Life lessons from the workshop and the range

[smstachwick]

…."Don't rush it" is one of the few genuine life lessons from rocketry, one that I've, unfortunately, had to relearn many times….

This was so thought-provoking that I decided it could potentially make a good thread on its own.

What’s one widely applicable skill or lesson that you’ve learned or perhaps imparted to somebody else via rocketry? I can certainly think of a couple on my own.

Here’s my contribution: You are, for the most part, responsible for your own successes and failures. Obviously you can have support if you’re tackling something challenging, but it’s up to you to ask for it, and YOU are ultimately the one who has to deal with the result when you push the launch button.

 

[boomtube-mk2]

I never fail, I just sometimes don't succeed . . . badly.

 

[Lee]

I never fail, I just sometimes don't succeed . . . badly.

Patience and virtue is a proverbial phrase referring to one of the seven heavenly virtues typically said to date back to "Psychomachia," an epic poem written in the fifth century.

 

[DigBaddy]

That "measure twice, cut once" statement is a given. More like measure 30 times...

 

[boomtube-mk2]

Patience and virtue is a proverbial phrase referring to one of the seven heavenly virtues typically said to date back to "Psychomachia," an epic poem written in the fifth century.

Patience may be a virtue, but waiting sucks!

 

[Peartree]

Doing everything in a particular order isn't always important... but sometimes it is.

 

[boomtube-mk2]

Always giftwrap the garbage, that way somebody will steal it and it becomes their problem.

Patience is not a virtue, Patience is the fifth Halliwell sister.

 

[Donnager]

The better your adhesive, the more you should think before you use it.

I tend to spend a good bit of time on large builds thinking about order of operations.

 

[RFMan]

Perfect is the enemy of good enough.

 

[manixFan]

A simple checklist can save even a wise man from a simple mistake.


Tony

 

[dr wogz]

"It's not a race"

"Don't think, make sure"

While you may understand a concept (impulse for instance) it's entirely another animal to put it into practical terms / practice.. Knowing x should be about 10 is a lot easier than proving x =9.82584..

And there is a difference between:
I think
I believe
I know

 

[kuririn]

Don't eat yellow snow.

 

[dhbarr]

Gloves are cheaper than jeans.

 

[Rob Campbell]

Don't store CA next to your eye drops.

 

[rfjustin]

"Go fever" is a costly mistake, even if you only allow it to happen once.

 

[smstachwick]

"Go fever" is a costly mistake, even if you only allow it to happen once.

Being an aviation historian as well, I can name several examples of “get-there-itis” ending in tragedy. It’s an entirely preventable condition too.

No relation to another common condition among rocketeers that I like to call Gear Acquisition Syndrome, or G.A.S.

 

[dvdsnyd]

"Go fever" is a costly mistake, even if you only allow it to happen once.

Was just going to say something along these lines, you beat me to it!
So I'll just "second" it

 

[dr wogz]

"better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it"

"Booze [or other] will get you thru times of no money better than money getting you thru times of no booze [or other]"

"Easier isn't always better" (for methods, procedures, etc..)

Always learn from others, even if they aren't directly teaching you..

There is always someone better / smarter / faster / taller / more agile / prettier / a better shot / etc.. etc... than you.

You are the most important person in your life. Take care of yourself first, others will follow.

 

[prfesser]

"Third best" is almost always good enough. Second best takes too long. And by the time it's perfected...it's obsolete.

 

[dhbarr]

"Third best" is almost always good enough. Second best takes too long. And by the time it's perfected...it's obsolete.

We often say "Go for the Bronze" b/c if you're Gold you have to do literally everything since there's no upper bound, with Silver you may not be sure why you didn't quite make it.

 

[Joekeyo]

No matter how many times you measure it will be off the width of a pencil line. 1/8" on larger projects. Continue not eating yellow snow.

 

[teepot]

Choices you make when you are young can come back to haunt you when your older.

 

[Cape Byron]

"The first coat of primer is only to show how much work you still have to do." - Bruce Lamington

 

[Communist_Phil]

Trust but verify

 

[rocket_troy]

There are some engineering challenges that can't be waved away with brute force & lubrication. - Paul Kelly (in reference to pumping N2O)

 

[rocket_troy]

If failure is not an option, success can get expensive - Peter Stibrany

 

[rocket_troy]

If your spaceships don''t_look like discs, you`re using the wrong technology.- Ken McGoffin.

 

[SwingWing]

In God we trust - all others bring data.

 

[teepot]

In God We Trust. All Others Pay Cash.

 

[gary7]

Don't get too obsessed with any one project.

I know that from too many of my other than 3FNC projects.