In 2000 we built the robot that lowered a scissorjack to raise itself up and then could strafe side to side on the ramp to block opponents. The scissorjack was lowered by a screw being driven by the van-door motor. The plastic nut provided by Small parts to fit the screw was no strong and one of the seniors descided to retract the jack to far and crushed the nut the first time we tested it. After he realized he crushed the nut he asked what the problem was because he had done us a favor. Lets just say he did us a lot of "favors" that year.

Measure it with a micrometer, mark it with chalk, and cut it with an axe.

This is not an exact science.

If you're going to do it, do it right.
Simple may win.
Ugly may win. (But not if it's "uglier than Warren's brother".)
Don't build to tolerance!

I'm not so sure about the half-full glass...I mean, you could argue that the top half of the glass is wasted material but you could also argue that the extra space provides you with a nice margin of error and safety factor (allows more water to be added, and makes it less likely to spill the water already present).

-Ian Mackenzie
Woburn Robotics
http://www.team188.com

Nice try, but you have it wrong too...

"Duct tape is like the Force - it has a dark side and a light side and it holds the universe together."

-Jeremy :D

Our team's official slogan from last year;

"Measure once, cut three times, and go buy another peice."

And there are some Murphy's Law of Engineering....

You will never find tools you are looking for;
you will always find them when you are done with work and about to head home.

You will look all over the place for the parts or tool you saw few second ago;
you will, however, never notice that it's sitting right under your butt.

You try to "field fix" a broken parts;
it will take you a whole day to realise that you should've just went to the machine shop.

When everything is going all right, people will complement you;
it only means that something will awfully go wrong the next moment.

It often takes a entire crew of engineers to figure a fancy way to solve a problem;
it often takes one infant to come in to his daddy's room to point out a really obious (and much more sophisticated) solution.

Also, my signature...(Not exactly a slogan tho:p)

Let us not forget that the missing tool is always in the last place you look.

you're all great!
 

I just read the new posts in this thread and I have to admit:

You guys totally made my day and cracked me up, thx...

Keep in touch guys, so long, Phil

Actually, nobody every finishes the quote.


The Missing tool is always in the last place you look, because you stop looking when you find it.

If a tool is missing, and no one ever looks for it, is it lost?




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BTW - I posted this after the message below me, so it's a response to the

"Why would you keep looking post"


____________________________________________

People in auto repair know this one:

This bolt won't come out, someone hand me the BlueWrench!

Which implies..."Why would you keep looking?!?"

I'm not in auto repair. I would appreciate an explanation. Does this have something to do with "blue" language?

blue wrench is the torch

You've got a stuck or rusted bolt and nut.

Take a Torch, and heat it up. Then let it cool.

The expansion of the metals (Nut and bolt) forces the nut to become slightly larger, allowing greater ease in removing the formally stuck bolt, when they cool, because the bolt will contract to it's (almost) orginal size.

This is where experiance comes into play, as I said, I've never done it, so I have not idea whether the bolt is usuable at this point, or if it's just junk.

This is usually used when removing exhaust systems, so all the hardware is easily replaceable.

ohhhhhhh, i got another!
 

"IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY FINISH ANY TASK MULTIPLY IT 10X!!!"


Even when i do use this slogan i manage to get myeself into a rut i can't get out of!

To correct the earlier post so more people can get it.
"Hand me the blue tip wrench."
and yes, being part owner of a Merlin Muffler & Brake, I hear that a lot in the muffler business.
BTW most often the torch is used to just cut stuff away. Whenever possible, (On hardware outside) never reuse, always replace.