A 4 percent miss on 12 units is like $300 a house, not exactly a crisis.

Sounds like your uncle got lucky, torque specs actually matter.

Noticed the same thing with haircuts. My barber used to measure everything with clippers and a comb, then one day he just started going by feel. Said he got tired of every guy walking out looking like they came off a factory line. Now he eyeballs it, checks your head shape, asks how you part it. The cuts take longer but nobody looks the same anymore. Same deal with those meal kit boxes, right? Everything pre-portioned and measured, but the food always tastes kind of flat. The best cooks I know just taste as they go and adjust. Rules are a good place to start but they shouldn't be where you stop.