DIY triumph, my one and only time
Many many years ago, I worked for a small company selling spares to the agricultural industry. One of the things we did was make "beater bars" (apparently they're part of a combine harvester).

Anyway, we used to make these things and ship them out in big wooden crates that we used to make ourselves.

My boss was a curmudgeonly old boy of 64, and liked everything just so - he once showed my friend how to sweep a floor properly, as he was making too much dust. Anyway, he showed me how to make these crates, and needless to say they had to be just so - everything measured, marked out (with a set square too!), then carefully cut and finally nailed together and lined.

One day we were running late, and a lorry arrived to take our next load of bars away, while we were still balancing them (and there was no crate ready).

My boss told me to get the crate done, while my friend balanced the bars, and he'd make the driver a cup of tea (!) - when I asked him for the set square, he angrily said "we haven't got time for that, just get it done!", so off I went.

I made the crate, measuring the wood against another crate and then cutting various pieces and had just finished nailing it together when the boss appeared, took one look at the crate and proclaimed "That's no good, it's not square!"

My protestations of "But you just told me to get it done quickly!" fell on deaf ears, and he went back to his office to get a tape measure and set square to show me how inept I was.

Every corner was a perfect 90 degrees, and every side measured exactly the same as its opposing side, it was the best crate we'd ever made.


I would apologise for the length, but I think you'll find it was absolutely spot on =)
(Professor Kenny Martin Hmm? What?, Mon 7 Apr 2008, 16:38, Reply)