How do you deal with routine?

[jhanko]

I've been making the same light for quite a while now. Every day is the same. I think I could make this light in my sleep. I've narrowed down and aquired the best tools I could for the job. I've made jigs and go/no-go gages to save time and indicator wear & tear. What I'm noticing is that I'm starting to make stupid mistakes, basically from being bored and not paying attention. Yesterday I went to do the next drilling step and installed the wrong bit, and trashed the part. A few day ago, I was milling trit slots and forgot to tighten the chuck on my spacer. Another part trashed (after 4 hours of work).

How do you guys avoid things like this? Do I need more coffee in the morning, or should I just do something different for a while?

 

[65535]

Work in batches. Batch processing will save you errors. It gets you into the movement for each process. Say 20 units per batch. That or take a break. Don't work tired.

 

[StrikerDown]

I think I could make this light in my sleep.

Sounds like you over estimate your sleep walking abilities.

There is an old saying... Familiarity breeds contempt. Don't be too familiar!

Before each operation, double check. After any interuption, double check.

 

[KC2IXE]

Other "tricks" (particularly once you go to "batch" work)

Dedicated tooling - You mention using the wrong drill bit for a drilling step. Dedicate a bit of the right size to that operation, along with it's jig, and the instructions for that step, and store them all together.

One BIG advantage to this - say a step is best done with a 135 split point instead of a 118 - you buy/use a 135 split - or maybe for that operation you need a parabolic flute drill, or solid carbide, or...

When you are going to do 20/30 of the same operation, you won't feel so bad about doing things like changing belts on the drill press to get the right speed etc

 

[jhanko]

Work in batches. Batch processing will save you errors. It gets you into the movement for each process. Say 20 units per batch. That or take a break. Don't work tired.

Doing things in batches really isn't feasible for me. I need to make one and sell it, so I can make more. The other problem I have is that my lathe chuck sucks, and getting it to repeat is damn near impossible. I think I bellmouthed the jaws during my titanium knurling attempt. I chuck up the bar and don't release it until the light is finished.

There is an old saying... Familiarity breeds contempt. Don't be too familiar!

That's definitely the situation.

Before each operation, double check. After any interuption, double check.

Immediatlely after making a mistake, I notice that I'll really double check everything, so I don't do it again. A couple days later, I'll catch myself in zombie mode again.

Dedicated tooling - You mention using the wrong drill bit for a drilling step. Dedicate a bit of the right size to that operation, along with it's jig, and the instructions for that step, and store them all together.

The problem realy isn't the tools themselves. It's me losing track of what I've already done and what needs to be done next.

 

[Anglepoise]

Your enthusiasm for the project is gone.
Time to invent, change whatever you are making. Try to forecast the next trend on CPF and have a product ready to ship as the tipping point arrives.

Take on work that interests you.
Remember this is a hobby and its all about fun.

Now if this is a full time job, then new equipment might be the right way to go, if your business plan checks out.
Good luck.

 

[StrikerDown]

Your enthusiasm for the project is gone.
Time to invent, change whatever you are making. Try to forecast the next trend on CPF and have a product ready to ship as the tipping point arrives.

Take on work that interests you.
Remember this is a hobby and its all about fun.

Now if this is a full time job, then new equipment might be the right way to go, if your business plan checks out.
Good luck.

If you turn your hobby into a Journey Of Boredom (JOB) look seriously at this advice.

 

[jhanko]

Your enthusiasm for the project is gone.
Time to invent, change whatever you are making. Try to forecast the next trend on CPF and have a product ready to ship as the tipping point arrives.

Take on work that interests you.
Remember this is a hobby and its all about fun.

Wow, you hit the nail right on the head there!

 

[gadget_lover]

I've worked many jobs that are quite repetitive and did not allow for errors. Boredom is a major problem.

Some things that help.

If your shop is big enough, set up stations for each step. Each station has only the tools and jigs needed for that step. If you can't do that, at least lay out the tools in marked spots in the order needed. That might call for buying extra drill bits or lathe bits and holders. The key is that if you have tool #12 on the tool post or in the chuck, you know the next step is tool #14. Having a tool #13 would be unlucky so you skip that one. :) And added benefit is that you can set up some of the tooling so that it's adjusted to the right length so that you do not have to do any measuring. Just mount the tool and advance the carriage till it hits the stop.

Another often used tool is the process check list. When I was testing 500 telephone transmission lines a day, we had a check list for every step, and had to write down the measurements for each one. With the help of your computer you can easily print out hundreds of sheets in a few minutes.

A note on batch processes and boredom.... My neighbor makes nice oak mantel clocks. He does them in batches of 50. He can make them in his sleep. More than once I have seen him swear a blue streak as he has to scrap 50 clock backs or tops because he cut all 50 to the wrong size or on the wrong edge.

Batch processing means that you can make more mistakes per hour than you ever thought possible.

Daniel

 

[65535]

A good trick is to make a piece for every step of the process. An unfinished unit. You'll have a few or a lot depending on your number of steps. Label and number them. Between steps check for proper function at that step. It's a good trick when dealing with the same parts over and over.

Batch processing does have its downsides. But with fixtures and such like most machinists use in some instances it is amazingly valuable.

 

[wquiles]

I will start by saying that I have notes/steps/dimensions writen down for anything I am doing more than once, and I refer to them before starting to refresh my memory. If I am working on developing a new mod, I work VERY slowly, thinking a lot between stages, even abandoning work until I can think of a better way/idea (writter's block for a machinisht?). Plus I update my notes as I go along to "tweak" a procedure/step if/when I find a better/easier way of doing things, which includes realizing that something is no longer a "high" precission job.

When I am doing my waves of 1D cut/rethreads (probably more than 70 of them so far!), I do only 1 or 2 at a time during the week nights. On weekends I do no more than 3-4 at a time each day - I would get tired otherwise and that leads to mistakes. This also allows time for cleaning the machine afterwards

Since the threading is the same on "D" and "C" (both 20TPI), but the lengths are not always the same, I prevent mistakes by doing them in batches of the same type/length, and by labeling each tube. I typically work on the non-normal sizes first, and then move to the normal sizes.

I also don't mix "D" and "C" since internal threading dimensions are different (at least the way I do them). If have to do the job but I don't feel like it, I might just do only one, or just do none that day - I don't push it.

I also try as best as possible not to mix other "jobs" while I am in the middle of a threading wave - another job might leave the lathe controls (specially threading box) in a different setting, and that would for sure damage a tube instantly. As such, when I do the custom Delrin battery packs/sleeves, I wait until I am done threading and then do them all together.

The one significant tool that helps a lot is my DRO, and the magnetic dial on the ways when threading - I would not use my lathe without it!. Having the visual indicators helps tremendously ;)

Will

 

[G1K]

One think about getting bored from repetition: trashing a part is one thing, loosing a finger is another. Just as easily as putting the wrong drill in the chuck, it could have been something worse.

I know this doesn't answer your question, but an important point non the less.

R

 

[DonShock]

.....The problem realy isn't the tools themselves. It's me losing track of what I've already done and what needs to be done next.

You should try making yourself a list of all the steps involved. Make sure to make any tool changes their own seperate step so that you can't proceed to the next step without doing the tool change first. You could use a laminated copy and some eraseable grease pens, or just print multiple copies if you do the list on the computer. Then every time you start a new light, physically mark off each step as you complete it before you proceed to the next step. If you get in the habit of doing that, you'll drastically reduce mistakes.

There is a tendancy to get used to routine and start overlooking things. I run into the same problem when training operators at my water plant job. There are a set of checks we do every shift. Since most times little changes from shift to shift, it's easy to forget to look at something and think you've checked it. Missing it when something does develop a problem just makes things worse. This is the type of problem you seem to be having, doing it so many times that your brain is losing track since you don't really think about it any more. If you get in the habit of using the procedure or check list, following it will become the unthinking part. Then, if you miss marking something off on the procedure/list, it will kick your brain out of the automatic mode and force you to stop and think about it, hopefully preventing the mistake.

The only problem with this method is the one that I have difficulty training operators to avoid. It's easy to start skipping the marking of the procedure/list because you know it by heart. That's when errors occur. You have to force yourself to treat the list as mandatory. If it's not marked, it didn't happen. And you have to physically double check, even if your brain is telling you it remembers doing it. Trust the list, not yourself. That's contrary to how you usually want to operate, most times your own actions will be the most trusted ones. But in the case of avoiding "routine" errors, you are your own worst enemy because of natural complacency. Just as you need to learn to look for outside errors in any operation, you need to train yourself to watch for your own errors. But once you make checking yourself part of the "routine", it will help avoid a lot of errors.