My First Project
Dr. Lewis R. Ireland © 2004, All Rights Reserved.
Introduction
Projects have come into vogue over the past thirty or more years through the
efforts of individuals, organizations, and professional associations. However,
projects were recognized in the 17th Century by Daniel Defoe, An Essay
Upon Projects, 1697, The Scholar Press Limited, Menston, England, 1969. More than
300 years of projects and only in the past thirty years has there been a
lot of progress. Just when I thought my project in the early 1950s was a “first,” I
learn that there were more than 250 years of projects.
While one would not argue that they invented projects, a person could take
credit for advancing the theory, concepts, practices, and techniques. There
have been some wonderful tools developed to help plan, execute, and closeout
projects. I see the advancement in “project management” as being
significant since my first project.
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The Germ of an Idea is Born
As a young lad in the early 1950s, I was challenged by a neighborhood friend
to a cart race down Baker’s Hill. Baker’s Hill was an open field
that had an incline of about 45 degrees for approximately 150 yards and the
hillside was littered with stones ranging in size from small apple to large
watermelon. There was no straight path through all the stones; one could only
hope that some maneuvering around the stones was possible without overturning
or diminishing the forward velocity to an extent that the race was lost.
Having no cart or other vehicle for racing, the requirement was set – build
that cart to win the race. The 1950s were times when money was better spent
on food and clothing than on materials for a cart. The project was without
a budget and schedule. The technical parameters were not stated in a more precise
fashion than “build something to win the race.” Scrounge and beg
were the two major assets that I had for acquiring the materials to build a
cart. I was too poor to buy materials, too proud to quit.
Building the Cart without a Plan
By searching, scrounging, and begging, I was able to acquire (perhaps misappropriate)
the following materials.
•
One 2x10 plank about 7 feet long (used)
•
Two 26-inch bicycle wheels for the rear connected by an axle (had been through
a fire)
•
Garden hose to attached to the large wheels for “tires”
•
Two 8-inch wheels on an axle (probably from a wagon)
•
One nail keg (for mounting on the front to provide some class to the cart)
•
Half a crate (to use as a seat)
•
Various lengths of 2x4 wood
•
Two 1x 3 pieces of wood (for steering control levers)
•
Nails of various sizes and condition
•
Two pieces of bailing wire (for use in the steering mechanism)
•
Two pieces of bailing wire (for use to fasten the garden hose to the rear wheels
as “tires”)
•
One nut and bolt (for the pivot device on the front axle to permit steering)
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One does not build a handsome cart without the proper tools. I “borrowed” the
following tools for the project.
•
One handsaw
•
One claw hammer
•
One pair of pliers
•
One wood drill with bit
My plan was to start with the frame (plank) and add parts to it until it was
complete. As a project manager, I was equipped with everything but profane
words to do the job. Learning the language skills would come along in later
years. Engineering the cart beyond the general approach to “add pieces
until it was complete” was minimal.
Assembling the Cart
The frame (i.e., plank) was a bit short, but would have to do. First, I attached
the rear wheels about six inched from one end of the plank. Securing the
wheels was by means of using nails in the plank and bending them over the
axle. About eight nails seemed right; four on each side of the axle and bent
toward the axle. There was some “play” in the forward and rearward
directions.
Next, I attached the front axle, with wheels included, to a 2x4 about 16 inches
in length. I used the same method proven to work on the rear wheels. Again,
there was some “play” in the movement of the axle. Drilling a hole
in the 2x4 and the frame (plank) near the front, I was able to secure the front
axle assembly to the frame. The axle assembly would swivel to accommodate control
over the direction of the cart when complete.
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The hard work was completed, but the control levers had to be attached to the
frame so they could be operated to steer the cart. Empirical experimentation
showed the use of bailing wire between the front axle assembly and the control
levers to work best when steering was accomplished by pushing on a lever
to move in that direction. Of course, wire between the levers and front axle
required that the operator maintain some tension on the opposing lever to
prevent the front axle from moving too far in a particular direction.
Positioning the nail keg on the front to provide a more robust view, nailing
the seat in a location that accommodated short legs reaching the footrest and
positioning the control levers within reach added significantly to the cart’s
functions. The garden hose was wrapped around each rear wheel to get the right
length. Then, more bailing wire was threaded through the garden hose lengths
and twisted to secure each on a wheel.
The cart was complete except for painting the number “13” on the
nail keg to give it a unique, distinctive look. All other parts were original
bare wood or chipped paint. It was a handsome cart that anyone would be proud
to race.
All the acquisition of materials and building the cart required less than
two weeks. Some experimentation caused delay while the steering mechanism,
for example, was reengineered from a pull lever to a push lever approach. The
tires (garden hose) were difficult to secure to the 26-inch rims because the
bailing wire would not tighten well.
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The Day of the Race
The Saturday after the cart was finished became a day of excitement and the
race with the neighborhood lad was on. Three o’clock in the afternoon
was the appointed time at Baker’s Hill – about three-quarters of
a mile from home. So, a clothesline was attached to cart number 13 for the
trip to Baker’s Hill. It was a long walk, but the anticipation gave me
strength to move at a brisk pace.
Arriving at Baker’s Hill, I saw the assembled crowd of brothers, sisters,
and friends gathered to see the big race between carts. The excitement could
be felt in the way the spectators chatted and commented on the two carts. There
were no adults in sight. The eldest person present was perhaps 15 years old.
At the sound of “GO”, each race cart was given a sound shove over
the edge of the hill. As I looked around for the smoothest path through stones
and over ruts, there was no time to focus on the opposition. Out of the corner
of my eye, the other race cart seemed to be slightly behind, which I attributed
to the smaller wheels that would not roll over the ruts as well. Speed was
increasing and victory was in sight.
The next event that I remember was lying next to the cart and the cart was
bottom up. My opponent was at the bottom of the hill giving a victory yell.
He had won the race and his cart was in one piece. Still, I was unsure of what
happened to cause my cart to upend.
Once my head cleared and a quick inspection was made for blood or broken bones,
I saw the steering cable (bailing wire) on one side had broken allowing the
front wheels to twist to one side. The change in the front wheels caused the
cart to turn sideways to the slope of the hill and gravity did the rest of
the work.
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Summary
In reflecting back on my first project, I learned a lot. A good project manager
can do a lot, but he/she needs some expertise in the field of endeavor. Poor
quality of materials cannot be overcome by faith or hope; there is a minimum
that must be met. Design comes before building – when one has the materials
and budget to meet the design.
Early product testing can avoid some problems and may have identified the
weakness in the steering mechanism.
Lessons Learned
1. An elegant product design is in the eyes of the builder.
2. Holding the hammer with two hands avoids smashed thumbs.
3. Bailing wire is for bailing hay and is a poor substitute for cable or rod.
4. The race does not go to the strongest, but to the one with the better cart.
5. Garden hose makes an adequate substitute for a tire if your dad doesn’t
know who cut up the garden hose.
6. Never invite a crowd to an event unless you are sure of a win.
7. Starting a project without adequate resources can only lead to embarrassment.
Author: Lew Ireland is an executive project management consultant who
resides in Tennessee. He is a Fellow of the Project Management Institute
and served as that organization's President and Chair in 1998. Currently,
he serves as the President of asapm.
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