When I finish working on something and I have an extra screw
left over, I always try to figure out where it should have gone and if it could
be important. Then there is the decision to disassemble to find where it goes
or try it to see if it works OK without it.
At times like these I remember a story that a co-worker told
me about a ball point pen spring. The hospital where he was working at the time
had a new CAT scan machine that was having a major service done to it. Two
factory service men spent all day disassembling and working on the machine. They
had laid out all the parts on a table like an exploded diagram in a service
manual. They went home and were to reassemble the unit the next day. The
co-worker said he was just looking over all the parts when he saw 3 springs
that looked like springs from a ball point pen. He took apart his ball point
pen and set the spring from the pen next to the other 3. All were the same. As
a joke he left the spring there.
The service men returned the next day and started to re
assemble the machine. Then they disassembled it again looking for where they
had left the spring out. They spent over 8 hours trying to find where it came
from. The co-worker figured if the hospital ever found out he would be fired
and probably have to pay for the extra labor time.
The story was funny after the fact, but I have sympathy
for the service guys, and it is too bad he had not been caught.
.
My wife is an excellent mechanic, and when she takes
something apart, she lays it out like an exploded diagram. She is up-tight till
it is back together. When I see her parts all laid out I think of the spring
story and get a passing thought of adding a spring or screw to the parts. If I
did she would find an evil, non-fatal way of getting me back. Just thinking
about it is more than enough fun.
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