What annoying mistake(s) do you continue to make?

[Bill McNiel]

I've done that more than once (contrary to my earlier post), what I do to overcome this now is after I find it instead of putting it back where I found it, I put it back in the first place I looked, the theory being next time I'll find it in the first place I look.

Doug - that is a Genius solution! Absolutely brilliant!

Yes, I "lose" tools, parts, my vape, my mind all the time every day and my shop is fairly well organized, but my biggest issue is procedural. I think a lot about the process of a project and develop a build plan. I then start with Step 2 go to Step 5 and then Step 3 and wonder WTF? I am going to install a whiteboard so I can have a fully visible list of all the step and actually follow my sequential plan.

[Simon MacGowen]

That is easy.

I always forget the last mistake(s) I made!!!

[Doug Garson]

Thanks Bill, I suspect what I probably have done on several occasions is during a shop cleanup decided to also reorganize the shop and put some things in what, at the time, seemed like more logical spots to better utilize limited space. Then a few weeks or months later when I needed them my brain remembered the "old" place instead of the new place. Maybe the genius thing to do would be to not reorganize in the first place!

[Johnnyy Johnson]

The mistake I make is since I am a on again and off again wood worker, once I learn how to do a hard task I forget to make notes and then 6 months later It's like I have to learn it over again. Not simple stuff, but the complicated stuff. I made a lot of notes lately on dove tails, and that special stuff when your mind goes "oh yea" thats the way to do it. Write it down...Make shop notes!!
Thanks
Johnny

[Steve Demuth]

my shop is my sanctuary. Every tool has it's place, & is kept there. tape measures are kept at or close to every saw.

My shop is my sanctuary, and one thing it's a sanctuary from is having to put everything back in its place

[Leo Graywacz]

I know exactly where every one of my tools are.

In the shop....somewhere.

[John K Jordan]

I know exactly where every one of my tools are.

In the shop....somewhere.

Ha! Mine too. Unless I carried some to the barn to work on something. Or put them in the little farm truck. Or in a bag at the house for a fixit job. I have even found missing tools in my back pocket!

But the scary thing that happens here all the time is some mysterious stranger sneaks in and moves things. I spent a half hour yesterday looking for a woodturned platter my wife wanted to put on the table. I finally found it - the mystery person must have come in yesterday while we were home (past the gates, past the guard dog, crawled past the motion detectors, and even somehow avoided the security cameras) and took it to the shop and put it right next to my can of Renaissance wax. Since it was handy I put some wax on it.

JKJ

[Martin Wasner]

Getting out of bed every day...

Winner winner chicken dinner.

[phil harold]

I "inch" things.
if it is 2'3 5/8"I will cut it 26 5/8"
Sooner or later I guarantee it will happen!

[Mel Fulks]

Some commercial shops require all measurements to be in inches for that reason, Phil. If anyone thinks that is tedious ...
they clearly have not worked with drawings using all milimeters.

[Martin Wasner]

Some commercial shops require all measurements to be in inches for that reason, Phil. If anyone thinks that is tedious ...
they clearly have not worked with drawings using all milimeters.

I worked in one shop that used feet and inches. Drove me nuts, a cabinetmaker around here has no clue what a foot is or what it used for. It's like handing an iPad to a horse.

[phil harold]

Some commercial shops require all measurements to be in inches for that reason, Phil. If anyone thinks that is tedious ...
they clearly have not worked with drawings using all milimeters.

my problem as a carpenter would still be an inch short even if I only worked in inches
being right handed The pencil is in my right hand and tape is in my left
so the numbers on the tape are upside down from you
so if i need 22 and 5/8ths I can easily find the 22 and then the 5/8ths mark to the right of the number
maybe its just me
But I have cut it three times and it is still too short!

[Scott Welty]

Oh yes...reading the ruler backwards and cutting at, say, 12 1/2 inches instead of 11 1/2...and then making 20 of something !
Scott

[Jim Becker]

my problem as a carpenter would still be an inch short even if I only worked in inches
being right handed The pencil is in my right hand and tape is in my left
so the numbers on the tape are upside down from you
so if i need 22 and 5/8ths I can easily find the 22 and then the 5/8ths mark to the right of the number
maybe its just me
But I have cut it three times and it is still too short!

Phil, if this is a constant problem, you can buy a tape that is designed to read "correct side up" from that direction.

[David Utterback]

I have repeatedly made measurement errors of every type mentioned. Also, glancing at the ugly mug in the mirror on occasion. Thankfully, we only have mirrors in our bathrooms and vehicles.