> -----Original Message----- > From: pic microcontroller discussion list > [mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of Nigel Goodwin > Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2001 02:23 > To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU > Subject: Re: [OT]: What makes an engineer > > > In message <3AD7DE4D.63AD1FF0@bellsouth.net>, Chris Cox > writes > > When I got out of the service in '65, my first job was with Western > >Union in Boston. They assigned me to a bench to modify some old > >(EVERYTHING in WU was old, furniture from 20's and 30's, ancient tube > >equipment, etc.) tube device I forget the function of. I had almost no > >soldering experience. They had these huge American Beauty soldering > >irons with hot dog size barrels and pencil size tips. The wiring ranged > >from 22 to 10 gauge stranded and conditions were VERY jammed and crowded > >in the box. I had placed my iron in it's tip cradle and was looking in > >the box and trying to hold a 10 gauge piece, with a mind of it's own, in > >a very tight spot. Now the American Beauties were very old and had the > >ancient heavy cloth covered cord plugged into a strip on the back of the > >bench. The cord had slipped the iron back a little. While looking in the > >box I reached for the iron and grabbed the barrel full grip, all fingers > >and palm firmly wrapped. You didn't hold these irons like a pencil, you > >held them like a baseball bat. > > It's a normal reaction to try and catch something if you drop it, after > a few years you lose this reaction when you drop a soldering iron :-). I agree with that one! Now I just watch WHERE it falls, unfortunately I've started doing that with other stuff... :( TTYL -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.