Saturday, March 24, 2007

A model bathroom


This photo arrived in a sale ad recently, alongside a hair dryer-wielding model and a trash can and tissue box set. I won't be buying this set anytime soon, though. Do you see what's wrong here?

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Authenticity



Direct from the green mountains of Belgium?

Saturday, March 03, 2007

A quick sketch

It is quite common, when specifying an off-the-shelf part for use in a larger machine, to obtain a data sheet and even a 3D model from the supplier. Once in awhile, a supplier doesn't publish a good drawing. Lately, I called one. The switch was reasonably well documented, but there was a sheet metal bracket with not even a sketch, and I needed to know where to put the mounting holes on a panel.

The person I talked to said there really wasn't a drawing of the bracket. The thing was a bent rectangle of sheet metal with three holes in it so he simply described it to me over the phone.

I had to model it anyway, so when I was done, I tossed the model into an empty drawing and added the half dozen or so dimensions needed to describe it completely. Within about 10 minutes of our phone call, I sent him a copy to confirm that I had the geometry right.

He replied that he went and shook the drawing at his engineers while giving them an earful about not having done it yet and added, jokingly, "You're hired."