I Am The Anti-Krenov

[BearPipes-1]

I'm back inside after doing a little work on a shelf unit I've been working on for a while.

We've got a bar-style overhang on the dining room side of the kitchen counter. The genius who made that addition didn't seem to account for the fact that the location of a door makes that corridor pretty unusable for seating. So we decided to put in a set of shallow, adjustable shelves for the kids' craft and homework stuff, which otherwise sits on the dining table or on the counter.

That's all fine, but it's taking me forever to finish this thing ... which seems Krenov-like to me. His books talk about taking your time, helping the wood express itself (that second part is a bad paraphrase by me, don't blame him).

So I go out there this evening, and instead of doing anything the "right way," I slap some shelf parts together, drop a piece on the floor (glue side down, of course) don't bother to clean it off, clamp up the pieces in a way that's likely (at best) to require some careful sanding to true things, put the squares and chisels and marking tools away, and go inside, still hardly believing what I've done.

Maybe these wood pieces aren't meant to be a shelf, and I'm helping them express themselves as trash.

Or maybe I'm just tired of this project, wishing it were done, and knowing I can't do anything else until it is done (lack of space if nothing else, and since I said "we decided" earlier, there's probably something else, something unexpressed but no less there for all that).

I wish I knew how to change my attitude about this. I'm open to suggestion, but won't go so far as "let's just shoot a few finish nails in here" to conclude this project.

Does this happen to you? If so, what do you do?

Ramblingly and ventingly,

-Mike.

[Uncle Cracker]

Maybe these wood pieces aren't meant to be a shelf, and I'm helping them express themselves as trash.

Your true Buddha nature will show itself if you can accept them as trash...

Being in a hurry is seldom helpful. Relax and enjoy the ride.

[Mr__Bill]

Usually when this happens to me there is something about the project that is wrong only I haven't figured it out yet. So it sets, I drag my feet and make mistakes. Sometimes prior to finishing I figure it out. Often tho it's after I have forced myself to finish it, don't like the job and just hate the project that it dawns on me what was wrong. Then I just have to rip it out.

I would suggest that you take a hard look at things, get some input from the kids and whoever else you can. It may jump out at you just what is really wrong. Or I could just be full of it tonight and you need more caffeine.

Bill

[just started]

Edited for Content. Not contributing to the discussion and definitely not family friendly.

[BearPipes-1]

Anti-Krenovian Update

Had a chance to look at the damage this evening, and I've got to say, I lucked out big time.

The stuff that should have gone wrong (misalignment, damage to edges, etc.) did not.

So now I'm much closer to being done with it. I've still got a date with a sander and then a card scraper, but that was going to have to happen regardless.

-Mike.