# I'm an idiot



## trlvn (Apr 25, 2020)

I'm not sure I should be let out of the house unsupervised...

So, I made a cross-drilling jig last year.  It is a simple thing:  inexpensive spindle from Banggood with a couple of pieces of steel so it can be mounted in a quick change tool post holder.  

https://www.banggood.com/No-Power-S...html?rmmds=myorder&ID=41528&cur_warehouse=USA

I tried it out when I got it done and it was well off centre.  I got back to it yesterday and eventually thought up a way to hopefully get the drill point really close to the centre line of the lathe.  I faced the end of a piece of stock and it helpfully left a tiny nub at the center.  Like, hair thin.  So I got my magnifiers and adjusted so that a point in the cross-drill jig was in line with the little nub.  

And did another test.  And it was off.  Not a lot but at least 5 thous.  Whaaat?? Did another test and it was off about the same amount but...the other side of centre??

Ran out of time yesterday and was just about to go back to it today when I realized that the problem is my old 3-jaw chuck.  It can be way off (10+ thous in some cases) and I hadn't turned the diameter of the stock so of course I was going to get wonky results.  The cross-drilling jig may still be out by a little but it was brain-dead to test without a diameter that was concentric to the centre line.

Duh.

I think I'll just go have a nap.  I think I can do that without screwing up.  Maybe.

Craig


----------



## Brent H (Apr 25, 2020)

Welcome to my world.......LOL

Happens all the time!  I am glad when watching This Old Tony he come up at the end with all his missed tries to get it all dialed in or he locked up a drill by going to fast etc

A nap sounds great!  Great idea!  I will give you a thumbs up for that alone!!


----------



## CalgaryPT (Apr 25, 2020)

trlvn said:


> I think I'll just go have a nap.  I think I can do that without screwing up.  Maybe.
> 
> Craig


Since I retired I have what are called "Retirement Naps." These are naps I don't need, or don't have to have...but I take just because_ I can now_, and everyone else has to work   .  For some reason they are sooooo much better.


----------



## JohnnyTK (Apr 25, 2020)

Since I started working from home, I can fit in a work nap. And I will tell you a person could get use to working from home or retirement. To many projects and not enough time.


----------



## CalgaryPT (Apr 25, 2020)

George Costanza was a genius.


----------



## Chicken lights (Apr 25, 2020)

So my passenger door latch wasn’t closing all the way. It would rattle going down the road. Found a used one, tried swapping it out. 

No bueno. Couldn’t get the door to latch. Pulled the latch off, put it on the strike and verified the latch would physically latch. Put it back on the door, wouldn’t latch. 

Several working words said

Pulled the door panels off the door. Tried to see how this works and what the issue is. Tried opening and closing the latch nothing is making sense. Took the latch back off and verified the latch would work on the striker. Put it back on the door and shut the door. It latched. 

But won’t open. It locks and unlocks fine. But won’t open. So now I have a half taken apart door I don’t know how to open. 

Several working words said. 

Put all the extra parts in the shop and went to work. 

I’m an idiot


----------



## trlvn (Apr 25, 2020)

"Working words"!  I'm going to have to remember that phrase!

Craig


----------



## YYCHM (Apr 25, 2020)

I turned the threads on the right side.  Yes, I'm an idiot to  Probably the best threads I have turned so far to boot


----------



## DPittman (Apr 26, 2020)

Chicken lights said:


> So my passenger door latch wasn’t closing all the way. It would rattle going down the road. Found a used one, tried swapping it out.
> 
> No bueno. Couldn’t get the door to latch. Pulled the latch off, put it on the strike and verified the latch would physically latch. Put it back on the door, wouldn’t latch.
> 
> ...


Well I just finished rebuilding a diesel injector pump for an an old tractor and I made just about every dumb mistake that could be made....and let me tell you there is a lot of opportunities to make mistakes but I choose the dumbest ones....backward installation of crucial parts.... forgetting to tighten main bolt.  And then taking a month of Sundays to figure out why it wasn't working.  Lessons (hopefully) learned the hard way this time.


----------



## Marc Moreau (Apr 26, 2020)

You are not idiot when we are tired we forget little detail's . On my forty year's in mechanic I saw many one , like make hole to a car grill and hitting the radiator ? A frend of mine was aroud 18 year's old decide to do body work on is Duster. He try to install metal sheet on the trunk make 18 or 20 pop rivet to the gas tank . Marc my  car smell gas ?? I remove the 2 strap and the gas tank never move need a big pry bar to take it out.  So ... my dad alway's told me the only person who don't do mistake is person who don't work. Fix it up and try to remember next time . Keep going you are a great guy.


----------



## CalgaryPT (Apr 26, 2020)

Oh boy, will this idiot thread go far.

I was at Action Truck Parts in Calgary one day, buying a giftcard for my son. The guy in front of me was there to complain that he just bought some truck wheel well flares and that he was half way through installing them when he noticed that they were missing all the nuts and bolts to attach them to the truck body. "They only came with these plastic temporary plugs," he said. "I just finished drilling out all the holes in my wheel wells and noticed they were no bolts in the box."

"You know you're not supposed to actually drill holes through your wheel wells right?" said the clerk.

Crickets.........


----------

