It’s helped the 14-year maintenance veteran advance to department manager at the Maytag Corporation plant in Jefferson City, Mo.

It’s also helped him out of tight situations.

“Some of the machinery at our plant has bolts or screws that you can’t see,” says Kolb.  “They’re on the back side of the machine, and that machine is sometimes up close to a wall or another machine.  You can’t see if the item is slotted, Phillips or hex.  And you can’t tell the size of the head.”

To make repairs, Kolb would try several tools before finding the right one to remove the fastener.

“If I lost patience, I’d disassemble the machine to the point where it was visible,” he says.

That was until Kolb put his finger on the problem.

“I first tried it six or eight years ago, and it worked,” he says.  “Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.”

Kolb’s idea?  Get an impression of the head of the bolt or screw.

To do that, Kolb pressed his index finger firmly against the head for five to 10 seconds.  When he removed his finger, he could observe the indentation and identify the type of fastener, and its head or slot size.

“You can use putty or gum or whatever to get that impression, but the good old finger is better,” he says.  “You don’t have to search for it.”

This article appeared in the December 1998/January 1999 issue of MRO Today magazine.  Copyright, 1998.

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