Tomorrow, as some of you stumble out to your garage, or basement, or shop after a night of revelry, to work on your steeds, keep these truths in mind. I did not compose this list, but I find much of it to be true. I don't even look for nuts and washers that roll away anymore, I just pick out another new one; they will show up later -- in a few days or weeks. Have fun in 2025! MikeV

We've all heard of Murphy's famous Law: Everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Well, there are many other related Laws. Here are some:

After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch. -- Lorenz's Law of Mechanical Repair

Identical parts aren't. -- Beach's Law

Any tool, when dropped, will roll into the least accessible corner. -- Anthony's Law of the Workshop

Nothing is as inevitable as a mistake whose time has come. -- Tussman's Law

If it jams, force it. If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway. --Lowery's Law

The solution to a problem changes the problem. -- Peer's Law

There is no mechanical problem so difficult that it cannot be solved by brute strength and ignorance. -- William's Law

Handy Guide to Modern Science:
1. If it's green or it wiggles, it's Biology.
2. If it stinks, it's Chemistry.
3. If it doesn't work, it's Physics.

Machines should work. People should think. -- IBM's Pollyanna Principle:

The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the parts. --Ehrlich's Law

It is a mistake to allow any mechanical object to realize that you are in a hurry.-- Ralph's Observation

If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the next morning you will have a flat tire. -- Cannon's

Thinly sliced cabbage. -- Cole's Law

If you rebuild something often enough, sooner or later you will have 2 of them.

All the best to you all.

Graeme

Happy New Year to all! Great advice, I know this from experience! Lou

Graeme, that is a good one, and it should be added to the list, with credit to you. Graeme's Experience? I can personally attest to the truth in that.

Missing is a comment about spilling one pint of used brake fluid across the garage floor. But I think Peter Egan covered that in Cycle magazine about 10 years ago.

MikeV

Happy New Year to all.
Thanks Mike and Graeme, so true!
I was putting a back wheel on yesterday and have managed to lose a spacer, I will make another and you know the original will suddenly reappear.

Paul

I'm late, as always, I can tell you that I looked for the welding mask for about 10 minutes.....luckily I passed in front of my van and I saw my reflection in the window....and the mask was on my turnip head.

happy new year to all, your friends' posts are always very very beautiful.