What's your approach to logging when you're shopping a machine?

[Joyride]

I'm working on my second pin (WCS) at the moment - cleaned it up, new ramp, new plastics, new rubbers. My approach has been a lot more organised this time round. Took loads more photos than I did with my previous pin, and have put a spreadsheet together that lists the steps I took to take the machine apart. All the parts are in numbered bags that are referred to in the log. Not too bad, but I'm still finding that some assemblies are proving tricky thanks to a photo not being at quite the right angle, or the narrative in my log being a little too brief.

So I'm wondering - what approach do you take in documenting the disassembly of a machine? What level of detail do you go to? How do you organise your photos? I'm thinking I should put fewer parts in each bag and use way more bags with a detailed description of how to reassemble each bag? How far do you go? Do you write down where every single screw came from? Any tips would be most appreciated as I'm sure my approach could do with a lot of improvement.

Rob

 

[cooldan]

The best tip I read recently was to reattach all screws, bolts and nuts to the piece they were holding after removal.

I also like to use post it notes with numbers on and arrows drawn on, so that I know which photo refers to which step.

Loads and loads of ziplock bags are a must

 

[Calimori]

Do we have any idea who he was dressed up to be?

You can never take enough pictures but I was lucky with my TAF as other than a few poor angle photo's, it went back together rather easily. Until I short circuited it but that was entirely user error.

 

[ronsplooter]

I use the following method:

- Take some pics before you start tearing the thing to pieces (try and get some of the major pf areas plus any things that might need adjusting when you put it back together, STTNG spiral habitrail is a prime example)

- When stripping the top of a machine, start at the apron and work towards the back as much as possible

- As you take something off, take a pic before you remove it and one after (especially if there's more stuff under it)

- For each bit you take off put it in it's own bag with it's screws, nuts etc. Take a pic of it laid out with the screws in the right places and if needs be draw a diagram and put that in the bag with it.

- You should end up with a load of bags with different bits in them and a set of pics that are in the order you took the thing apart

- Clean each bag full of bits and put the cleaned parts back in the bag they came from.

- Putting everything back together is just a case or working backwards through your list of pics one bag at a time.

I'll chuck up some example pics off my laptop in a bit to show the kind of thing I do

 

[ronsplooter]

Some of my shop out pics.....

 

[teachp8]

That's exactly how I do it. Nice thing is working back through the bags putting the whole thing back together. Only came unstuck once when I didn't have a particular shot of the playfield. Thankfully though a process of elimination managed to get things back together without too much bother.

 

[Joyride]

Great post Ronsplooter, thanks for that. I'm going to use your layout photograph method.