'delegating' my new work van up-fitting to 3rd in command, who's got 3 years experience doing literally everything.

you'd think he'd be able to bolt in 3 shelves and assemble a ladder rack, all with specific instructions. and you would be wrong. the 20 gauge steel shelves are now held together to undertake a 5,000 pound shear load like they're holding the van together. and the ladder rack, which has clearly legible part-by-part instructions detailing how to assemble 15 main components, has 6 parts installed backwards or upside down, and will require major disassembly...

so come monday, i've got to go over the how's and why's over half of everything he did needs to be done again.

and then i try to explain my trust issues to new hires

If I were you, I would be making up a participation ribbon in MS paint to give to him on monday.

Our parts department is reorganizing right now. I told them to hurry up and finish so we can do it right the next time. They were told to purge parts that we haven't used or sold in 5 years and move the parts we pull most often to the front. The very first location, 00A01 has a part that we sell maybe 3 a year of. Not far from that is a part that we have never sold and goes to a piece of equipment only 3 people in the building even know what it is. In the purged parts they pulled down is a part production uses hundreds of

[cjd]

Originally Posted by soundman98

the worst part is the front cover of the ladder rack instructions has a beautifully detailed image of the completed product. i never opened the manual, i just looked at the one picture!

It took me a really long time to figure out that most people can't look at something like that and figure out how it goes together. And the instructions often don't make it any easier - people get disoriented, and can't tell up from down, and nothing on most parts (let alone instructions) to make it clear if it's not obvious by looking at the picture.


I've also learned that it doesn't necessarily mean they are stupid or incapable. However, it DOES mean they need to be taught very differently. And not asked to do certain tasks...


Best of luck with this guy.


The electricians we finally found to install our ceiling fans were professional and did a good job overall... but failed to follow a couple key instructions. I've fixed part of it, but still need to go attach the safety cable properly (fortunately, it's the motor side that's wrong so I can reach it with the ladder I have). They also *really* wanted to wire the 3-way switch to the fan, not the light. And weren't happy when I didn't agree with that decision. Great. So when I'm downstairs or down the hall I can turn the fan on, but not the light! super helpful, guys. (it was just a light previously, and a new wire was needed for the fan.) What can you do. They needed supervision. I tried to be hands-off about it. I could have done the work if I had the big ladder and a desire to be up 25 feet (14' ceiling at the top of the stairs...) or the interest in mucking about in the breaker box to run a ground wire to the garage. I also know enough to know it's a bad idea for me to be doing that work...

[cjd]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

If I were you, I would be making up a participation ribbon in MS paint to give to him on monday.

Our parts department is reorganizing right now. I told them to hurry up and finish so we can do it right the next time. They were told to purge parts that we haven't used or sold in 5 years and move the parts we pull most often to the front. The very first location, 00A01 has a part that we sell maybe 3 a year of. Not far from that is a part that we have never sold and goes to a piece of equipment only 3 people in the building even know what it is. In the purged parts they pulled down is a part production uses hundreds of

That's how I organize my shop. I will say, it's horrible if you're not me. I don't have a parts catalog saying 'shelf unit Q spot B14' for that hydro-spanner, so no one but me knows where it is. What can you do.

[spike021]

Speaking of Miatas, this NA with LED flippy headlights and rollbars installed was on the street I turned onto to get onto the freeway this morning. Lowered with wheels. British racing green or whatever the Miata name is for that color.

The on-ramp is two lanes from the street and it’s one of those sharp, circular ones so usually I pick the emptier lane and easily pass the slow cars. But this time since it was a miata he was able to keep up with me. And since my car wasn’t fully warmed up yet I didn’t want to push it so I let him beat me to the merge.

It wasn’t a race in case anyone thinks so! But just the two lanes merge into a single lane entering the freeway.

Oh well.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by spike021

And since my car wasn’t fully warmed up yet I didn’t want to push it so I let him beat me to the merge.

Take pride in having mechanical sympathy for your trusty steed.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by cjd

It took me a really long time to figure out that most people can't look at something like that and figure out how it goes together. And the instructions often don't make it any easier - people get disoriented, and can't tell up from down, and nothing on most parts (let alone instructions) to make it clear if it's not obvious by looking at the picture.


I've also learned that it doesn't necessarily mean they are stupid or incapable. However, it DOES mean they need to be taught very differently. And not asked to do certain tasks...


Best of luck with this guy.


The electricians we finally found to install our ceiling fans were professional and did a good job overall... but failed to follow a couple key instructions. I've fixed part of it, but still need to go attach the safety cable properly (fortunately, it's the motor side that's wrong so I can reach it with the ladder I have). They also *really* wanted to wire the 3-way switch to the fan, not the light. And weren't happy when I didn't agree with that decision. Great. So when I'm downstairs or down the hall I can turn the fan on, but not the light! super helpful, guys. (it was just a light previously, and a new wire was needed for the fan.) What can you do. They needed supervision. I tried to be hands-off about it. I could have done the work if I had the big ladder and a desire to be up 25 feet (14' ceiling at the top of the stairs...) or the interest in mucking about in the breaker box to run a ground wire to the garage. I also know enough to know it's a bad idea for me to be doing that work...

he's very capable guy, but has a ton going on in his personal life that sometimes infects his work life. the days he's on point, it'd make a fine german watchmaker blush at his speed and quality. but then the days he's got stuff outside of work going on, he's sometimes less capable than a drunken bum off the street. i feel for him, but works still gotta get done. it's just hard to know which guy i'm getting from day to day. one day i feel stupid double checking his work, the next day, i've got to watch so closely i might as well do it myself.

i'm working with an apprentice from another shop right now, and we're constantly bouncing shop methods off of each other to see how each shop does it. i'm always telling new guy's that my way isn't the best way, it's just the way i see as being most efficient and if they've got a better way to bring it up. sometimes i go with their idea, sometimes i need to explain why it'd take longer, or cost more.

the fan switching is very odd. i haven't run across anyone that's wanted the fan portion on the 3-way(have had a few customers that wanted a 3-way fan-controller though). the light always goes on the switch, and then the fan is on the pullchain. unless it's got a remote, then usually everything goes on the remote control module.

so you got your garage all sorted now?

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by soundman98

i'm working with an apprentice from another shop right now, and we're constantly bouncing shop methods off of each other to see how each shop does it. i'm always telling new guy's that my way isn't the best way, it's just the way i see as being most efficient and if they've got a better way to bring it up. sometimes i go with their idea, sometimes i need to explain why it'd take longer, or cost more.

I am genuinely moved by your passion for collaboration and mentorship.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

That is what it feels like in a big, empty, quite, cold factory! It is actually very depressing.....

That's how it is going to feel at work for me on Monday. I work in a building that holds about 100 people rather compactly, but the ones that aren't on furlough are working from home, so there will probably be 5 people in it on Monday.

Then in front of my building there is another 140,000sq ft 3 story building that has several family medical practices in it so the parking lot is usually full. For the most part it's closed down. I'm considering taking my Nuka-Cola Fallout helmet to work and wearing it in my office because I can, then claim its a COVID-19 Mask.

[Kiske]

Today was expensive day. Finally broke down and bought a Wagner steam cleaner. Looking forward to trying it on my interiors soon. Worked amazingly for my tile floors (grout) today. Gonna also try it on a old greasy engine bay.

While shopping I got 'persuaded' into buying a Traeger smoker. Nothing crazy just a smaller pellet style large enough to fit a couple hams or a few racks of spare ribs in her... Tomorrow should be fun. (Seasoning the smoker tonight, not enough time left to try to smoke something for dinner.)

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by spike021

Speaking of Miatas, this NA with LED flippy headlights and rollbars installed was on the street I turned onto to get onto the freeway this morning. Lowered with wheels. British racing green or whatever the Miata name is for that color.

The on-ramp is two lanes from the street and it’s one of those sharp, circular ones so usually I pick the emptier lane and easily pass the slow cars. But this time since it was a miata he was able to keep up with me. And since my car wasn’t fully warmed up yet I didn’t want to push it so I let him beat me to the merge.

It wasn’t a race in case anyone thinks so! But just the two lanes merge into a single lane entering the freeway.

Oh well.

Likely story -

[ichitaka05]

I’m very close to pulling the trigger on buying STI (GR)... but taking few breather, so I don’t. Atm not wanting car loan plus not done modding my car.

...which I’m telling myself, so I don’t buy it.

[p1l0t]

Yeah no payments is always better whenever possible.

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