Very true, there often exists a need to balance the budget, the allotted time, AND the compulsion. That's a tough one, and my experience is that a little flexibility in one or more areas is often required. After some years owning my business, I have come to the realization that my interpretation of doing the job "right", isn't always the best fit for every piece of equipment or situation.
Sometimes, good enough is exactly what the customer wants and needs. In many cases, the equipment in question has seen extended heavy use with little to no maintenance involved. When it reaches my shop and the customer informs me to "look it over and do whatever it needs", I just smile. Do they realize that I'm going to see things, components, issues, etc that they never even knew existed? Very likely not. Should I have them sign a blank check and attach it to their workorder, with the promise that I will call them when the machine is brand new again? I suppose I could, but I normally just spend a little additional time talking with them, prioritizing and getting a feel for their concerns.
By doing so, have I done my best, or my best work? I've looked the machine over, made sure it operates safely, and corrected those issues of most relevance towards the desired outcome. And I've taken pains to do my best work, while remaining within the confines of realistic practice for that particular machine and circumstance.
Now if working for oneself, and time and finances are not a hindrance, then the sky may be the limit. And I have seen some amazingly beautiful as well as top notch work come from such endeavors. But I don't believe that such outcomes automatically equate to the best, or only way to achieve perfectly acceptable results. That's what I believe Dennis is still trying to teach me, even after all these years.
