Mistakes on projects!

[footprintsinconc]

is it me or does it happen to you as well!?!

just for the past couple of weeks, i have been working on an entrance bench and literally i am making a mistake or a screwups in cutting, routing, assembling, nailing, gluing .......!!. i am fudging a dimension here, adjusting the width on another piece there, planing one leg thinner than the other, cutting the nail from the face and then gluing the split face back on ..... i feel real frustrated!

well that feels a little better .

so the question is, is this just my luck or does this happen to you as well?

[LCHIEN]

of course it happens.
The trick is to minimize how often and then hide them the remaining times.

[LinuxRandal]

And to know when to walk away for a bit. If you don't and you get ticked, you then become distracted, and it is easy to do some damage to yourself and/or your project.

[SARGE..g-47]

It does... but not that many and surely not on one project. Examine and read what LR just posted. "You got to know when to hold em.. know when to fold em.. and know when to walk away and run"... KR

You simply have lost or never had true focus on this project if what you said is not exagerated by your frustration. Stop.. take a break.. lay it down for a week or so. Only come back when you have re-gained focus and have a true interest in completing it to the best of your ability.

Perhaps you are thinking about somethine else you would rather buildl or any assortment of other things not even related to WW that has side-tracked your focus. Perhaps you are just tired and need a rest of body and mind. There are many perhaps...

Do what is necessary to eliminate the distraction before you even consider resuming the piece. It will still be there when you return.

Good luck Omar..

[Uncle Cracker]

Never happens to me...

I thought I had made a mistake once, but apparently I was in error...

[radhak]

Yes it does happen to me - and I know exactly why/when it does : when I am in the middle of the project but am already looking to the finish-line (a racing metaphor, not our 'finish') or am eager to 'be done with this project'.

As soon as I get into the mode of 'lemme patch this up quickly' or 'this stupid _____, i am gonna drive it / glue it / clamp it / etc regardless of whatever', I am gonna make another mistake, and they cascade.

Taking a break helps, as does a dose of perspective : even a delayed project executed with love and attention has a longer sweet-after-taste than an on-time one that has a bunch of patch-ups under the cover.

At the same time, do remember that what might seem like a huge blunder to you, might not even be visible to others. Just don't allow one to cause another.

Best of luck.

[Uncle Cracker]

Taking a break helps, as does a dose of perspective

Couldn't find this in my drugstore... Found spectacles, expectorant, even something called a speculum , but no "perspective". Is it something I need to get a prescription for???

[cabinetman]

It's a very bad day when your dining room table project ends up being a coffee table.
.

[lrogers]

I was always told the difference between a carpenter and a cabinetmaker was in how well he hid his mistakes! If that's the case, I'm a master cabinetmaker!

[kirkroy]

I'm not a detail oriented person. I'm hoping that aspect of my personality doesn't cause me to make lots of mistakes or limit the size of my projects (I'm just getting started in woodworking).

I'm getting into this as a hobby so, while it might be productive to figure out how to become more detail oriented, I wonder if that wouldn't take some or a lot of the fun out of it.

[nothing]

I generally take a nice long break after making my second mistake. That's always a good sign I'm rushing or loosing focus. I think the best thing I ever learned about woodworking came from my father-in-law. He was rebuilding an old cabin when a friend commented he could get him some help and have it knocked out in a couple of weeks. His response was "it's about the journey, not the finish". His logic being since it's a hobby he will only be bored and looking for another project once he finishes this. So why not take his time?

[thrytis]

I can relate - my current project is like this. I lost count of the number of mistakes i made. Some were minor (hidden in the end), some major (recut the part), and most in between. Very frustrating, though i did learn a lot, both how to prevent the mistakes and how to patch them. I even managed to acquire a few new accessories to reduce or fix mistakes as part of the project.

[SARGE..g-47]

I'm not a detail oriented person. I'm hoping that aspect of my personality doesn't cause me to make lots of mistakes or limit the size of my projects (I'm just getting started in woodworking).

I'm getting into this as a hobby so, while it might be productive to figure out how to become more detail oriented, I wonder if that wouldn't take some or a lot of the fun out of it.

Good question, I suppose?.. Perhaps you might include another question such as... I wonder if that would add some inner and outer satisfaction or a lot of inner or outer satisfaction?

I'm going to my hardwood store shortly to search for that piece of wood 8/4 piece of stock that will become 6 drawer fronts on the chest of drawers that is already laid out.. sized and prepared. The piece of 8/4 ( 2" ) stock with the grain I was searching for that will be re-sawn to book-match for the drawer front was not there when I purchased the remainder of the stock for the chest.

I got a call from a friend I made who works in the yard. A new tractor-trailer load just arrived in oak. Perhaps the piece I could possibly spend 6 hours searching for amidst a truck load arrived with that shipment. Perhaps not...!

I could use some stock on hand to get a faster finish on the project... but having witnessed it's grain that current stock spoke to me and told me it was not going to give me the satisfaction I seek on this particular piece I am building.

I "thinks" there is more to attaining satifaction in Woodworking than quick selection of stock.. quickly preforming the mechanical constrution without regard to detail..and then slapping some poly on top and declaring your done.

Perhaps you are done? But.. will the piece declare that is was done properly to all that view and use it in a functional manner long after you are gone?

I seek that satisfaction... I take my time and let the wood dictate to me what to do instead of vice-versa.. And in order to attain those results, I have to take time and focus on detail or those results may not come to be.

Am I having fun... you bet your sweet *ss I am!

[crokett]

I'm not a detail oriented person. I'm hoping that aspect of my personality doesn't cause me to make lots of mistakes or limit the size of my projects (I'm just getting started in woodworking). .

I'm not detail oriented either and yes, trying to become detail oriented does take the fun out, at least for me. What I have learned is where I am most likely to make mistakes. I do my best to avoid them but at the same time accept there will be some and try to plan the recovery ahead of time.

[Bruce Cohen]

Hey Omar,

Don't feel bad, I once made the same mistake five times; on the same project. Now that's down right DUMB, or something.

Hey, at least you're man enough to admit it!

Bruce