wood.thomas•1mo ago

My side project fixing an old dredge has me questioning control methods.

Hands-on is rewarding, but automation is efficient, where do you stand?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy_owens1mo ago

Classic struggle! Manual feels real, automated scales.

hollycooper1mo ago

Man, you hit the nail on the head. There's something about doing it by hand, like tuning a carburetor or developing film, where you feel every little change. But then you need to get things done for a bigger project and automation just takes over, even if it feels a bit hollow. I miss the connection of the old way, but my time is so split now. It's a real tug of war.

ryanburns1mo ago

Totally feel that. I had the same issue when I was restoring an old motorcycle. Every adjustment was by feel, and it took forever. But for the electrical system, I used a modern diagnostic tool just to save time. Ended up with a mix where the engine tuning was all hands-on, but the tedious stuff got automated. Kept the connection without losing my mind.