Apprentice asked me why I check the same measurement three times and I had no good answer

I was setting up a tight tolerance part last Tuesday and this kid watched me measure the same bore three times with a micrometer before I was satisfied. He asked if I didn't trust the tool or myself and I realized I've been doing it out of habit for 10 years without thinking. Has anyone else had a junior operator point out something simple that made you question your routine?

2 comments

2 Comments

ellis.susan12d ago

Habit is a weird thing man, it just takes over without you even realizing it. The kid asking that probably made you actually think about why you do it for the first time in a decade. I've had similar moments where someone young calls me out on something and I'm left there like "uh, because that's how we've always done it" which sounds dumb when you say it out loud. Checking three times is probably just your brain's way of being extra sure when the part matters, even if the first two times were fine. Once something becomes muscle memory you stop questioning it until some fresh eyes come along and point out the obvious.

tessa36811d ago

You ever stop and think about how much of our work is just straight up superstition dressed up as experience? I mean come on, we all do it. Checking the same measurement three times is basically a ritual at this point, like knocking on wood before a big cut. Your apprentice called you out because they haven't learned the fear yet, the fear of a part being a thousandth off and having to scrap it. The truth is, that third check isn't for accuracy, it's for your own sanity. You just wanted to be absolutely sure before you committed, which is totally fair. But yeah, it is kind of funny when a kid makes you realize you've been doing a little dance for a decade without knowing why.