Do you suffer from "Quality Creep"?

[graham-xrf]

You know how it is - you're putting back the rad on the old pickup, and the orange-looking bolts all end up as anti-shake shouldered stainless?

I suppose "quality creep" could slide in either direction unless driven hard by being a contender for "Hobby Machinist Tightwad of the Year", but except for sometimes getting lucky with purchasing stuff from Chinesia, my trend is generally "upwards". I think one knows when it has gone too far when the spare piece of tool-steel rod gets used instead of the chunk of mild that has been the box so long, it's surface can no longer be called "patina from the good old days"!

 

[matthewsx]

Wait....

"Hobby Machinist Tightwad of the Year" ?

How do I get in on this competition?

John

 

[graham-xrf]

Wait....
"Hobby Machinist Tightwad of the Year" ?
How do I get in on this competition?
John

Oh dear - did I say something off topic from off-topic's topic?
I guess ..

1. Maybe having a look through member's pictures of cheapskate builds.
2. Very poor purchases, exceptional journeys to drag home junk.
3. Tales of stuff machined that came apart on the machine while still being made?

Maybe, the only way to get this right is have HM members vote in postings that featured exceptional penny-pinching. HM members wishing to compete can send in pictures of their success in this endeavour, or HM members can vote in postings from other members that they consider displays this exceptional trait (kinda ratting on them - I guess)

Stuff like a workshop knocked up from old crating palettes and rusty recycled corrugated iron roofing, or a collection of plastic bottles of various fluids more than 2 decades old, some without significant contents.

 

[Packard V8]

Thoughts:

It's an individual value judgement. I build obsolete engines and we hold most clearances into the tenths. Sometimes, it would cost much time and money to get a crusty, rusty old engine as good as it can be. Some customers would go nuts at the thought of putting an engine of together with a half-a-thou more than he'd researched and decided was ideal. The next guy in the door is, "Fukkit, looser is faster. Git 'er done and git 'er on the track!"

The time/money equation is a sliding scale. Just turned 75 and have finally realized even though I don't have that much money, I've now got more money than time.

jack vines

 

[Superburban]

I see my quality creep quite a bit during a project. Start out with all the best intentions, and go for some where near the top, but as time goes on I let the quality goal slip like it is on an oiled pole.

 

[DavidR8]

I start with the best intentions but my ineptitude and inexperience drag me down the quality ladder.
In my head I'm Robin Renzetti, in real life I'm a hack with an angle grinder and a hacksaw

 

[pontiac428]

I want to be the first to nominate John Matthews, for running across the very live 101 freeway to find a rusty, broken piece of iron. That is what I call a "money is no object cheapskate." The broken gap plate had no value, but to him it represented a last chance- enough to walk the freeway for!

On quality creep, I'm with you. I call it turd polish, and I tend to polish turds to a high shine that belies the reality that polished turds are still turds. In other words, I won't be selling a vehicle for more than I've got into it in this lifetime.

 

[graham-xrf]

I want to be the first to nominate John Matthews, for running across the very live 101 freeway to find a rusty, broken piece of iron. That is what I call a "money is no object cheapskate." The broken gap plate had no value, but to him it represented a last chance- enough to walk the freeway for!

On quality creep, I'm with you. I call it turd polish, and I tend to polish turds to a high shine that belies the reality that polished turds are still turds. In other words, I won't be selling a vehicle for more than I've got into it in this lifetime.

I thought that would be the HM definition of "road kill acquisition".
But - do I remember right that your vehicle was the one with almost zero original bolts?

 

[middle.road]

I choose to not answer on the grounds of incriminating myself...

I did apply blue loc-tite to the bolts when I replaced the radiator a couple of months ago, I did not do "anti-shake shouldered stainless...", vehicle isn't worth it. As a matter of fact I went out to start it the other day, and the PS pump was empty.

Have I put SS SHCS's in place of OEM fasteners at other times? -Yes
Do I need to sort out my box of scrap and pitch the very "patina'd" worthless pieces? -Yes
Do I save stuff that causes my Better Half to raise an eyebrow and shake her head? -Yes
Like John, have I had to stop on the highway to retrieve something that has fallen off? -Yes, carefully.
Have I had to re-do an item with better material due to failure of the first? -Yeah, too many times.
And the list goes on, and on, and on. . .

 

[DavidR8]

Like John, have I had to stop on the highway to retrieve something that has fallen off? -Yes, carefully.

Slight edit for my tendencies:
Like John, have I had to stop on the highway to retrieve something that has fallen off someone else's vehicle? -Yes, carefully.