Workmanship or OCD

[ians]

I was reading a blog about people who go over the top and I realised oooops but I do that. I am referring to making sure all the screws on the switches, DB covers etc are all in line vertical or horizontal, I prefer vertical.

I also do Silly things like when I finish wiring a DB, I take my screwdriver machine and loosen the torque a little then start at the top and tighten every single circuit breaker, then I check them manually with a screwdriver and sometimes just before I fit the cover randomly check them again.

When I chase the walls I use a level or a chalk to mark the walls so that the cuts are straight, all cuts are vertical or horizontal on the line.

I am told this is a disorder, just imagine if they found out I was also left handed too 😜

[Mike C]

You are the kind of professional that I appreciate. Keep it up.

[adrianh]

You would be OCD if you were to retighten every screw exactly 5 times and clean the DB board exactly 3 times and measure the length of each wire exactly 4 times and strip each wire exactly 7 times. Being OCD seems to be characterized by rituals that are formed by very specific numbers or repetitive behaviours. Behaviours like washing your hands all the time or counting things that don't need to be counted.

As you can see there is a big difference between being thorough and being OCD. People that are thorough tend to be ANAL because they will not let things slide where people who are OCD will happily do the wrong thing over and over again.

[Justloadit]

To me this is the mark of a professional, who takes responsibility for any work performed. It also tells me that there is care and that thought is used when doing any work, and in my books means that I can trust the equipment that has been serviced or manufactured. Some professionals take offense when you do a check on their work done for you, they may feel that you do not trust them or that they are inadequate, however we are all human, and a simple mistake can cause a huge loss to all, and believe me there have been a few times that something was missed by the professionals, and when they see it, they just say 'oh, I missed that', but who takes responsibility when something goes wrong?

I also like to have straight lines where holes are concerned, or cut lines or whatever, I love to see clean symmetrical patterns too when there are groups of screw which are holding equipment on panels or boards. it just makes the completed job look so much better, in fact people who know nothing about what you have done, simply just get a feeling that all is well and in good order. It simply just feels right.

All this checking boils down to safety for future users. Heard a story yesterday where a safety officer fell to his death on an overhead crane some years back, because the gantry screws were not tightened properly, and the nuts fell off with vibration during the testing, and as he stepped on it to check, it gave way.

[Justloadit]

What I found in the past, when doing a job, and I get interrupted for what ever reason, by the time I get back, I have forgotten what I was doing and where I was at the point before the interruption, with out the double check, certain tasks were not completed, although visually they do look complete.

Another point in which mistakes and errors creep up, is when you are under pressure to complete a job faster than you would normally do it, you then tend to overlook some of the double checking, and wham bam, that's when the sh!t hits the fan. I now tend to get the urgency out of my head when working under these conditions, and tend to be more alert to what I am doing due to the reduction in the checking procedure.

[wynn]

I was reading a blog about people who go over the top and I realised oooops but I do that. I am referring to making sure all the screws on the switches, DB covers etc are all in line vertical or horizontal, I prefer vertical.

I also do Silly things like when I finish wiring a DB, I take my screwdriver machine and loosen the torque a little then start at the top and tighten every single circuit breaker, then I check them manually with a screwdriver and sometimes just before I fit the cover randomly check them again.

When I chase the walls I use a level or a chalk to mark the walls so that the cuts are straight, all cuts are vertical or horizontal on the line.

I am told this is a disorder, just imagine if they found out I was also left handed too ��

You are AROC (Anal Retentive Obsessive Compulsive) do you also check the door is locked a number of times before you leave the house or car?

[Dave A]

At least you don't use a torque wrench when you tighten the screws...

[Justloadit]

At least you don't use a torque wrench when you tighten the screws...

Jokes aside, but there is a reason for torquing the bolts, especially the big stuff, over tightening can strip the threads, or worse, the bolt snaps, off course under torquing the bolts leads to hot joints due to expansion and contraction forces.

[mikilianis]

Very impressive ians considering that you are a lefty but on the other hand I would also be cautious if I were a lefty,

[ians]

😀 bust,I had to laugh when i read your post. Sometimes I turn and go back to my workshop to make sure the gate is closed, as i get older it happens more often.

[AndyD]

At least you don't use a torque wrench when you tighten the screws...

We started using torque screwdrivers a few years ago for assembling control panels. Most terminations do have maunfacturers recommended torque settings.

If the circuit breakers in domestic DB boards have recommeded tightning torques general sparkies should really be using them.

[Justloadit]

We started using torque screwdrivers a few years ago for assembling control panels. Most terminations do have maunfacturers recommended torque settings.

If the circuit breakers in domestic DB boards have recommeded tightning torques general sparkies should really be using them.

Have you any specs on these screw drivers?
Where do you purchase them?

[ians]

They are available, at a hefty price. One of the problems with using screwdrivers, most people don't know the difference between a PH and PZ which is why you find so many stripped screws and you can't torque a stripped screw.

Bottom line, you would need to educate people about the difference between PH and PZ first, then all electrical components would require the torque setting printed on the device. I would be all for it, but in the real world, not gona happen.

[skatingsparks]

Nothing wrong with any of that. I do the screws vertical thing. Not because of OCD but if someone else comes along and tinkers with things you have done, you know. Also takes just as long to cut and chase a straight line as it does to do a rough, wonky one.

[AndyD]

Have you any specs on these screw drivers?
Where do you purchase them?

I got them from RS Components. They're either Wiha or Wika, I can't remember offhand TBH but I'll get the info tomorrow when I'm in the workshop. I have a couple of them, one for the lighter torques and one for the heavier torques.