how good are you really?

[zeeprogrammer]

Well the '3rd Time's Charm and Other Measurements' was a fun topic and I learned a lot...not just about machining but about our friends on this forum.
It's a great forum. Hard to find such friendliness and help.

What this is about...

I've done some home improvements. Laying floors, installing a kitchen, etc. I see all the boo-boos, all the fix-ups, etc. And when people come to visit...they don't see it.
They think it's a wonderful job. Or they're lying, but I do have a couple of friends/relatives that will tell me like they see it.

I know it's a lot about 'being too close' to the work.

I feel I've improved a lot on my latest project...and I get strokes, slaps on the back, good job...but I'm not as happy with my work as they seem to give me credit for.

I know...we're our own worst critics.

So I'm curious as to others' feelings. Do you ever get to the point that you feel you've done an excellent job? A superb work? Or do you feel it sufficient that you've improved?
It implies you can never reach perfection. You can only feel and experience improvement.
Maybe it's that occasional feeling of 'Yeah! I did it!".

I suspect the answer is obvious. You feel and experience improvement...and that knowing you can better, is what drives you on. I mean...sure...if you reach perfection, you're kind of done.

It sorts of relates to recognition. Something I'm very uncomfortable with. I was often recognized at work but never felt I deserved it. I can always do better.

Just some random thoughts. Probably a side-effect of once again celebrating my unbirthday. 

[Dave Otto]

I get a lot of satisfaction from my work, both at home and also the day job. I'm never completely happy (sometimes pretty pleased) with my work and feel there is always room for improvement. There is a lot of stuff I do that just flat doesn't matter, if it is to print or fills the current need, it is good enough. Most of the hobby projects are a different story though.

I feel that you are correct about being so close to the work that you agonize about every little imperfection. Most of them other people will never notice and after some amount of time you will probably forget about most of them too; except maybe the really bad ones. 

If we all spent our time here finding and pointing out all the faults with each others projects this wouldn't be a very fun place to hang out.

Just some of my thoughts.
Dave

[crueby]

I think you hit that nail on the head - first try even! Being the one who did the work, knows what the distances/sizes/etc were supposed to be, we see the flaws, mistakes, close-enoughs, all that. I does help motivate to try (key word, try) to do it better the next time. And whenever we think we are doing REALLY well, we see some museum exhibit, the Candy Hill book, something like that, and say "Oh....." and head back to the shop to try and do better.

And yes, the encouragement (and the banter) here really helps!

[90LX_Notch]

Almost every one of my engines have some mistake or boo boo in them.  I leave them there as a lesson that is reinforced every time I see them.  All I can do is learn from them and try not to repeat them.

-Bob

[90LX_Notch]

And whenever we think we are doing REALLY well, we see some museum exhibit, the Candy Hill book, something like that, and say "Oh....." and head back to the shop to try and do better.

Or.... George humbles all of us with his work.

-Bob

[toolznthings]

I try to follow the advice I've given to my son and daughter. Try to do your best. There will always be someone who does better or worse so learn from both. I happiest when I learn something new or accomplished a task that I have never done before. I'm always amazed at the talents of others and appreciate their skills, many examples here on MEM.   

[zeeprogrammer]

Some excellent observations....

If we all spent our time here finding and pointing out all the faults with each others projects this wouldn't be a very fun place to hang out.

and head back to the shop to try and do better.
And yes, the encouragement (and the banter) here really helps!

Almost every one of my engines have some mistake or boo boo in them.  I leave them there as a lesson that is reinforced every time I see them.  All I can do is learn from them and try not to repeat them.

I try to follow the advice I've given to my son and daughter. Try to do your best. There will always be someone who does better or worse so learn from both. I happiest when I learn something new or accomplished a task that I have never done before. I'm always amazed at the talents of others and appreciate their skills, many examples here on MEM.   

Proof we're not alone.

'toolznthings' particularly struck with me because I have a couple of daughters and have tried to teach them that balance. Do your best, learn, and don't drag yourself down because of the mistakes you make. We all make mistakes and mistakes are opportunities. (I should listen to myself more often.)

[b.lindsey]

Cletus must be cooking or he would have jumped in here with the southern take on things. All good comments but Toby Keith sings it best...."I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was.".  Thinking he might have had something else in mind though 

Bill

[zeeprogrammer]

That's a great song.
Only...the part that's "I'm as good once as I ever was" is sometimes questionable. But I'll continue to believe it.

[steam guy willy]

Just my pennyworth.......Perfection has no sons     

Willy

[Art K]

Well, what to say. Maybe no one's perfect. If I was to pull apart my engines I could show you the faults in them. Like moving the part before raising the cutting tool to clear on the Upshur. Or zeroing the Z axis on the face of the combustion chamber rather than the face of the head which is at a 15 degree angle for the valve cages. The intake and exhaust don't quite line up on VAL. I talked with the guy at the Tormach for last years tech days to figure that out. Do I know what I did wrong? yes. will I remember it next time? yes. Is it worth re-making the head to fix it? no.

They think it's a wonderful job. Or they're lying, but I do have a couple of friends/relatives that will tell me like they see it.

I do have to share a story in relation to this. A number of years ago I was in between jobs and taking a seminar that included the Meyer/Briggs personality test. It also included two days of group stuff discussing things. On the second day one of the women must have felt comfortable with us as a group. She had to share with us that she had left home that morning and got there and realized she wasn't wearing a pair of shoes. she had on that was blue the other black. Mind you it was navy blue. If she hadn't said anything NO ONE would have noticed, but since she did we all looked and sure enough not a pair. She was the only one who noticed. I suspect the things you see in your house and engine building are much the same, you are in it, and it's obvious to you, and unless you point it out, no one else will see the faults that are glaring to you. hope this is helpful.
I don't believe it I just wrote a novel
Art

[Baner]

In a previous life I used to do a lot of art: painting and drawing and so on. Art is a little more 'organic'  I suppose, than machining, and a bit harder to quantify as perfect. So whilst never being 'perfect', on two occasions I'd managed to achieve in a picture what I'd hoped to achieve, my own sense of perfect. Trouble was, I couldn't repeat it. It was stifling. Every subsequent picture wasn't as good as the previous one. It sucked all the enjoyment out of it. It was very hard to move beyond that. I think that is very common in the creative fields. It's half the reason I left art behind.

In machining, however, they make tools to measure perfection And they always tell me I'm not perfect, and I can't be perfect - which is exactly how I want to be. If the numbers are within tolerance I'm happy, but there is always that little bit more measurable precision to achieve that keeps me both anxious and excited every time I engage the power feed on a finish cut. And that is something that will never change. There is nothing subjective about a micrometer. I'll never be able to contrive a sense of perfect that isn't engraved on that barrel.

This is notwithstanding all the other facets of this hobby or engineering in general - or comparing my own work to some of the outstanding work presented in this forum.

There is no shortage of things I'm not very good at.

And that's perfect with me.

Dave.

[Johnmcc69]

We all started someplace. The bottom. I think it depends on the individual & their willingness to learn & then learn more. Don't let failure bring you down.
 My last "project" was helping an older gentleman restore an old (1957) tractor, rebuilt engine, re-wire, & fresh paint. This was his first real experience in getting this deep into an engine. I've rebuilt engines before, motorcycle, snowmobile, auto, & tractor. Kind of "winged" it...while working on his tractor, he asked a lot of questions that I couldn't answer "just always did it that way.." . Got home, hit the books, internet forums, & learned a lot myself. Came back the next day & explained to him what I learned & answered his qustions. We both learned. I used to hate wiring, didn't understand it, did some reading up on the basics, & now it's not that big of a fear to me. I still struggle, but I'm getting better. My painting skills could use some improvement...

 Self doubt is a killer, second guessing, ourselves being our own biggest critic..
I sweat the "small things"...I rebuilt a carb for a JOHN Deere model 40 today that was running poorly & tomorrow I install it, I'm already asking myself "what if that doesn't work". Especially when mr. Customer asks me..

 It IS about the journey, don't give up. If it doesn't work, find out why.

 Knowledge is power.

 John

[Jo]

The day I stop learning is the day they put me in the box and nail the lid on 

Jo

[Vixen]

It IS about the journey, don't give up. If it doesn't work, find out why.

That sums it up completely

Mike