When I saw the title of fleming442's recent post ("Shop Rule #127"), it instantly made me think of a few rules I have tried to always follow over the years. Some of these were picked up from friends; some were learned through personal experience. I'm going to number them below.
1: Do not tighten any until all have been started.
2: Do not remove any until all have been loosened.
3: If you have to force it, you're doing it wrong.
4: You don't have to believe Dempsey, but it helps.
5: Air is our friend; electricity is to be feared and respected.
6: A working example is better than exploratory surgery.
7: Before applying torque, calculate the failure trajectory and take protective measures.
8: When working under a car, use redundant safety devices.
9: Always wear proper eye protection.
(Explanation of rule #6: when faced with a job that involves doing the same thing two times <such as replacing drum brake shoes, for example>, do not dismantle the second side until the first half is completely back together. If you get lost or cannot figure out how everything goes back together, consult the still-together side for the answer.)
Feel free to share your own rules that haven't yet been mentioned. Maybe we'll all learn something.
1: Do not tighten any until all have been started.
2: Do not remove any until all have been loosened.
3: If you have to force it, you're doing it wrong.
4: You don't have to believe Dempsey, but it helps.
5: Air is our friend; electricity is to be feared and respected.
6: A working example is better than exploratory surgery.
7: Before applying torque, calculate the failure trajectory and take protective measures.
8: When working under a car, use redundant safety devices.
9: Always wear proper eye protection.
(Explanation of rule #6: when faced with a job that involves doing the same thing two times <such as replacing drum brake shoes, for example>, do not dismantle the second side until the first half is completely back together. If you get lost or cannot figure out how everything goes back together, consult the still-together side for the answer.)
Feel free to share your own rules that haven't yet been mentioned. Maybe we'll all learn something.