$keywords = "tech tips,tech tip,hardware,organization,bench,margarine tub,margarine tubs,egg carton,egg cartons,egg crate,egg crates,Danny Russell";
$title = "Hardware - Where Did Those Bolts Go?";
$tech_tip = '
This is going to sound more like your Mother hounding you to clean
up your room, than a tech tip...  but based on what I see on a
regular basis, it\'s something that needs to be said.

<P>
You amateur techies that are ready to make that big leap to the pro
ranks, need to pay closer attention to the re-installation of ALL
fastening hardware that piece of equipment came in with, before
returning the equipment back to the customer.  This begins with not
losing any of it.

<P>
Therefore it\'s time to learn a new habit:

<P>
Keep three or four empty margarine tubs on your bench.  Whenever you
start a repair and begin removing screws and other fastening
hardware, keep one of the margarine tubs at your elbow, and put the
freshly removed hardware directly into it.  Don\'t be tempted to set
any of the removed hardware on the bench, on the amp, or on the
floor for even for a second.  The reason is that as soon as you look
away, those crafty little "Hardware Trolls" (trade-mark) that live
under the bench and in the back part of old Hewlett-Packard 120b
scopes, rush out and grab a couple of pieces, and you\'ll never see
them again.  Gone.  Sure, you can try putting your head right down
close to the floor so your eyes can get a planar view of the shop
floor surface, but you won\'t see anything.  The screws are gone.

<P>
Occasionally a repair-in-progress needs to be put aside for several
days while the customer mulls over the estimate, or for the arrival
of parts etc.  In the interim, place the hardware-containing
margarine tub (with lid snapped in-place) directly in the chassis.  

<P>
<EM>(I prefer egg cartons to margarine tubs. -ed)</EM>
';

1;