How Did Yer Learn?

[bidkev]

Thought this might be an interesting topic.

How did you learn to do all the things required to keep your car, boat, trailer etc in good order?

Being in the forces at age 15 and never having a dad to learn these things from I have always struggled with maintenance. I'm a "visual learner", that is, show me something a couple of times and there's a good chance that I will retain that knowledge. Give me a text book or manual, and I'm bloody hopeless. OTOH, if I simply pluck up courage and get stuck into something basic, without any assistance (try and figure it out for myself), I can often get it right, albeit at a slow pace and with a bit of frustration and "effing and blinding" :-)

The boating chat area has been an immense help to me since I came here, and it has encouraged me to tackle a couple of jobs that I otherwise wouldn't have undertaken myself. I've just finished installing a dual battery system and am undertaking complete replacement of all my keel rollers. I would never have thought to look for bent roller bars if I hadn't posed a roller question and was told to look for this. Actually, only one of the bars is bent but the rear two of the double roller brackets are actually twisted causing the bars to stick, and need replacing. I'm assuming the previous owner must have done this by driving onto the trailer and not hitting the trailer centrally. Even raising the boat to get at the rollers was an acheivement for me :-) Used the Paj bottle jack and a block of timber to spread the weight......still a bit worried about breaking the boat 's keel though. Pretty basic to you guys I suppose. One of the things I've learned since coming to Oz is that Aussies are pretty good at this kind of stuff......back in the UK they even pay to have their wheel bearings changed when they put their engines in to service.

So how do *you* learn stuff?

cheers

kev

[notts_so]

I learnt by fishing in other peaples boats and taking note on all the things they done differently. I guess it pays to be observant by the way nice boat kingtin

[MY-TopEnder]

Learnt how to work on the car buy being too tightass to pay someone to fix it. Did some minor things on my first car but then when i bought the VS i was forced to learn fast. It was smashed up a rock wall so fixed that myself (no insurance for an L plater i was teaching), and then an alternator blew so again trial and error. Most important thing i learnt there.... when you have a 6ft long belt that has a path it MUST take, take note of it. 2 hours i spent trying to work it out.

As for the boat, i'm still learning.

I'm hopeless reading manuals they just piss me off so i just start the job and worst case scenario.. everything can be fixed/replaced.

[bidkev]

I learnt by fishing in other peaples boats and taking note on all the things they done differently. I guess it pays to be observant by the way nice boat kingtin

Yeah, it pays to have an open mind. I suppose that comes with age (in my case) , although the old dog new tricks adage infers it isn't so. When I was younger I always thought *my* way was the best......coming unstuck a few times soon taught me different :-)

With regards to the boat. I can see how professional skippers "fall in love".....she's really growing on me :-)

cheers

kev

[bidkev]

<snip>

I'm hopeless reading manuals they just piss me off so i just start the job and worst case scenario.. everything can be fixed/replaced.

How yer doin' with the car mate? Shame you had to let the camera go. Look on the bright side...they've just brought a 4 pixel out for the same money......and next month?..who knows? Maybe later eh?

cheers

kev

[MY-TopEnder]

Yeah the car is ok, it had its moments on Friday but that could have been my hung over state making it seem worse than it really was. The camera went for below retail but it sold none the less and the money is safely tucked away for a whole heap of gear for my hervey bay trip.

Funny you should mention the camera actually... thats the only bloody manual i had to read... and by the time i did understand it i had to sell up.

I saw the 5500 was released actually... i should have known that a higher MP version wasn't far off.

[bidkev]

Yeah the car is ok, it had its moments on Friday but that could have been my hung over state making it seem worse than it really was. The camera went for below retail but it sold none the less and the money is safely tucked away for a whole heap of gear for my hervey bay trip.

Funny you should mention the camera actually... thats the only bloody manual i had to read... and by the time i did understand it i had to sell up.

I saw the 5500 was released actually... i should have known that a higher MP version wasn't far off.

Glad to hear you've got the car sorted. As for the 5500.....story of my bloody life.......they're selling at the same price as the 5000! Still looking for a wide angle for the 5000........they make the fish look bigger if you move close up :-)

cheers

kev

[-spiro-]

Self taught alot of things. I broke alot of things learning to, but when you have to pay for what you brake the saying "take your time" means alot. My step father carn"t even change his plugs in the car, so you can imagine what he taught me f@#$%all. Over the years i've learnt about rebuilding motors and fixing cars aswell as alot of building labouring so i get by fine in most tasks at home. One thing i do now with my 6 year old is get him intrested in jobs i do around the house and dont forget the boat. At least he wont struggle.

[Dug]

Don't sweat the camera too much the the 5000 was the "super ccd" system 3mp but had a file similar to a 6mp the new one is just a straight 4mp so no real or loss just a cosmetic change for the sake of change. The " super CCD " system was too difficult to explain to customers anyway.

As for learning thing I could not read or write when I got chucked out of school ( it amazes me it was my fault for not learning not their fault for not teaching me) so I just picked things up as I went along. 7 years in the RAAF was great for learning photography and a lot about life, but then they found out bout my lack of writing skills and chucked me out.

So I just learn what I can from whoever will teach me anything, you get the best lessons from the strangest people. Talk to anyone and be open to new ideas and new ways of thinking the some of the most ignorant and stupid people I ever met worked at the university. ( I worked for 16 years at a uni untill they wanted to bring in computers and I had to tell them about my reading and writing skills or lack of them... Guess what.... out again:-)

(I'm dyslexic so doing things like writing stuff here is teaching me how to write and I love spell checker it does not hit me or tell me I'm stupid or have made the same mistook 7,000 times in a row:-)

[bidkev]

<snip>
(I'm dyslexic so doing things like writing stuff here is teaching me how to write and I love spell checker it does not hit me or tell me I'm stupid or have made the same mistook 7,000 times in a row:-)

)) Nice one Dug :-))

My best mate's ......well, my only mate in real life....I don't get out much....is dyslexic. There's nothing he can't turn his hand to though, and I've learned a lot of things off him. OTOH, he's learned a few things off me (like how to catch vermin) :-) He seems to manage a little easier with reading upper case though. It amazes me how much he knows/has learned, when he can't even read a manual.

I have probs in certain areas such as face recognition.....I don't recognise people out of context ie I'll recognise a teacher at school but not if I meet her elsewhere.....causes me all sorts of probs. People think I'm an ignorant bastard when they say "g'day" then go into a conversation and I look at them thinking "who the hell is this?" :-) Can't imagine what it'd be like struggling with dyslexia though, especially as an adult. I'm full of admiration for those who get by with it.

cheers

kev

[bidkev]

<snip>
One thing i do now with my 6 year old is get him intrested in jobs i do around the house and dont forget the boat. At least he wont struggle.

That's the way to go Spiro. The sooner the better. early learning by watching is great for the kids........If we get it right, they can take the weight off us when we get older :-)

cheers

kev

[blaze]

Hi Kingtin
I think some people are born to it and learn easily, I am a deisel mechanic by trade and rebuilt my first engine (lawnmower) when I was 8 under the watchful eye of dad. I was also a bit of a watch and learn, but I do think you do need to read manuals and understand them (I hate that) because it will save you money in the longterm.
I also think that you need to be annoying and ask lots of questions and dont be afraid of offering an opinion, but when doing that have a valid reason for that opinion, it may be wrong but it will open discussion and even people that have been in the game as long as i have, still have lots of room to learn
cheers
blaze

[BigE]

aussie's are resourceful bunch i think it comes from our rural background and living on one of the harshes countries on the planet. if you get stuck in the bush you fix it with what you got or die. i think we learnt more from the aborignals than we think. although i believe this culture in australia is changing, with all our tin lids moving into the cities to find work/lifestyle. i think their becomming dependent's needing someone to do everything for them.

[notts_so]

My best mates fathers got a great saying. (listen to me and suit your self) I use it on my own kids now.

[Dug]

Dyslexia has its moments Kev but there is the good news If I could read and write I would probably be a lawyer or something as it is I decided "well if i can't read or write I'll take photos for a living" the moneys not great but it a hell of a lot of fun (see the shots on the Bloody Wind topic:-) I get to go places and see thing others rarely get to see ( even if I'm not allowed to touch them)

I love going to work and when I do get a good commercial shoot I get about $1,500 a day + expenses, so if I work a couple of weeks ever year :-) You have to like that, not bad for a kid who got chucked out of school for being dumb.

If you have kids spend time with them it is the most valuable thing you can do no amount of money or things can replace just spending time doing things, anything. If they have dificulties at school don't hassell then too much there are a lot of things to do in the world that are more impotrtant than book learning and making a lot of money.

that my rant for today [smiley=laola.gif]