Posted by Clint Dixon on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 20:15:16 :
In Reply to: Re: tires are one thing... posted by David Sherman on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 15:37:52 :
There are very few professionals that I trust to touch my trucks, let alone my house. I have been employed as a “professional” in several fields. First, as a roofer, then as a fork lift driver, a warehouse maintenance man, a machinist/welder, and most recently as a mechanical designer. Along the way, I paid my dues as U.A.W. and Teamster member. I have been taught by some of the best how to do a job correctly, and how to do it quickly. I have seen too many professionals err on the side of quickly because this is how to make the money and stay competitive and in business. When I do a roofing job now, I do it correctly, as I was taught, but I also go one step further, give it 110%, and do it better to my own standards at the expense of time. This is why I never stayed with carpentry as a career. I am not willing to take the shortcuts, and I spend too much time at the task in pursuit of perfection to make any money in today’s “I want it now, the deadline was yesterday” world. When I wanted to install an All-Trac differential and 4.89 gearing in my truck, I took the time, researched, and learned how to do it myself. When I added a 200 sq. ft. dormer on my house, I first spent over a year drawing the plans, probing and researching the existing structure, and asking old-school carpenters questions before I moved the first piece of furniture. I had never built a gambrel roof dormer to intersect into a 10-12 pitch modified A-frame roof before.
I get so aggravated when I complete a project and call the inspector to sign off. I take time off of my schedule, wait for them to show up, have them spend 10 seconds looking at my valley jack rafters and then 30 minutes marveling at the rough sawn white oak that we covered our cathedral ceiling with. Then I calm down when I realize that this must be a reflection on my attention to detail.
I recently had a large project built at a machine shop where I used to work, by the guys who taught me. I created the design, specified the materials, researched the tolerances, called out the GD&T, detailed the drawings, noted the orders of operation, designated the finish qualities, was there three and sometimes four times a week to inspect the progress and answer questions, and they still screwed it up. They had to eat that mistake.
Sometimes if you want something done right, you just have to do it yourself.
But that is not a suggestion, just personal philosophy submitted for your reading pleasure.
Junior