The doors and back hatch of my 1998 Ford Explorer had started to rattle and were gradually getting worse. When I checked, the plastic/nylon bushings on the door lock posts had cracked and fallen off - just one of those things with a 15 year old vehicle, I suppose. The back hatch was the worst, but all four doors needed work.
A quick web search (http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9113758/00786) turned up replacement bushings for the rear hatch from Pep Boys, along with a T-50 3/8" square drive bit to remove the lock posts (http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/556958/00786). Total cost was about $10 - no problem. However, the rear door bushings are too big to fit the passenger door lock posts. Searching further, I found that the only way to replace the passenger bushings was to replace the entire door lock post - the bushings aren't sold separately! Way to tag the customer with unnecessary costs, Ford!
At between $60 and $80 for four new lock posts, I said no way. I took a closer look at the passenger door lock posts - they are about 7/16" o.d., and the bushings (from what I could tell from the remains) are about 9/16" o.d. Checking the local Ace Hardware (Court Hardware in Stafford, TX - great place with great service) I found a couple of options. The closest was some flexible PVC tubing that was 3/8 i.d. and 1/2" o.d. I figured it would stretch to fit, and at $0.39/foot, the price was right even if it didn't work!
The door lock posts have a 3/8" section with a lip where it expands to the full 7/16" diameter for the lock to grab. I used a pair of needle nose pliers to stretch the tubing, and some warm soapy water to lubricate it. With a little bit of effort and some vise grip pliers, I was able to stretch the tubing over the post. Within about 20 minutes, I had all four doors done.
Even if the tubing isn't as durable as the original bushings, for $0.39 I got enough to do all four doors *three* times. Replacing the lock posts would have been close to $80 - not a bad savings.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Friday, May 10, 2013
Woodworking, Project Planning, and GTD
One of my favorite hobbies is woodworking. After a long week working with mostly intangible "stuff" at work, it's a great feeling to get in the shop and make something (even if it's only sawdust).
Recently, my wife asked me to make a case from walnut for an antique flute that belonged to her grandmother. I worked on it for an hour or so and had the top and bottom roughed out. The bottom needed a groove for the flute to rest in, so I set up the router table with a core box bit. As I was moving the wood across the table, I could feel something wasn't right, but I kept on. When the bit exited the wood, it was off by nearly 1/2". Instead of a nice, centered groove I had this:
Looking back, I realized I had made two mistakes, and then compounded them with a third. First, my setup was wrong. I tried to take the entire depth of the groove (about 3/4") in one pass, leading to the bit bogging down and chattering. Second, I didn't use a featherboard to keep the wood pressed tightly against the fence. It didn't help that I was looking at the wrong edge of the workpiece - the one against the table instead of the one against the fence. Finally, I when I felt "something" was wrong, I should have listened to my intuition and stopped to reevaluate.
The same mistakes (and their solutions) happen every day in the office as well as in the workshop. Use the five steps to planning projects of GTD (Purpose/Principles, Outcomes, Brainstorming, Organizing, and Next Actions) to come up with a plan of concrete, granular, physical next actions that are doable. As David Allen points out, you can't "do" a project. Take enough of these small steps, however, and you are done.
This process also leads to measurable outcomes - keep your eyes on these as you work so that your actions remain aligned with your outcomes. The project plan acts as a featherboard, keeping you on track.
Finally, if you think something is wrong, it probably is. STOP. Take 30 minutes or an hour to review and refocus. A few minutes now to make sure you are heading in the right direction will pay off ten-fold down the road.
Now, where did I put the rest of that walnut?
Recently, my wife asked me to make a case from walnut for an antique flute that belonged to her grandmother. I worked on it for an hour or so and had the top and bottom roughed out. The bottom needed a groove for the flute to rest in, so I set up the router table with a core box bit. As I was moving the wood across the table, I could feel something wasn't right, but I kept on. When the bit exited the wood, it was off by nearly 1/2". Instead of a nice, centered groove I had this:
Looking back, I realized I had made two mistakes, and then compounded them with a third. First, my setup was wrong. I tried to take the entire depth of the groove (about 3/4") in one pass, leading to the bit bogging down and chattering. Second, I didn't use a featherboard to keep the wood pressed tightly against the fence. It didn't help that I was looking at the wrong edge of the workpiece - the one against the table instead of the one against the fence. Finally, I when I felt "something" was wrong, I should have listened to my intuition and stopped to reevaluate.
The same mistakes (and their solutions) happen every day in the office as well as in the workshop. Use the five steps to planning projects of GTD (Purpose/Principles, Outcomes, Brainstorming, Organizing, and Next Actions) to come up with a plan of concrete, granular, physical next actions that are doable. As David Allen points out, you can't "do" a project. Take enough of these small steps, however, and you are done.
This process also leads to measurable outcomes - keep your eyes on these as you work so that your actions remain aligned with your outcomes. The project plan acts as a featherboard, keeping you on track.
Finally, if you think something is wrong, it probably is. STOP. Take 30 minutes or an hour to review and refocus. A few minutes now to make sure you are heading in the right direction will pay off ten-fold down the road.
Now, where did I put the rest of that walnut?
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