Unthinking mistakes..

[ian maybury]

So last night i cut down some melamine coated board to make shelves for a basic workshop cabinet. The final cut was to remove about 1/2 in from one end. Having router cut the indents for the support pins i proceeded to unthinkingly shorten the wrong end of the first one - which meant the indents no longer lined up. Not too big a deal since it was possible to glue on an end cap - the glue line didn't matter.

So stupid though! Much less funny on an item with a lot more time invested in it that couldn't be reworked.

Not really expecting an answer beyond just pay more attention (especially when getting tired) - but how do you guys avoid that sort of screw up?

[Robert Engel]

If you ever find out, let the rest of us know.

[Jason Beam]

Not really expecting an answer beyond just pay more attention (especially when getting tired) - but how do you guys avoid that sort of screw up?

Brutal self-honesty is my best weapon against such mistakes. "You're stupid when you're tired." or "You suck when you rush things." and then be brutally honest about whether i'm tired or rushing. It takes constant self-assessment, though, and doesn't always work.

That whole "Measure twice, cut once" mantra lacks a pretty vital detail: Make sure you're measuring the RIGHT thing twice, and make sure you're cutting in the right place!

[Roy Harding]

I try to always do the same things the same way. For instance, if I'm stacking parts that'll all be cut the same size, I ALWAYS put the side which will ride the fence either to the TOP (as you look down on the stack) of the stack, or on the LEFT side of the stack - depending upon whether it's a rip or crosscut. This way, if I get interrupted, or resume the job the next day, I know which side is which. There are myriad other examples, but it all comes down to always doing the same routine operation the same way.

Some may think I'm being overly fussy - but it's really a habit from being in the Army for 25 years. In the Army we called such actions "drills" or TTPs (Technical/Tactical Techniques and Procedures - I'm Canadian, there may be different terms in the US Army), and they were ALWAYS done the same way every time - this meant that you didn't have to think routine actions through every time - you just "did it" without thinking.

That said - I think we've ALL done similar things, and yes - it can be pretty frustrating if it's not an easy fix.

[Yonak Hawkins]

"You suck when you rush things."

Jason, I guess you didn't get the memo. You can't say, "You suck" anymore.

[ian maybury]

Think the routine/drill thing makes a lot of sense. There's a zone i sometimes get into when i'm tired or rushing a little - which seems to somehow kill the awareness that it's time to stop. (usually in fact when trying to get something finished 'tonight')

Probably a good time to leave a finger behind on the saw table too...

[Andrew Hughes]

Two differant kinda of mistakes I make woodworking one is a slip of the hand and the other is a slip of the mind.I don't worry too much about being perfect.Since I can usually fix my slips.Sometime it even leads to new ideas and detail. I am extra carefull when cross cutting wide boards.That can be a fatal error,to a build.$$$$

[ian maybury]

I tend to agree Andrew on the separation between a brain f** and a slip of the hand.

So far at least i don't seem to take risks/stay very conscious of risk to self. The issues arise more on procedural stuff like you mention...

[Bill Ryall]

Brutal self-honesty is my best weapon against such mistakes. "You're stupid when you're tired."

^^^ This.

I trimmed the tip off a thumb on my table saw a couple years ago working tired trying to get a job out the door. The hour I was trying to save myself for the next day ended up costing 6 weeks. I now know I'm stupid when tired and have learned when to walk away.

[Prashun Patel]

If I'm not being lazy, then I avoid mistakes by making extra parts and practicing on them first.

Although I have managed to screw even that up on occasion.

When all else fails, make the cabinet smaller!

[Jeffrey Martel]

When all else fails, make the cabinet smaller!

Ran into that issue on the current set of nightstands I'm building. The stop block got bumped on my crosscut sled so one nightstand is going to be about 1/8" larger in length and width than the other.

[Doug Garson]

Maybe not applicable to your example since it was a one off cut mistake but if I'm making multiple pieces with multiple operations I use painters tape to mark the top next to the edge that will ride along the fence or be visible when clamped in a jig If I don't see the tape as I line up to start the cut it's a trigger to tell me something's wrong. Having said that I've lost track of the number of times I've cut mitres the wrong way.

[Roy Harding]

... I've lost track of the number of times I've cut mitres the wrong way.

Amen, brother!!

[John A langley]

use the pyramid system it will tell you real quickly what the inside and the outside, also what the top and bottom if you number inside your pyramid it will tell you which cabinet it is

[Rick Potter]

If it has angles, or mirrored parts, I can count on needing extra pieces.

Young guys rule, us old guys drool.