Thread: Why-O-Why?

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I had to take a break and lament a bit. I know you guys have done this and if anybody knows why i wish they'd speakup here.
I just spent a couple hours cutting out a pattern for a complicated sheetmetal panel. I had to make a hammerform for it out of steel so i could shape it. I had alignment marks for the form and work piece is sandwiched between the hammerform, i temp clamped and was very carful about the alignment when i transferred the clamped assembly into 'mongo' my extra-large vise. I double checked the alignment and all looked ready for bending. I chose a couple very nice ballpeens - one quite large - and gave the faces a little touchup to minimize marring. I then spent the next halfhour or so hammerforming a 1/2" lip around a 6" radius and extending straight across about 10" flat and then going upward at about a 30deg angle for another 3". It is an exposed piece and difficult to form. I took it out of the hammerform and then spent another 1/2hr metalworking and finishing it. I felt that while there were problems with how it pulled metal when i formed it it has potential and might finish out ok. I gave it a trial fit.
I bent the thing backwards! It is totally opposite of what i need!
I know i am not the only one to do dumb stuff like this, how about sharing some of your goofs?

Originally Posted by ojh

I had to take a break and lament a bit. I know you guys have done this and if anybody knows why i wish they'd speakup here.
I just spent a couple hours cutting out a pattern for a complicated sheetmetal panel. I had to make a hammerform for it out of steel so i could shape it. I had alignment marks for the form and work piece is sandwiched between the hammerform, i temp clamped and was very carful about the alignment when i transferred the clamped assembly into 'mongo' my extra-large vise. I double checked the alignment and all looked ready for bending. I chose a couple very nice ballpeens - one quite large - and gave the faces a little touchup to minimize marring. I then spent the next halfhour or so hammerforming a 1/2" lip around a 6" radius and extending straight across about 10" flat and then going upward at about a 30deg angle for another 3". It is an exposed piece and difficult to form. I took it out of the hammerform and then spent another 1/2hr metalworking and finishing it. I felt that while there were problems with how it pulled metal when i formed it it has potential and might finish out ok. I gave it a trial fit.
I bent the thing backwards! It is totally opposite of what i need!
I know i am not the only one to do dumb stuff like this, how about sharing some of your goofs?

Don,t feel bad I just call it practicing,I have two of everything!! Pete

Oh yeah, been there done that....and after I checked it a few times to make sure I was bending things the right way!!!!!

Dave you have to know your not the only one to do this.. I know I have and between you and me the older I get it seems to try and happen more. Your mind wonders off to a better place and OOOPs!!!!

I was just cutting some hardwood flooring over the week end to fit in a complicated placement area---well----I cut the wrong end!!!!!!!!!!!!! but it was exactly the correct length/width---3 times !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Been there done that too. Mine is usually custom making Z bars for clutchsetups and bending the levers to clear.......Maybe it something to do with working under the car and looking up

Well, now you have a new panel for the other side to match the new one you're about to make for this side.

One I remember is cutting a piece of drop ceiling acoustic tile to fit a corner on the room perimeter. Had to be tapered a bit, then an odd angle a the end. Got it all cut perfectly, but upside down so that the "good" side was up, and the ugly side was in the room. The only good thing was that I had a really good pattern for the next cut....

Just this past weekend, I decided to move my seats in the coupe just a bit to the right for "balance" between the two. So I removed them and plotted / marked out the layout to the right just as I needed. You guessed it! With the seats upside down and now I'm standing in front of them... I moved them to the LEFT!

Another one, I play with old engines and my 2 horse Fairbanks Morse needed rings. When the parts came in I pulled the piston for replacing the rings.

My uncle had come over and we were chatting and I was working on the motor and all seemed well! I ran out of time that evening so I didn't get to test run the engine.

During the next day I had this nagging feeling but I couldn't explain why! But as I headed to the shop to finish the repairs to the Fairbanks it hit me like a lightnin' bolt! I hadn't verified ring end gap.. Since we were talking I broke concentration and missed a step..

I removed the piston again and was amazed to discover I had broken one small piece of the oil control ring during the install!

So I guess it was lucky for me in the end! I had to re-order a oil control ring and be very cautious during "re" re-assembly but it all turned out well in the end!

Measure once, cut twice??

I would guess I have put in way over a hundred kitchens. Everytime I cut Crown Molding the first one is wrong so I make the first one longer so I can cut it off and start again. YES EVERY TIME

Originally Posted by ojh

I had to take a break and lament a bit. I know you guys have done this and if anybody knows why i wish they'd speakup here.
I just spent a couple hours cutting out a pattern for a complicated sheetmetal panel. I had to make a hammerform for it out of steel so i could shape it. I had alignment marks for the form and work piece is sandwiched between the hammerform, i temp clamped and was very carful about the alignment when i transferred the clamped assembly into 'mongo' my extra-large vise. I double checked the alignment and all looked ready for bending. I chose a couple very nice ballpeens - one quite large - and gave the faces a little touchup to minimize marring. I then spent the next halfhour or so hammerforming a 1/2" lip around a 6" radius and extending straight across about 10" flat and then going upward at about a 30deg angle for another 3". It is an exposed piece and difficult to form. I took it out of the hammerform and then spent another 1/2hr metalworking and finishing it. I felt that while there were problems with how it pulled metal when i formed it it has potential and might finish out ok. I gave it a trial fit.
I bent the thing backwards! It is totally opposite of what i need!
I know i am not the only one to do dumb stuff like this, how about sharing some of your goofs?

It's a reverse mold, of better yet - our friends in England, New Zealand or Australia can use it 'cause they drive on the opposite side of the road??

Wish I had a buck for every time I've done that.

Anyone ever install crown molding??

Regards All,
Glenn

Guess I'm not the only one. I was cutting new Oak wood for a new bed in my 37 and made sure I took all measurments 3 times. Cut them all to fit and when I put them in they fell right on the ground. Never took into consideration the 1" lip they were going to rest on.

Originally Posted by chevy 37

Guess I'm not the only one. I was cutting new Oak wood for a new bed in my 37 and made sure I took all measurments 3 times. Cut them all to fit and when I put them in they fell right on the ground. Never took into consideration the 1" lip they were going to rest on.

Brutal! Just Brutal.

Crown Moulding------I had help from a left handed friend-------by the time we were done I wanted to buy 3 more saws so I could just leave each of them set for one angle each----------

Then I ran across a friend who rented a shop that had been occupied by a casket builder---He had 7 different saws----------