TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:RE: encouraging learning by experimentation? From:KMcLauchlan -at- chrysalis-its -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 10 Dec 2002 12:30:20 -0500
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Lippincott [mailto:richard -dot- lippincott -at- ae -dot- ge -dot- com]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 12:03 PM
[...]
> I think an experienced mechanic would probably think to check
> the size of
> the bolts during disassembly, to see if they were all the same size.
>
> That being said...I think the answer to your question about
> the manual is
> "Yes, it should tell the mechanic to keep track." (The reason why the
> experienced mechanic would think to check first is probably
> the result of
> having learned the hard way, using a manual that didn't have
> the note.)
>
> What I would do is at the beginning of the steps to remove
> the fairings,
> insert a Note that advises the mechanic about the different
> sized bolts.
> Then, in the name of overkill, add five sub-steps to remove
> the fairing
> subsections, and in each sub-step list the length of the
> relevant bolt. That
> way, if the mechanic doesn't remember to keep the bolts sorted (or an
> assistant comes through, trips over a fairing, and sends all the bolts
> flying) it's easier to sort out which bolts go with which fairing.
For the above reason, I would probably include a bordered
text box saying something like:
"Masking tape is your friend.
When you remove a bolt from the assembly, tape it to
the piece that it secured, near the associated hole.
If the bolt was secured by separate nut, with washer(s),
thread those items loosely together before taping.
This will ensure that all of the correct fastener parts
are where you need them, when you need them, during
re-assembly.
Use this method only for short-term disassembly, to
avoid messy tape residue on the fabulous fairing paintwork --
otherwise, tape to hidden surfaces whenever possible."
And if Pantone ever comes out with a "flashing dotted line"
spot color, I'd specify that for the border of my text box.
:-)
Of course, I'd have different suggestions for assemblies
that could be entirely -- and neatly -- laid out within
the confines of a workbench surface. That would generally
exclude something as large as a fairing.
/kevin
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Order RoboHelp X3 in December and receive $100 mail in rebate, FREE WebHelp
Merge Module and the new RoboPDF - add powerful PDF output functionality
to RoboHelp X3. Order online today at http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l
Check out SnagIt - The Screen Capture Standard!
Download a free 30-day trial from http://www.techsmith.com/rdr/txt/twr
Find out what all the other tech writers, including Dan, already know!
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.