TIL that rivet gun I've been using for 3 years was set wrong the whole time

Was at a small repair shop in Phoenix last Friday helping a buddy swap out a wing panel and he showed me the adjustment on the back I never touched. Anyone else find out they've been doing a basic thing wrong for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

karen3611mo ago

Happened to me with a torque wrench about a year back. Realized the click sound was actually the tool slipping because I had it set too loose. Turns out I'd been over tightening everything thinking I was doing it right. The weird part is how your brain just accepts the feedback you're getting as normal even when it's clearly wrong. Makes me wonder how many other tools or everyday things I'm using wrong without knowing. The worst part is the feeling you get when you realize you could have avoided a bunch of problems if you'd just read the manual or watched a video.

spencer9811mo ago

The rivet gun thing hits hard. I spent two years using a soldering iron with the wrong tip because I thought the one it came with was the only option. My joints looked like garbage and I blamed myself the whole time. Then a guy at the electronics shop just handed me a different tip and everything clicked. Felt like an idiot for that long.