Failure Is An Option
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Figure 1 – Repaired Aluminum Wand |
 Figure 2 – Failed Leak Repair |
 Figure 3 – Successful Leak Repair |
Have you ever had a problem that you were unable to solve? . . . Don’t you lie to me! Of course, that has happened. Although failure can be frustrating and disappointing, I think it’s a healthy option to simply accept the fact that you cannot succeed at everything you attempt. That scenario occurred recently when a leak appeared in the coiled hose that LaVille loves. (Not my sentiments, by the way.)
Since I had had success stopping the leak in an aluminum spray wand using epoxy (Fig. 1), I tried the same technique on her hose spreading an ample amount of epoxy over the area before taping. I was so sure it would work that I laid out the materials to be included in the photo (Fig. 2) for your information. I use JB Weld Epoxy so frequently that I just leave it out on my work bench.
Note in the photo that I mix the epoxy on a sticky pad with a toothpick and then simply tear off a sheet the next time I do a repair. Good idea, huh? Anyway, since both the electricians’ tape and epoxy were flexible, I thought the mend would work. Nope. Well, I thought a perfectly acceptable option would be to simply buy another hose, but when I attempted to uncouple the hose, it was really frozen at a union with mineral deposits. So, after that failure, I attacked the leak again with a tightly wrapped strip of bicycle inner tubing and a hose clamp (Fig. 3). The fix was a success this time, but only after failures.
I guess I’m sending a mixed message. I was willing to accept failure and go buy another hose, but the failure to be able to do that forced me to fight on until success was reached. In any case, I encourage you to think about using JB Weld for your repairs. and do your mixing on a sticky pad. But whatever problem you attempt to solve, be willing to accept failure as an option.
Stan, The Sometimes-Failing Man
