"Swingman" wrote

It's why I like having a fractional caliper that can easily fit in a
pocket.

Reminds me of a very formative experience of mine many years ago.

While I was in my 20's, I started metalworking. I have already been doing
woodwork for a number of years. I used to go to this salvage yard. It had
a bit of everything. I would crawl through the boxes and warehouses full of
fascinating materials and scheme on how I could convert them to something
useful for my purposes. It took that junkyard thing I learned growing up on
the farm to a whole 'nother level. I bought all kinds of things from them.
Tools, teflon metal, plastics, cable, pulleys, industrial plywood, paints,
consumables and even some kitchenware.

I always carried calipers to measure the thickness of anything I bought. I
always had a tape measure on my belt. I just thought it was the way to do
it. I had a question, one day, about some stock sitting in a bin. I went
over to the guy who works there and asked him about the item in question.
He answered my question and referred to me as a "professional". I was
shocked. I had only been working with metal for a few months and certainly
did not consider myself to be a professional just yet. So I asked him why
he called me a professional.

He gave me this little presentation, from a guy who works in the salvage
yard perspective, as to why he referred to me as a professional. "I see
these guys come in here al the time and buy things. A lot of times they
come back and complain. We are a salvage yard. This is recycled stuff.
The materials vary widely in hardness and thickness. You have to be careful
of what you buy. I have guys come in here and buy a $100,000 worth of stuff
and return it because it wasn't the right thickness. I see these guys in
here in fancy suits. I don't trust them. Only about one guy in twenty
carries calipers. I never have any problem with those guys. You come in
here and measure everything. You are very careful. You are not a big guy
obviously. You don't buy that much. But everything you do is careful and
precise. I am sure your work is good. I know I will not have any problems
with you. And in my mind that makes you a professional."

My chest swelled with pride. I never forgot that little talk he gave me. I
have calipers everywhere. In all the vehicles. In my office. In the shop.
And a tape measure laying along side of it. It just seemed natural for me
to verify the thickness of anything I build with. Be it metal, wood.
plastic or whatever. How can you possible expect to do a good job joining
different material together if you don't know their exact size? As pointed
out to me by a kind salvage yard guy, it is the "professional" way to do
things.