Editing How to document your project

Your project may take longer than you expect. Get a grip on that initial enthusiasm and document every step of transforming that pile of rust, dents and missing parts into your dream rod. Your hotrod will be unique, so it needs a unique service manual. Who better to create that than you? You may desperately need that manual when something interrupts your project for an extended time. [http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/new-project-before-turning-wrench-get-organized-37655.html New Project? Before turning a wrench, get organized!] Get a good digital camera. Make sure it can do macro closeups. It's also handy to have one that focuses in low light, since you will be crawling into all the little crannies of your project. Get enough storage for the camera so you don't have to worry about counting photos. Likewise for batteries. Forget claims of "digital zoom"; you can do the same type of "zooming" with image editing software. What is important is optical zoom, the quality of the lens, color correctness and image size (misnamed "resolution" in many advertisements). Take lots of photos. Many may turn out to be useless, but you can't tell what information you may need, years from now. Begin with a walk-around, taking photos from every angle. Crawl around, in and under the car, taking photos of the way it is before you begin work. [http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/basics-basics-photographing-your-car-63626.html Basics of Basics: Photographing your car] Save those photos as they come from the camera! Any editing of the images should only be done on copies, not the originals. Keep backups, whether they are on CDs or DVDs that you give to friends, or posted online. Get a good photographic record of the car as it stands before the project begins. Get closeups of any identification plates or decals. Discipline yourself to grab the camera before grabbing any other tool. Each time you intend to work on the car, photograph the area of your intent. Think about the best service manual you've ever used and imitate the photography and illustrations. You need to be able to show, in your pictures, how and where each part is attached and how it comes apart. Remember that cameras capture light, not intentions. Show the photos to others who know about cars. If you have to explain the photo, for example, "There is a bolt in that dark spot", it's a failure. A progression of photos matching the progression of work will increase the odds of getting all necessary information recorded. What I do is I keep a book sort of like a diary on the car that I am building. Each day when I get through working on the car I make a entry into the diary. I enter things such as part numbers of parts that I used as well as what these parts originally were supposed to fit. Any modifications made I write down a detailed description of as well as why the modification was necessary etc. Everything in the diary I back up with photos. Following each day of work on the project, gather the photos, pick the best, edit copies as needed, and describe, in text, what those photos are about. Write the descriptions as if you're instructing a pen pal half a world away, or explaining to your dearest, non-technical friend. Remember that favorite service manual. [http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/journal.php Hotrodders.com Project Journals]

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