Finished my first woodworking project. And the girlfriend says…

[JonW]

So this weekend I finished my first project made with my new saw- a TV cart. This is the first time I’ve ever used a table saw. I hardly know a thing about woodworking. Basically, it was just for practice. To see if I could cut things and put them together straight. Before I move onto fancier woods and more ambitious projects. I restricted myself to only using scrap wood broken down from an old table I made years ago. I’m not sure I will keep this TV, so it’s all temporary. The only thing I actually bought new (other than the saw) was the wheels for the bottom. And it’s all screwed together, so I can take it apart later. Heck, I even reused some of the drywall screws. It came out OK. A little crooked, but it was getting better as I progressed. I learned a thing or two and the next project will definitely be better because I did this one. It’s not great, but it actually came out prettier than I expected. So I actually built something.

Brimming with a small amount of pride, I showed it to my girlfriendand asked her what she thinks. She has a quick look. And then says:

“The first thing I want to say is that I love you very, very much…”

Umm, she didn’t like it. But I’m still laughing.

[JR]

“The first thing I want to say is that I love you very, very much…”

LOL!!

That's priceless. Well, you'll definitely get better. I like the approach, though. I'm still digging maple out of my bin that came from an old bookcase my father and I bought at auction 40 years ago.

Honestly, trying to make a straight carcass using screws is a challenge. Try a few dadoes and rabets next time and it should go a bit more smoothly.

JR

[Ken Weaver]

Take heart Jon - at least it sounds like she understood what you were about! That's exactly the way you go about it, start small, scew it up, find something bigger to screw up. That's the way its worked for me

[sacherjj]

And you don't have to use screws to screw it up. You can screw it up with Dados, Rabbets, Biscuits, Dowels. There are many ways to screw it up.

[LarryG]

Brimming with a small amount of pride, I showed it to my girlfriendand asked her what she thinks. She has a quick look. And then says:

“The first thing I want to say is that I love you very, very much…”

Uh, hmm, well, I can think of one other scenario which those exact same words would fit, so it COULD be a lot worse.

All the replies thus far are good but I especially like Ken's. Every new project is a learning exercise, and probably always will be. There's a saying that goes something like, "The difference between an amateur and a craftsman is the ability to hide one's mistakes." If that's true, I'm well on my way to becoming a master.

[twistsol]

You've got to love a woman who will tell you the truth before you're married.

[John Hunter]

What a great reply!

[drumpriest]

Thank you for the laugh, I think we've all (or mostly anyway) been there. I've made my fair share of project of which I hold a great deal of pride. Projects that are both ugly, and not very well constructed, but have served the purpose of making me better at...well...building projects. That's just how it goes.

[Tequila]

Everybody starts out crawling. Keep up the good spirits and you'll be running soon.

[JonW]

Thanks for the replies. It was just a funny story I thought you might appreciate.

I'm just starting with woodworking and we'll see where it goes. So far, I'm having fun. And making a few things that are needed around the house. Heck, in terms of fun and utility, I've almost already recovered the cost of my tools. I'll probably try to get fancy and artsy in the near future. Make some things that are pretty to look at. This has been a nice respite from work.

Uh, hmm, well, I can think of one other scenario which those exact same words would fit, so it COULD be a lot worse.

Wow- I hadn’t even thought about that.

You've got to love a woman who will tell you the truth before you're married.

Yup, I think she’s a keeper.

[Knottscott]

Nothing wrong with being loved!

[Xamu]

She's a good-un.
I know exactly where you're at. Which is why my sig says . . .

[dxcoded]

Good woodworking comes from experience. Experience comes from bad woodworking.

now that is some great advice.... love that sig xamu