How do you guys feel about the "Just get it done" attitude?

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John_S
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Re: How do you guys feel about the "Just get it done" attitude?

Post by John_S »

Bill Shields wrote: Sat Jul 07, 2018 11:52 am Remember that there are times to build a watch and times to build a locomotive and get it out on the track.
My similar approach was, "I'm not sending this to the international space station" when it came to precision on some parts. Yes, there are certain very critical dimensions and tolerances on some locomotive parts that you must adhere to; however, there are a lot that can be "let go" if you're a bit off.
John Hasler
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Re: How do you guys feel about the "Just get it done" attitude?

Post by John Hasler »

John_S wrote: Sat Jul 07, 2018 10:44 pm
Bill Shields wrote: Sat Jul 07, 2018 11:52 am Remember that there are times to build a watch and times to build a locomotive and get it out on the track.
My similar approach was, "I'm not sending this to the international space station" when it came to precision on some parts. Yes, there are certain very critical dimensions and tolerances on some locomotive parts that you must adhere to; however, there are a lot that can be "let go" if you're a bit off.
That "bit off" that you can let go with no ill effects is a tolerance. If you are within it you are not off.
curtis cutter
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Re: How do you guys feel about the "Just get it done" attitude?

Post by curtis cutter »

It totally depends on the project for me. Whether I am going to travel down the freeway at 70 MPH on the wheel bearing or going to get hay off the field on the wheel bearing plays a major part in the precision I require.
Gregg
Just let go of it, it will eventually unplug itself.
James Powell
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Re: How do you guys feel about the "Just get it done" attitude?

Post by James Powell »

Having made my living with steam for 10 years, it all depends. Really determined was having me turn a V into a flange, at sea, so that one other person could lay weld into it. It didn't look great, but it was more than serviceable, and I trusted my life to it. Same sort of thing for the various leaks we had. I wasn't there for the desperate attempt to plug tubes in 2002, but I was there in 2005 when we blew off the forced lube pump steam drain line, and the ER guy needed new underware...(and the space got steam-cleaned...). Same sort of thing for trying to fix various and sundry problems in various and sundry ports all over the world. There is nothing like knowing that we are spending $10 000/hr or more for the dock space we are tied up to, with some sort of mechanical problem.

Most expensive parts I've ever had delivered were $26 000. $1000 for the part, $25 000 for the airfare of the delivery guy...

James
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kc6uvm
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Re: How do you guys feel about the "Just get it done" attitude?

Post by kc6uvm »

As said, it depends on the situation:
Aboard the tender/ship I was stationed on, it was "hog that stuff off of that part MR3 Becker." Git it done, like yesterday. The response was "Aye, aye, Chief."
At home, this is a hobby, I have time to get it done to how I want the part to be. I'm in no rush until the meet is tomorrow. ;)
George J. Becker
Lancaster, CA (formerly of Shandon, CA)
Model railroading is fun but the work expands proportionately to the track gauge.
rkcarguy
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Re: How do you guys feel about the "Just get it done" attitude?

Post by rkcarguy »

It's all about the tolerances. If it's something you are going to weld up then close is good enough. If you've got a live steam part that is going to spin 500rpm things better be clearanced right and machined square and true.
I have a general hate for boring bars, there was always tool wear, the material would bore different from one part to the next, never could get any real consistency unless it was aluminum. Maybe our shop just didn't have good boring bars. Anything of production quantity, would get drilled close and reamed. On some large bores I even used a fly cutter and adjusted the tool protrusion with the height gage and the fly cutter in a V-block.
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DianneB
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Re: How do you guys feel about the "Just get it done" attitude?

Post by DianneB »

Any time I have tried the "just get it done" approach, it doesn't work and I end up doing it again (and again, and again). When I am doing my level best to do a good job, it only works out about 1/2 the time anyway :(
shild
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Re: How do you guys feel about the "Just get it done" attitude?

Post by shild »

DianneB wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 7:15 am Any time I have tried the "just get it done" approach, it doesn't work and I end up doing it again (and again, and again). When I am doing my level best to do a good job, it only works out about 1/2 the time anyway :(
Hey I was just looking at your page!. I hope you don't mean what you said when you're working on your x2.
shild
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Re: How do you guys feel about the "Just get it done" attitude?

Post by shild »

Thanks for the replies everyone!
reubenT
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Re: How do you guys feel about the "Just get it done" attitude?

Post by reubenT »

depends on what it is. Some things are ok sloppy, some need precision. One I did, making a brass bushing for a friends dozer idler wheel, ended up looser fit than I'd planned, but being it runs in an oil bath I decided the extra space would just let oil get in better so let it go, it ran a couple years and it was still fine when the engine gave out, and that hasn't been repaired yet.
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