What Sparks Joy? Shop Edition

Here are 31 things that spark joy for those in the precision machining industry:

1. Making things that make a difference.
2. Grabbing the correct wrench, socket or hex key without even looking.
3. Looking at the part and knowing it’s time to change the tool.
4. A new mop.
5. Having three other ideas to try when the “right way” didn’t work.
6. First piece off your setup passes QA.
7. No minors on the audit. (Of course, there were no majors)
8. Perfectly straight hex bars right out of the bundle.
9. Having the right collet, not having to make do.
10. Legible tags.
11. Having a drill ground by ______ for that job that always gives you trouble.
12. Seeing the panic on the boss’s face and being able to say, “Relax, we got this.”
13. Cross shift notes that actually explain what they changed (and why).
14. Seeing the new hire lay out their work space and gages methodically and with purpose.
15. That special tool that you made to …
16. Telling by the sound that you need to …
17. New rags, well-used hand tools.
18. Work instructions that actually make sense.
19. That first job on free machining stock after six weeks of running that Inconel job.
20. Looking at the packaging and knowing that you chose the right supplier.
21. Being asked to take the lead on a project just because.
22. Figuring out a better way to …
23. Clean parts.
24. Crossholes with no burr.
25. Know-how and talent.
26. Hitting your numbers consistently, because that is what you do.
27. Still having a couple of $20s in your pocket the day before payday.
28. A stable process.
29. Seeing that the employee you hired bought themselves good tools.
30. A note on the board that says …
31. Being out in the world and seeing the part that you made making a difference for someone, and they don’t even know it’s there.

What gives you joy? To be continued …

Send your answers to Veronica at vhopson@pmpa.org.