Where’s my Dykem blue gone – there’s no need to read this

[Robin GrahamParticipant @robingraham42208]

But despite the warning you are reading aren't you! So you're owed an explanation.

Over the years I've been posting beginner's questions here I've sometimes woken up the next morning embarrassed to find that I actually know the answer – the exercise of formulating the question gets the little grey cells working. It's a long shot I know but maybe if I post this I'll suddenly remember where it is .

If this ruse doesn't work I'll buy another bottle which will certainly result in it turning up almost immediately..

Robin.

[Robin GrahamParticipant @robingraham42208]

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Obvious: It's in that special place you put it so you wouldn't lose track of it…

[Kevin MurrellParticipant @kevinmurrell62078]

Just checked in the workshop, and I have it! Sorry!

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

I once got a phone call from a work colleague, early on a Sunday morning, we were both at home at the time; "Ey up, where's mi car keys?"

Bear in mind we hadn't seen each other since finishing on Friday and I had never been to his house.

"How do I know?" I responded, flummoxed at why he would have called me with such a query.

"Well I've looked everywhere and I just thought you might have an idea"

Back at work on Monday he said he'd found the keys just after calling me so it must have sparked something.

I always say the name of what I'm looking for repeatedly as I'm looking, supposedly focusses your attention on the task according to psychologists.

Regards mick

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Remembering where you used it the last time often helps. You can then ‘visualise’ that job and maybe recall what you did next…. Finding it on its side with the cap nearby is probably the worst scenario.

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

It should be on the glues, paints, solvents and sticky tapes shelf, roughly in line with where that stream of hot swarf comes off the lathe…

pgk

[Tim ChambersParticipant @timchambers76147]

Of course you know it will be in the last place you look!😊

[Gary WoodingParticipant @garywooding25363]

Many years ago, in another life, I was a computer software developer. Programs always contain bugs (errors), especially when they are being developed, and some are incredibly difficult to find and fix. It's even more difficult to fix bugs in programs written by someone else.

Sometimes, after spending fruitless days in trying to fix a bug, it was very helpful to try to describe and justify the mechanism of the program to another person – even somebody who had no programming skills at all. The other person would ask questions, often totally irrelevant, and then, after a relatively short while, the eureka moment occurred and the bug was found.

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by Tim Chambers on 18/04/2019 08:06:04:

Of course you know it will be in the last place you look!😊

So you should always look in the last place first!

Hang on let me think that one through

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Don't know about the Dykem, but the Stewarts Micrometer Blue will be in the zip-lock bag with the wiping rags and the brayers if that's any help.

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

Did you lay a curse on this thread Robin? I just picked up a bottle of blue and the top was loose. Blue floor, blue bench, blue lathe and blue hands.

Brian

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Old friend of mine,with a very untidy shop,always maintained that he had no trouble finding things [which surprised me,somewhat ]

He said "Ti,s simply a question of remembering where you last dropped it "

But,therein lies the problem !!

[John Paton 1Participant @johnpaton1]

No blue language Brian?

Larry, the other ones are where did that little part end up that just flew out on my hands on the grinder and why is that 10BA nut I just vacuumed up by mistake not here in the dust bag contents??

[Maurice Cox 1Participant @mauricecox1]

I think all these lost items are in a parallel universe. I carried a length of chain with a padlock and key into the workshop. The key dropped onto the floor. I put the chain and lock down and went to recover the key. Nowhere to be found. It's probably in the same place as my two airbrushes that also went beyond the ken of man!

Maurice

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Gary Wooding on 18/04/2019 08:21:46:

Sometimes, after spending fruitless days in trying to fix a bug, it was very helpful to try to describe and justify the mechanism of the program to another person – even somebody who had no programming skills at all. The other person would ask questions, often totally irrelevant, and then, after a relatively short while, the eureka moment occurred and the bug was found.

I use that principle, but I find it does little for domestic harmony…

Neil

[peak4Participant @peak4]

I kept on putting stuff in a safe place and could never find it again.
I had this sudden flash of inspiration and bought a small safe off Gumtree.

Problem cured, but where on earth did I hide the key.

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 19/04/2019 00:07:50

[Robin GrahamParticipant @robingraham42208]

After intermittent (but exhaustive, as I thought) searches of the workshop over the last two weeks, and making do meanwhile with Sharpies, it turned up today. Missus asked if I had any metal polishing stuff – well, I might have something in that cupboard labelled 'polishing' I said, and then the Dykem was in there staring me in the face. Onset of senility I suppose. But the ruse worked. This forum obviously works in mysterious ways.

I've always found it easier to debug other people's computer programs and algebra than my own. The brain just goes along the same tramlines with your own stuff.

Robin.

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

"Onset of senility I suppose " Robin if that is the case let me tell you it only gets worse

H

[Douglas JohnstonParticipant @douglasjohnston98463]

The trouble really starts when you forget what it was you were looking for.

Doug

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Posted by Robin Graham on 19/04/2019 02:51:10:

I've always found it easier to debug other people's computer programs and algebra than my own. The brain just goes along the same tramlines with your own stuff.

Robin.

Quite right. In my first job we had to make some fairly lengthy calculations to compute the result for any particular pair of assays. These were always checked by another colleague (and signed off as correct). If any errors were found to have been missed, the checker got the dressing down, not the initiator. Usual calculators, back then, were slide rules (or cylinders) mechanical machines, log tables or a crummy early electronic calculator (that was decidedly inconsistent in it workings)!

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

Lost something in the shop, only 16'x16', never left the room. Did not have time to duplicate the search, so I made a list of all the places I have already searched. Did not label the list so now I know where I have searched , but I forgot what for.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Should be able to find something that size! How big is your shop?

[WatfordParticipant @watford]

Would you believe that I've now lost the shop?

M.

[MeunierParticipant @meunier]

'Lost the shop ? if you think that's bad, my wife tells me I've lost the plot.
DaveD

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