Weekend lessons learned from my shop

Rob Keeble

Member
Messages
12,633
Location
GTA Ontario Canada
Well i thought it might help some other newbie prevent making the same mistakes i made so here goes.

When you tired stop and lock up the shop. Statistically you just more likely to mess up a piece of wood or even get hurt. For me it was lucky i only crunched a piece of wood in the dado blade and not my hands. Dont even know how i did it. Pure negligence and distraction.


When you cut and mill lumber for a project, make sure to do extra and if you really raw like me do double extra. First your practice cuts will eat up some. Then your mistakes will eat up some, then you need some to practice finishing on and you cannot see finish on wood that looks like swiss cheese.:rofl:

Be philisophical its only wood you can replace it.

Now i need to go back and mill some more and you know what its like you never get it to the same thickness. Dang.

Also make sure to buy more at the same time so its from a similar batch. I dont have that problem but it occured to me when i realized what i have to do.

Dont think i will be finished anything before Christmas.:eek:

Hope this helps someone:rofl: Does not help to know this stuff and then not listen.:eek:
 
Amen Rob !

I had this little drawer front to repair and match up to existing drawers. I did it 5 times and was getting frustrated and put it aside Thursday and came back to it today and hit the color in 2 seconds.
 
Damn Rob...I read your thread title and thought the worst happened. Very good advice and thankfully you are in good health
 
in order that I move smoothly in the shop, I usually jot down a plan of attack the night before or a few nights in advance and check things off as I do them.
I not only mill up extra wood, when Im making multiple parts I usually make an extra part of each just in case. Ofcourse it costs me a few board feet or more, but if youre building something like chairs where every part has to be indentical, its a pain if you need to recut something after your finished.

Tired, unmotivated, lethargic, never ever go into that shop unless youre just cleaning up or organizing if you cant focus 1000% on the task.

THE SECOND ANYONE DOES ANYTHING IN A WOODWORKING SHOP OFF KILTER, thats the exact second to take a time out or leave. No matter how tiny the error might have been, its time to think about your focus and take a break.
 
Top