SuzukiSavage.com - "Mechanical sympathy"

MotoBuddha

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"Mechanical sympathy"
08/01/11 at 12:48:33

Way back in my impressionable years, someone used the term "mechanical sympathy" to describe how some people understand how to work on machines without forcing things or otherwise buggering it up in the process. They have finesse, whereas other people can't screw a lid back on a jar without cross treading it. It makes me antsy to watch those without "mechanical sympathy." I just want to jump in and do it for them. Maybe that's their intent.

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 29292 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: "Mechanical sympathy" Reply #1 - 08/01/11 at 12:54:21 No.1 skill of a good mechanic... learning not to break things while you're fixing them... I'm still learning... ...
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drums1 Serious Thumper Offline '87 Savage Bashed--Down for the count Posts: 664 Racine, Wisconsin Gender:	Re: "Mechanical sympathy" Reply #2 - 08/01/11 at 13:10:14 I've snapped +/or boogered up a bolt or 2 in my 24 years working on cars. I gained a degree of sympathy and finesse over the years. As long as I keep my temper in check.....
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: "Mechanical sympathy" Reply #3 - 08/01/11 at 13:56:28 Mechanical sympathy,, interesting term,, & yea, Ive twisted a few off,, & learned a lot about how to avoid it, how to set parts up to make assembly easier, & I guess one of the Uppermost important things that Ive learned is NEver throw anything away until the job is done,, all parts, no matter how mangled, need kept.
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verslagen1

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Re: "Mechanical sympathy"
Reply #4 - 08/01/11 at 15:12:08

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 08/01/11 at 13:56:28:

Mechanical sympathy,, interesting term,, & yea, Ive twisted a few off,, & learned a lot about how to avoid it, how to set parts up to make assembly easier, & I guess one of the Uppermost important things that Ive learned is NEver throw anything away until the job is done,, all parts, no matter how mangled, need kept.

I don't throw it away ever cause I don't seem to f'up the same way twice. So somethin' on 1 mangled up piece of crud may fix another.

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Gyrobob

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Re: "Mechanical sympathy"
Reply #5 - 08/01/11 at 15:29:01

MotoBuddha wrote on 08/01/11 at 12:48:33:

Way back in my impressionable years, someone used the term "mechanical sympathy" to describe how some people understand how to work on machines without forcing things or otherwise buggering it up in the process. They have finesse, whereas other people can't screw a lid back on a jar without cross treading it. It makes me antsy to watch those without "mechanical sympathy." I just want to jump in and do it for them. Maybe that's their intent.

Excellent term. I can relate exactly.

Mechanical finesse? Mechanical aptitude?

There was a fellow student I knew who had none of this,… yet he wanted to work on airplanes.

In three semesters he managed to:
-- Run his finger through a milling machine cutter
-- Drop a large set of shears through a recently completed fabric/stitching/aileron/rib-building project
-- Kick over a nitrogen bottle breaking the top off of it creating a rocket motor that went through a cinder block wall and ricocheted around the next classroom
-- Put his hand over a leak in a 3,000 psi hydraulic system making his palm look like somone had taken a scalpel to it

He was a little short on mechanical sympathy.

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Serowbot

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Re: "Mechanical sympathy"
Reply #6 - 08/01/11 at 16:48:31

Gyrobob wrote on 08/01/11 at 15:29:01:

There was a fellow student I knew who had none of this,… yet he wanted to work on airplanes.

In three semesters he managed to:
-- Run his finger through a milling machine cutter
-- Drop a large set of shears through a recently completed fabric/stitching/aileron/rib-building project
-- Kick over a nitrogen bottle breaking the top off of it creating a rocket motor that went through a cinder block wall and ricocheted around the next classroom
-- Put his hand over a leak in a 3,000 psi hydraulic system making his palm look like somone had taken a scalpel to it

He was a little short on mechanical sympathy.
[/size]

He was a walking You-tube video... Grin

...

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Gyrobob

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Re: "Mechanical sympathy"
Reply #7 - 08/01/11 at 18:27:26

Serowbot wrote on 08/01/11 at 16:48:31:

Gyrobob wrote on 08/01/11 at 15:29:01:

There was a fellow student I knew who had none of this,… yet he wanted to work on airplanes.

In three semesters he managed to:
-- Run his finger through a milling machine cutter
-- Drop a large set of shears through a recently completed fabric/stitching/aileron/rib-building project
-- Kick over a nitrogen bottle breaking the top off of it creating a rocket motor that went through a cinder block wall and ricocheted around the next classroom
-- Put his hand over a leak in a 3,000 psi hydraulic system making his palm look like somone had taken a scalpel to it

He was a little short on mechanical sympathy.
[/size]

He was a walking You-tube video... Grin

...

Curious choice of words,....

One of the professors actually said to his face, "Son, you are a walking tragedy!"

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: "Mechanical sympathy" Reply #8 - 08/01/11 at 22:02:03 From the report you gave, that he was a Walking tragedy sounds like a temporary thing.. Not the guy I'd want for a lab partner..
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