[OP]
Member
This is a new hobby for me so I'll put most of this down to cluelessness and lack of skill, but do you ever have a day when you can't mark a straight line, can't saw straight, can't plane something flat (let alone square) and you end up with a pile of shavings that weighs more than the tiny pieces of usable wood that emerged from what you started with? That's me today.
On the plus side I still have all my fingers, so I can go and practice some more.
Last edited by Andrew Bangs; 05-09-2014 at 3:27 PM. Reason: typo
Contributor
The two most useful tools I have, a pair of precision ground straight edges and a steel square. Helps to greatly reduce the number of those days when you feel you should have taken the day to meditate on woodworking rather than participate in it.
Member
Yup! I know its not wwing related but yesterday I was making a fried egg and forgot to put butter in the pan.
I got cash in my pocket. I got desire in my heart....
Contributor
Everyone has days where nothing seems to go right. Best thing you can do is just find something easy to do, focus on doing it perfectly, and work yourself back into a rhythm. Even sweeping the floor can be the just the fix you need.
Your endgrain is like your bellybutton. Yes, I know you have it. No, I don't want to see it.
Contributor
We all have bad days.
Kind of like the old adage about lemons on lemonade, when the working wood goes wrong, make firewood.
Like Zach said, pick up a broom and sweep those blues away.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
Big smile on my face... Oh the many days where that's the case over the decades. Unfortunately something usually gets destroyed - generally it's the project that gets pounded into saw dust. I have a cat that knows what all those colourful four letter words mean and when they start flying he runs for the hills.Originally Posted by Andrew Bangs
Sent from the bathtub on my Samsung Galaxy(C)S5 with waterproof Lifeproof Case(C), and spell check turned off!
Member
My entire woodworking career, summed up in a single sentence.
-Tom
Contributor
When I have "one of them days", it means it is time for a break, take a little time off from it. For me, it is just a hobby, no time card or schedules for it. Bad day? Maybe tomorrow will be better? Sleep on it, maybe that will reveal what was the problem, and then try again. Above all....RELAX!
Member
Yup, I couldn't agree more. It is your body saying "I don't want to do that today", you are out of rhythm.. On those days, go read a book, take a walk, pet your dog, sweep the shop..... Above everything else DO NOT HANDLE BLADES OR SHARP INSTRUMENTS!!! It will pass. Things will return to normal.
Contributor
D'oh - me too!
Member
Yep. Bad days can happen. All good advice above but the best thing is you will be making unseen progress to being a better wood worker. Your brain works on improving your performance even while you are sleeping.
An old mentor said "If you aren't making mistakes, you are not getting better."
Take a break and sweep the saw dust works for me.
Enjoy !
Contributor
I'd love to say that I have never had that kind of day. But that would be a lie. If I find myself in that kind of day, I may switch to cleaning the shop, remedial sharpening, etc....
Shawn
"no trees were harmed in the creation of this message, however some electrons were temporarily inconvenienced."
"I resent having to use my brain to do your thinking"
Member
Today I awakened depressed at the gaps in the dovetails of my hanging curio cabinet. A few slivers and glue and a hammer made me feel like Frank Klausz.
Member
How did it go today?
Member
I have had such a bad day that a whole guitar I just made was ruined!! Took it outside to spray it. Too cold. Blamo! The back broke open. Total rebuild needed. Over 2 weeks of hard work down the porcelain oasis.I did not make that mistake again.
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