What frustrates you the most about woodworking???

Thanks I couldn't have said it better

To Small of a shop is at the top of the list

Living in a small apartment so I don't have room to put the furniture I would make if I could.The main reason you don't see me making furniture but instead making stuff for the shop & other people.

Lack of time

Lack of space

The mess I make

Sanding and finishing gets old quick, but I don't hate every second of it!

Mistakes/wasting wood

Spending hours of perfectly good shop time on the Internet!

Clutter in the shop

Stuff that takes 4 times longer to do than what you planned on.

Hate you guys with "See my shop" with no darn sawdust in the corners

Man, I've not seen a corner in my shop in a while
Not having ANY time to do woodworking

Shortness of talent

Not taking the time to do much woodworking.
Tripping over things I don’t put away.

Less physical dexterity than when I was a younger man.
Having to wear glasses and the need for lots of light to see.
Not enough time to plan projects out.

Wishing I took more time to plan.

Looking for pencils there is supposed to be a pencil by each machine.

Where did I just put that tape measure I just had?
The price of wood.

Those Dang Splinters & little nicks & cuts

Too many things I want to try.

Not enough time to try them.

Not enough money to get the equipment and lumber I want to use.

Not having a good mentor. (This is where the forum fills thank you all.)

Coming up with a brilliant idea, pulling it off perfectly the first time...

and being completely unable to repeat it in the next half-dozen attempts.
 
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I have been thinking about this for a while and cannot really think of anything. For me it is a very peaceful time although it may not sound like it to an outsider with all of the noise going on. I feel good when I go out to the shop and I feel good when I come in. I am sure that would change if I was under the pressure of doing it for a living.

I think the most frustrating thing for me is a health issue. I get angry with myself because I can't move or lift something that has to be done before I can get to the hours of enjoyment with the things I "Can" do.

I have invested in plenty of mechanical/hydraulic helpers but some things stubbornly refuse to adapt. :eek:
I refuse to call a friend to drive a 20 mile round trip for something I could have done in a few minutes ten years ago. So-o-o-o-o, I have to come to a halt and do something else until someone comes by for a visit.

The "real" frustrating part of all this of course is something little boys never seem to out grow. The more I find I can't do something, the more I want to do just that. :rofl:

Other than that long winded small thing. :huh:
I agree with Allen. I usually chalk a day in the shop up as a good day. If I do nothing more than listen to Old Dudes music, move things around and plan what I will do tomorrow, it was a pleasure I find difficult to compare with anything else.

DT
 
Since I never make mistakes, my cuts are so fine I never need to sand, and my pieces just finish themselves, I'd say my biggest frustration is that I'm not any better looking than I am. Well, that, and my habitual lying issues. :rolleyes:

Seriously, for me, I'd say it's lack of room, followed by lack of organization and housekeeping. The first one's a bit hard to overcome, but the other two are completely my own doing.
 
I think the most frustrating thing for me is a health issue. I get angry with myself because I can't move or lift something that has to be done before I can get to the hours of enjoyment with the things I "Can" do.

I have invested in plenty of mechanical/hydraulic helpers but some things stubbornly refuse to adapt. :eek:
I refuse to call a friend to drive a 20 mile round trip for something I could have done in a few minutes ten years ago. So-o-o-o-o, I have to come to a halt and do something else until someone comes by for a visit.

The "real" frustrating part of all this of course is something little boys never seem to out grow. The more I find I can't do something, the more I want to do just that. :rofl:

DT

I agree with this. Having had back surgery once and whoulder surgery twice really dampens activities.:bang: All this and only 24, oh well.

Next biggest thing for me is lack tools that work properly. Having tools that take more time to get them setup and tuned before using is getting old quick. Which comes from not having cash.:rolleyes: Seems to be a theme here. Ok time for the next post.
 
For me, the most frustrating part of woodworking is trying to come up with an original but good looking design for whatever piece of furniture I'm making. I try and try to design something "new" but it usually winds up either is uninteresting or uncomfortable.

Mike
 
Not having any friends that understand my hobby. I always get the Oh, thats nice and don't notice any of the special work put in. I think it is mostly lip service and they don't care. They are mostly the type of people that get it done to say its done, no concern about quality, looks or longevity.

Lack of Time, Space, Tools and more time are really frustrating. It seems like I think about woodworking 20 times more than actually working wood.

A major frustration is the fact that I picked a hobby that is so $$$$$$$$ and $. I seem to have a champaine taste on a flavored water wallet.

The fact that I do more stuff for friends in my shop then stuff for me and the fact that they think we can get this done in a couple minutes when it is really an hour or two job.

The fact that I don't get out to the shop when I have time, I always wait until there is a deadline and that puts more pressure and takes the fun out of it. To help with that this year, no christmas presents from the shop, I don't want to be rushed. The couple I have done will be stored and more finished and then next year everyone will get a handmade gift of love.

Wow, this is so long, I wonder what I like about woodworking. Oh yea, thats right, It is fun and you have something physical to show from your work.
 
I have to agree with Don except for the boys part :eek: and with AL except for the age part :D. I have had my bad back for over twenty years, you would think I could accept the limitations after so long, but nooo:bang:. It is very fustrating to ask/wait for help. But I do love my shop time, short as it is. I clean up, rearrange and make plans. Then of course I can't find anything :huh: and can't build my plans without help:doh::rofl:
 
Getting so involved in what you are doing then trying to remember where that pencil or tool is that you just put down two seconds ago and spending 1/2 hr looking for it.:huh: Then spending the next hr kicking your self when you do find it. :rofl:
 
Drew, I did that two days ago. I was sanding a peice getting ready for finish. When I went to pick up the sanding block again it was gone.:huh: It took me 45 minutes to find it( under the sandpaper on the other bench). I hate that, usally blame it on the dog.;)
 
Everything I do is round, radiused, or bowed. (on purpose) I have figured out the perfect shop for my business and it will be 5000 SF but now the frustrations are the 1300sf I operate out of now. I have to slide around major equipment in order to swing a radius crown, case or base. I would say I lose 25% of my time to repositioning equipment. Now THAT is frustrating. I should take some pictures and put them in the shop thread.
 
Clutter in the shop and the fact that I can't find the tool I need now -mostly because of that clutter. I have places for most things, with the exception of the cuts-offs once my cut-off bin is full (which it almost always is). But, am am constantly neglecting to put tools and small parts/hardware back where they belong.

I know exactly what you mean, Frank.

I put a brand new blade on the band saw. I knew I HAD to tune it, as I was going to resaw with it. Searched for three days for the stone-on-a-stick that I use to tune the blade (mainly to remove all hard edges from the back of the blade). NOWHERE TO BE FOUND...

So, I made do with a wide stone riding on a scrap piece of wood. Never got it tuned very well...

Until, about two weeks later, I found the stone. It was hiding in plain sight, in the box with the band saw spares. What a pain!!!!


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i have thought long and hard about this and after blowing the dust off myself to go to lunch today it hit me, out of everything to do with woodworking that could frustrate me, and there are some....SAWDUST!!! has got to be my worst enemy. it sticks to everything and hates to let go. it's all over my house and my truck and i get to hear it from the wife all the time about the mess it makes. the problem is, even with great dust collection, you're still bound to get it on you.....:(

chris
 
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