Finding Time

"Where do you find the time?"

That's one of the more common questions I'm asked. Probably the best
answer is that I don't watch TV. Oh, we've got one -- great big thing
the kids bought for us, mostly so they could watch the Bowl games when
they come over to visit during the holidays. We watch it too; usually
a rented movie or something like that.

Americans watch a lot of television. Turn the thing off and you will
have 'found' about a thousand hours a year to spend on something
useful.

"What are some of these projects you're always talking about?"

Well... howzabout a landing gear that uses eight wheels instead of
two? Or an ultra-light wing panel that uses banister-rail for spars
instead of aluminum tubing? Or a geodesic fuselage made by winding
1/16" x 3/4" strips of pine in a spiral? Or making 'emergency turn-
buckles' from aluminum extrusion and an AN4 bolt. Or a tail-wheel
'spring' made from the fiberglas handle of a Harbor Freight ax? Or
making pulleys from scraps of 3/8" thick aluminum plate. (Select the
proper diameter and your control-system pulleys only rotate about 90
degrees.)
.....plus a few hundred other things :-)

Right now the hottest thing on the burner is my trying to fabricate a
mock-up of the forward section of the Chugger's fuselage This is
needed so I can make up the engine mount & landing gear legs. But in
the mean time I've had to do some electrical repairs to the house and
replace a broken water pipe. Looming over all is the need to repair
the starter on my 1965 Volkswagen bus. All of this whilst feeding
myself sixty-odd pills a day, a weekly visit to the Vampire Corps and
pretending to enjoy a diet that would make a maggot gag.

Actually, the projects have a lot to do with keeping my spirits up.
They start with an idea then progress to a drawing. Most of them die
right there. But if the drawing sez the idea is possibly it triggers
a search for components: Is it something I can buy? Something I can
make? How much does it weigh? How strong is it? (Determining the
strength of something is always a lot of fun :-)

If the idea survives the initial stages the next step is usually a
model although often times it's more practical to go straight to the
real thing and bolt it to my drop-tester. If it survives that -- and
if it's light enough -- I'll probably write an illustrated article
about it, although most ideas lead you right up to the edge of
success... then let you down for one reason or another. (Some of you
may remember the knee-action landing gear I built. By the time I
found a rubber snubber sufficiently stout to withstand the drop-test
the thing was about ten pounds over weight.)

I don't consider engines to be 'projects' but they do take up a lot of
time. Right now I lack the strength to move them about so my progress
is very limited. But my strength is coming back.

"Man, I don't know where you find the TIME," a visitor said. He
needed a couple of M6 bolts, which I happened to have.

"Turn off your TV," I told him. He gave me a quizzical look then
frowned, as if I'd just told him to murder his wife. Seriously; give
it a try. Virtually all of the stuff on TV is utterly worthless;
someone else's version of reality. (Do you really think it matters
WHO gets elected?)

I prefer my own version of reality :-)

-R.S.Hoover

On Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:03:58 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:


"Turn off your TV," I told him. He gave me a quizzical look then
frowned, as if I'd just told him to murder his wife. Seriously; give
it a try. Virtually all of the stuff on TV is utterly worthless;
someone else's version of reality. (Do you really think it matters
WHO gets elected?)

I prefer my own version of reality :-)

-R.S.Hoover

Bob,

I'm sorry, but the reality of the world would be much better if Al
Gore had been elected, as he should have been in 2000. There would
be many Americans alive today who have died in a needless war.

Steve in Michigan

Bob,

I'm sorry, but the reality of the world would be much better if Al
Gore had been elected, as he should have been in 2000. There would
be many Americans alive today who have died in a needless war.

Steve in Michigan

Sorry Bob that someone wants to turn your post into a political
discussion,
however I'll agree with you. I don't even know most of whats on tv but
if there
is something I want to watch I have a vcr (yes I still use VHS) so I
tape it and
watch when it's too late in the evening to create noise.
I've also found if I just do a little something, no matter what, on
the plane every day,
gets much accomplished. luckily with a wooden plane it works out great
with the gluing.
Lou

On Sep 28, 9:04*am, Lou wrote:
* I've also found if I just do a little something, no matter what, *on
the plane every day,
gets much accomplished. luckily with a wooden plane it works out great
with the gluing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Lou,

Roger that. Indeed, doing SOMETHING EVERY DAY is the 'secret' that no
one believes... until they try it.

No matter how finely you slice it, there is a finite number of steps
between starting and finishing. Do even ONE THING every day and the
number of steps is reduced by one. Make it a habit -- even to
carrying some parts with you if you have to travel, and working on
them during your lay-over -- and your project will progress at a
remarkable rate. (I knew an ATR who did this. It REALLY impressed
his crews. Not only was he older than god, with a career that
stretched from Stinsons to 747's, he was capable of BUILDING HIS OWN
AIRPLANE, should the need arise.)

For those familiar with the procedure One-a-Day isn't a vitamin, it's
a method of construction that GUARANTEES completion in a timely
manner.

-Bob

On Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:03:58 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

"Where do you find the time?"

I have taken the liberty of joining these messages together in a text
document and will be assigning it as required reading tomorrow.

I have given my 11th grade students the assignment of building a
working steam, I.C., air or sterling model engine as a graduation
requirement. I can already see the ones who are "doing something
EVERY day" and the slackers who will be in a frantic scurry next year
as graduation aproaches.

Maybe this will give some of them a jolt of get up and go.

Thanks Bob!


Errol Groff

Instructor, Machine Tool Department
H.H. Ellis Technical High School
Danielson, CT

wrote:

"Turn off your TV," I told him. He gave me a quizzical look then
frowned, as if I'd just told him to murder his wife. Seriously; give
it a try. Virtually all of the stuff on TV is utterly worthless;
someone else's version of reality.

Bob, there is a problem here. Once you do that...turn the stupid box of
and start doing stuff in the real world...you're brain becomes
accustomed to logic, cause-and-effect, limitations of material, motions
and momentum. TV won't be funny anymore. The action scenes will look
silly and cartoonish. People will start to sound STUPID when you hear
them speak. You try to politely and gently correct them at first, but
after a while you just give up and give polite smiles ("No, sorry. I
missed the game," you say, but think, "Why the hell would I be bothered
to watch grown men run around on a grass field chasing a damn ball.")

After a while, you work on the projects not just to get them done, but
as an escape from the stupidity. You're wife is alienated at first.
But the boot-tube isn't as fun without company, so she starts doing
things, too. Before long, you start actually TALKING....TO EACH OTHER!!
One thing leads to another, you actually start liking each other
again, and nine months later there is another interruption in the
airplane building.

You don't know the damage your doing to this earth with your
recommendations. Sheesh! I gotta go check on my cowling layup.

"Ernest Christley" wrote in message
...
wrote:
and nine months later there is another interruption in the airplane building.

Don't worry, after about 30 years of marriage that stops happening...

Vaughn

On Sun, 28 Sep 2008 22:08:59 GMT, "Vaughn Simon"
wrote:


"Ernest Christley" wrote in message
...
wrote:
and nine months later there is another interruption in the airplane building.

Don't worry, after about 30 years of marriage that stops happening...

Vaughn
************************************************** ************

Vaughn

30 years?

I filled the bean jar in 20 and it's still full )

If you don't understand this let me know and I'll explain what my
granddad told me.

Big John