I had planned to revise one of those roof racks for my new solar panel array…
So the best one went into the trailer…
But the more I got into it the more it seemed like one of those lazy expedients I was going to wish I’d worked harder to avoid.
It’s too small for four panels, it’s got worse weather damage than anticipated and frankly I’m a better carpenter now than I was seven years ago. I could make it work, but it really didn’t seem like such a hot idea. Its only virtue was that it was already built, and I didn’t want to start from scratch. Lazy.
Then yesterday afternoon while my bread dough was rising, I went out to the yard to empty the Jeep trailer. And you know…
I not only have four highly experienced but serviceable solar panels…
I also have more than enough racking to do a proper job of hanging them…and here’s the kicker…
Nearly pristine 6′ 4X4s. I have no excuse for not taking the time to do a proper job of mounting these panels.
Alas! Work! I’ve ducked it all summer. Why does Uncle Murphy burden me with such riches?
*Sigh* So yeah. Now the plan is to build a miniature version of Landlady’s new rack.
It’ll be like half of this, and two feet shorter.
Wish I had a plain old copper penny for each time I chose to do things the easy or expedient way… instead of the right way. We won’t go into the many times when I didn’t actually understand the difference… until much later.
I hardly ever do things like that anymore, and it’s paid off. Now I generally only have to do, build or buy things once…
Of course, Murphy still hates me, and there are no guarantees. sigh
I think you have made the right choice here Joel, even if you end up buying some materials.
Ol’ Murphy was sure you would take the easy way out. He was rubbing his hands gleefully, waiting, so he could stick it to you and make you do it twice.
A wise man said: “If you don’t have the time and money to do it right the first time, when will you have the time and money to redo it?” Yer doin’ it right, Joel.
the wisest thing I ever learned in college came from my instructor…”put a lazy man on a hard job,he’ll find an easy way to do it..and nothing wrong with the easy way if it works!”. I was in tool and die making,and I still can’t count how many times I’ve painted or machined my way into a corner.You’ve heard “measure twice,cut once”,I’ve learned,”think for 3 day’s,then do what works best”