Well-made

It's a feeling

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I'm in the process of making a low-voltage alternating current (AC) power box for a new contract. It's an exciting build and has me digging deep to educate myself on new-to-me methods and components. One such component is a variac - a variable AC transformer.

Regular transformers convert one voltage into another through a process known as electromagnetic induction (transformers are found in many electronic devices that run on standard house current but operate at much lower voltages). Variacs do the same thing as regular transformers, except, that's right, they're variable.

Before I lose your interest (if I haven’t already), I'll stop with the electronics lecture. Instead, I want to share thoughts on what it means to be "well-made." How is this even related? Well, it so happens that a few variacs I recently purchased got me thinking again about quality.

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After sleuthing the internet, I found “quality” variacs at a reasonable price so I scooped them up. They're never-used vintage 1970s era variacs, shipped from a surplus supplier in Nebraska. This last Friday, they arrived - in their original packaging, no less. Eagerly I opened one up and was immediately struck by the experience.

I had no doubt when I saw it: these variacs are - yes - quality. I not only saw it, I felt it. And it felt good.