Do you suffer from "Quality Creep"?

Guilty as charged, and proud of it. It’s why I called it my junkyard welding cart because almost all of it was repurposed. Most of my acquisitions happen on my daily dog walks. The start of the walk is along Pecho rd that is the only road into Montana de Oro State Park so very often I find hardware and pieces that fall off the cars, RV’s, motor cycles and bicycles. Found bolts, a good chunk of Delrin, quick releases of bikes, a small sand bag, even a high end digital camera! Found this yesterday. Don’t know what I’ll use it for but it was just cool to leave it. Looks like the whole tensioner for a serpentine belt.
 

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I suppose I had better confess to having had the firm that does MOT car inspections (a UK thing) keep the old, now replaced, anti-sway bar for me. I didn't know that an anti-sway bar could become junk, but apparently it can. Something to do with worn bushing ends, it seems. My thoughts were that anti-sway bar is steel, and it's springy stuff too. Better hang onto it!

I had no idea whether such steel is ever good for anything, and it is only in this company that I would admit to having indulged in something very close to "skip diving", which is a Brit expression equivalent to "dumpster raiding", This for steel to be hoarded toward a non-specific purpose, undefined for the present! :guilty:
 
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graham-xrf said:
I suppose I had better confess to having had the firm that does MOT car inspections (a UK thing) keep the old, now replaced, anti-sway bar for me. I didn't know that an anti-sway bar could become junk, but apparently it can. Something to do with worn bushing ends, it seems. My thoughts were that anti-sway bar is steel, and it's springy stuff too. Better hang onto it!

I had no idea whether such steel is ever good for anything, and it is only in this company that I would admit to having indulged in something very close to "skip diving", which is a Brit expression equivalent to "dumpster raiding", This for steel to be hoarded toward a non-specific purpose, undefined for the present! :guilty:
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When I was twisting wrenches for a living it was dilemma. I got to where I was just saving the cool bits and bobs. As storage got out of hand Mac Tools came up with these little trays that were made to go on top of a drawer, so there ya go. They still reside there and every place I ever worked guys checked with me first if they needed a parts that just was not available and would also give me their cool stuff. These trays have saved the day too many times. This is my effort to start organizing 50yrs of saving hardware.
 

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Karl_T said:
As an engineer i have a far better term: Creeping Elegance
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You do have a point.
In making something, it can end up looking quite simple, and yet it works incredibly well, and "looks right". That during the making of it, there were possibly several re-makings of it, but on the way, the quality creep set in with refinements maybe not obvious in just a quick glance.

There are bits in my lathe re-build that nobody will see again without a stripdown, but I know they are in there, over-engineered, and I feel good about it!
 
C-Bag said:
When I was twisting wrenches for a living it was dilemma. I got to where I was just saving the cool bits and bobs. As storage got out of hand Mac Tools came up with these little trays that were made to go on top of a drawer, so there ya go. They still reside there and every place I ever worked guys checked with me first if they needed a parts that just was not available and would also give me their cool stuff. These trays have saved the day too many times. This is my effort to start organizing 50yrs of saving hardware.
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You hurt your case for "Hobby Machinist Tightwad of the Year", because of the value in how many times they saved the day, but I have to be impressed that your cheapskate saving of bits and bobs required such exceptional classy storage!

Kind of like providing a special outbuilding to stash the trash bins!
 
Packard V8 said:
After fifty years of accumulating tools and spares of every description, I now count it as a serious personal failing if I have to go to the hardware store.
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Ditto here. A run to the hardware store will cost at least one gallon of fuel, depending on the vehicle selected.
I've had 'acquaintances' who stop by to have something repaired only to question 'why' do I have two cabinets full of fasteners and hardware.
"Why don't you just go to the store and buy it when you need it?" - say what?
 
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