Confessions from quality control - The Frontera factory
Discussion
The Crack Fox said:
Yup, as per the description on KickStarter "a message from the author". If you'd rather me not sign it, no problem, just let me know. I'm amazed at the amount of pre-orders, genuinely amazed. I'll be licking stamps for weeks!
The first stamp will be the last ... they're self-adhesive now 
The Crack Fox said:
I've added a couple of chapters this weekend. A bit more on the kind of people I came across. I'd forgotten what loonies some of these people were. 
I've ordered a copy for my Dad, he used to work in Quality Control for a parts supplier. One morning (he worked nights) he didn't come home. Mum was a little bit worried. Phoned the factory (regular reception) and asked to speak to him - "No, he's not here, why do you ask?". Now very worried. She dug out the number for the Managing Director (didn't mess around, my mum), got through to his PA and demanded to know when my Dad had clocked off. Turned out there had been a batch of dodgy parts and a newbie manager had taken my Dad to go over to the car manufacturer's assembly line (100+ miles away) to check each one individually (no idea how using a hand-held vernier would help compared with the fully calibrated CMM machine they had supposedly been through, but there you go). This was in the days before mobile phones and my Dad had been abandoned at the plant by newbie boss and left checking the batch of parts. No money, no food, no phone ...
Not entirely sure how they retrieved him.
The Crack Fox said:
I set the finish date for backing (pre-orders) at 1 month. I hit target in 8 hours!
There are already twice as many backers as I hoped for. Thank you all!
I attempted to "pledge" a tenner on Friday at work but couldn't remember my CVV from my card (the sixteen digit number I could though?) Obviously the card was declined. On Sunday I got a call from the bank to say someone in Brooklyn where Kickstarter is based had tried to use my card in a cash machine! There are already twice as many backers as I hoped for. Thank you all!
When I get my new card through the post I'll have another crack at it.
I recall a little snippet of QC b
ks from when I did a student summer job at Longbridge in 1998; I was handed a crumpled piece of paper that bore the legend 'R3 variable window regulator gap' and a statistically ropey record of it happening over the last 6 months and dispatched to the door assembly line to work out why it was happening. Five minutes looking at the door cards in the transport pallets told me what was happening so I buggered off to the canteen for an early lunch to brainstorm how to a) sort the problem, b) make me look cleverer than I was to Big Jeff in QC and c) avoid having to interact with the comedians who were in charge of quality at the door card supplier.
The 'variable window regulator gap' was controlled, or rather not controlled, by a donut of that weird foam made up of lots of little bits of foam bonded together; the 3 door versions were supposed to have ~50mm thick donuts and the 5 door had ~25mm, but whoever or whatever had the scintillating job of glueing them on had either got bored following instructions or had not been fed the right donuts. Given the crumpled paper indicated QC hadignored examined the problem for 6 months I suspect it may feasibly have existed since R3 production started in 1995.
Big Jeff was sufficiently impressed with this dazzling display of my inner QC ninja that I was rewarded with a week of entering stats into excel.
ks from when I did a student summer job at Longbridge in 1998; I was handed a crumpled piece of paper that bore the legend 'R3 variable window regulator gap' and a statistically ropey record of it happening over the last 6 months and dispatched to the door assembly line to work out why it was happening. Five minutes looking at the door cards in the transport pallets told me what was happening so I buggered off to the canteen for an early lunch to brainstorm how to a) sort the problem, b) make me look cleverer than I was to Big Jeff in QC and c) avoid having to interact with the comedians who were in charge of quality at the door card supplier.The 'variable window regulator gap' was controlled, or rather not controlled, by a donut of that weird foam made up of lots of little bits of foam bonded together; the 3 door versions were supposed to have ~50mm thick donuts and the 5 door had ~25mm, but whoever or whatever had the scintillating job of glueing them on had either got bored following instructions or had not been fed the right donuts. Given the crumpled paper indicated QC had
Big Jeff was sufficiently impressed with this dazzling display of my inner QC ninja that I was rewarded with a week of entering stats into excel.
Thanks all signed up for autographed copy all the way to sunny Brisbane. Wonder how far the book has gone and if im the furthest? I served my time in early 80,s Nuclear industry but had many friends work in UK manufacturing. Loved the storys to date.
Cant wait to get my copy. Keep up the good work.
Cant wait to get my copy. Keep up the good work.
The Crack Fox said:
hidetheelephants said:
Thinking about it again I recall someone in a meeting commenting that 'anyone poor/mean enough to not spec electric windows deserved crappy fit and finish'.
Love that attitude! In the book I write about a lazy Italian subcontractor to Fiat who produced wiring looms. I pointed one out, with a 'QC approved' stick on, that was clearly broken. The QA boss looked at me like I was mental and said "Eees onlee for-a Fee-at!"
f
ksakes 
Pledged even the snippets had me creasing..
Gonna read it, Then lend it to my old man sorry about being a tightwad.
Just got all sad though, I would of loved to be able to of lent it to my grandad who passed a few months back,
He was an ex coal miner who used to enjoy telling me stories of cut and shuts he made (Well it was the 70's) or various wrangles on the steelworks he'd of loved reading about tefal!
Cant fooking wait for it!!
Gonna read it, Then lend it to my old man sorry about being a tightwad.
Just got all sad though, I would of loved to be able to of lent it to my grandad who passed a few months back,
He was an ex coal miner who used to enjoy telling me stories of cut and shuts he made (Well it was the 70's) or various wrangles on the steelworks he'd of loved reading about tefal!
Cant fooking wait for it!!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff