Have you ever had one of those days?

[petersb]

Ever have one of those days when you are getting close to the end of a project and all is looking good, really good, and by the time you have left the shop, you have made more work for yourself then when you first went in?

I think that most of us have had one of those days, and I just happened to have one yesterday.

As some of you may know, or maybe not, I have been working on a mahogany trunk for my son. I am getting really close to getting this thing completed and I am very happy with the way it is coming out. All I had to do was some of those last minute details like installing hardware, waxing, putting in a velvet liner for the bottom.... you know, the final touches.

Well after getting the hardware shaped and finished (I made my own from steel), I had scuffed a few spots on the finish and I did not want those to be left on the final finished chest. If I left them, it would be the only thing I would see every time I looked at it. So I did what most of us would do and I removed all of the hardware and gave the wood one more sanding and layer of poly, to get rid of the damaged areas.

The finish was beautiful! I was impressed with my self on such a nice finish. I proceeded to install the hardware on the chest again, for the final time, and all was well. As I am doing this, I am patting myself on the back for such a nice piece, and admiring my work. All of the hardware is installed now. Now all I have to do is take off the tape that I marked the left and right pieces with. After all, I did make the hardware, and each piece is not exactly like the next, so to be sure that I put them back on the correct side and so the holes would line up properly, I had to mark them. I proceeded to remove the marking tape from the parts. The first one went well, came off no problem. Second one came off with some of the black finish on it and left some bright shiny steel! OUCH! I'm not going to let that one happen to me again.

(The light bulb went on in my head!)

Okay, no problem, I have a solution.... I'll apply some heat to release the adhesive on the tape and it will come off really easy. I proceded to heat the tape and peel it off, and within an instant, the poly finish on the wood next to the steel started to bubble up. WHOA! STOP! Oh no..... now what to do?

I decided to call it a day. Feeling down, but not defeated, I went back into the house to lick my wounds and recover for the next time in the shop. I am a little farther away from getting the chest complete but I still get to look forward to going back out there and getting back into the heat of the battle.... at least trying to fix my mistakes.

I forgot to mention, that before I did all of this, I was trying to finish some hinges black by burning them in the fire, and I had left them in too long and the hinge pin melted in half on one of them, ruining it. That was the start of the evening yesterday when this all happened.

Have you ever had one of these days in the shop???

Even a bad day in the woodshop is still a good one!

[jhl.verona]

No, never happened to me, Brett

Firstly, let me say that you've built a really superb trunk. Now on to the argument of perfection. This is not a critique, understand, just some of my random thoughts - about my own stuff.

Perfection doesn't exist, of course. I can come close (in my dreams) but it'll never happen to me. In fact, I seem to be permanently working around "plan B". But I think that's most of the fun, otherwise it could become monotonous

But, perhaps, that is what "hand made" is about. If everything was 'perfect', it would look like a machine made it. Even if the 'machine' was human. So I'm coming around to the conclusion that mistakes (small ones hopefully) are actually a necessity, they're beneficial. Or perhaps that's just an excuse for myself. I hope you're nodding your head, instead of scratching it - I'm not being exceptionally clear in the concept here.

I have always (or almost always) botched things up trying to make that last little adjustment towards perfection. I always forget the old adage "fit for purpose". I'm going though it with the sleds, I have every brushed varnish problem you can imagine, plus some I've patented myself. But it's a sled, it's going to get some knocks. In fact, I secretly hope that they will be memorable knocks, kind of like small scars. So when the owner sees the scratch, or gouge, or whatever, he/she will think "Oh wow, that was when I took off on a mogul in Trento", or whatever. It adds character, something that I think is more difficult to add to a 'perfect' machine made piece.

So now I'm trying to learn to look at those 'mistakes' and think "that adds character to the piece". Of course if it looks like that additional character requires an anti-social behaviour order, then I'll fix it, otherwise - well, I might make things worse.

John

[petersb]

I hope that I didn't sound too disappointed in the original post. I wasn't satisfied with my outcome for my time in the shop that day but, I still enjoyed my time out there. I am usually working on plan "B" or "C" or "D"..... too! I am somewhere around plan "Q" on this one.

I can agree with what you are saying about perfection on a project. I don't think that any of my projects come out "perfect". They do come out nice, to my surprise, most of the time. I'm not bragging about myself, just trying to say that I get HUGE satisfaction from building wooden projects at home. I guess that is why any of us continue to pursue this sort of activity. Like I hoped that I was communicating... even a bad day in the shop is still a good one!

John, do you have any pictures of the sled that you are working on? I would like to see what you have going. And thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

[WoodDoesntTalkBack]

Brett, superb piece. I wish I could build something like that. I have the ability to make the metal hardware, but as far as the jointing... well, that talent escapes me. And I have had one of those days, so I feel your pain.

[Pete Bennett]

No, never happened to me, Brett

Firstly, let me say that you've built a really superb trunk. Now on to the argument of perfection. This is not a critique, understand, just some of my random thoughts - about my own stuff.

Perfection doesn't exist, of course. I can come close (in my dreams) but it'll never happen to me. In fact, I seem to be permanently working around "plan B". But I think that's most of the fun, otherwise it could become monotonous

But, perhaps, that is what "hand made" is about. If everything was 'perfect', it would look like a machine made it. Even if the 'machine' was human. So I'm coming around to the conclusion that mistakes (small ones hopefully) are actually a necessity, they're beneficial. Or perhaps that's just an excuse for myself. I hope you're nodding your head, instead of scratching it - I'm not being exceptionally clear in the concept here.

I have always (or almost always) botched things up trying to make that last little adjustment towards perfection. I always forget the old adage "fit for purpose". I'm going though it with the sleds, I have every brushed varnish problem you can imagine, plus some I've patented myself. But it's a sled, it's going to get some knocks. In fact, I secretly hope that they will be memorable knocks, kind of like small scars. So when the owner sees the scratch, or gouge, or whatever, he/she will think "Oh wow, that was when I took off on a mogul in Trento", or whatever. It adds character, something that I think is more difficult to add to a 'perfect' machine made piece.

So now I'm trying to learn to look at those 'mistakes' and think "that adds character to the piece". Of course if it looks like that additional character requires an anti-social behaviour order, then I'll fix it, otherwise - well, I might make things worse.

John

Hi John the phrase you are looking for is this 'True perfection is achieved by the measured imperfections of what we do'

Pete

[Onboard]

I forgot to mention, that before I did all of this, I was trying to finish some hinges black by burning them in the fire, and I had left them in too long and the hinge pin melted in half on one of them, ruining it. That was the start of the evening yesterday when this all happened.

Brett, just a side note. I know you know how to blacken hinges, but I thought you might like to watch Glen D. Huey of Popular Woodworking blacken a hinge.

[dtrust]

I usually only have 'one of those days' while I'm awake.

IOW, I have them all the time.

First, that's a beautiful trunk. Killer skill set, being able to make your own hardware. Kudos.

Had one of those mistake type projects this summer. Routed in a saying for a wall plaque for my Step-Daughter, and after getting it all done and putting the final finish on, my wife points out that I had two of the words reversed.

Ended up routing out the entire middle of the plaque to the depth of the letters so I could put them back on right. Turned out to have a depressed middle section of the plaque that hadn't been part of the original plan. That was the part that got commented on the most as 'real cool'. So, ya never know.

[CaptFerd]

My dad told me one time that when things start getting that bad to just walk away and come back to it later. Works pretty good but I find it hard to walk away most times.

[jhl.verona]

I hope that I didn't sound too disappointed in the original post.

No you didn't. Quite the opposite in fact - anyone who can write about such things has clearly already got over it. What tool did you throw on the ground in disgust?

I can agree with what you are saying about perfection on a project. I don't think that any of my projects come out "perfect". They do come out nice, to my surprise, most of the time. I'm not bragging about myself, just trying to say that I get HUGE satisfaction from building wooden projects at home. I guess that is why any of us continue to pursue this sort of activity. Like I hoped that I was communicating... even a bad day in the shop is still a good one!

Absolutely. I like you're definition of 'nice'. I'd be happy with that, too. It's conscientiousness rather than seeking perfection.

John, do you have any pictures of the sled that you are working on? I would like to see what you have going. And thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

Pictures? Plenty. More of an illustrated short story, really. Nothing "plan A" once I got beyond the design stage.

Hi John the phrase you are looking for is this 'True perfection is achieved by the measured imperfections of what we do'

Pete

Thanks, Pete. Is that yours? A translation from a French saying? I searched a bit but found nothing. Except... that atelophobia is the fear of the imperfect. Might score some points playing Scrabble. Tricky to work into a conversation though...

John

[Guest Trace]

I have a habit(?) of getting every thing together to do the Honey Do type jobs for the house. Even going so far as making lists of needed tools and materials. Where the bad comes in is that I will bring the stuff into the house and put something down (say a package of 1 1/4" brads), then as when I need them, I do not seem to be able to find them. When I ask Management (wife) if she noticed where I put them I get the "LOOK". Then after going clear up to the shop to get another package of the brads, I walk into the work area and find them on the window sill, table, floor or tool box. I hope that this is not galloping senility setting in, but just gremlin work. The chest is a real nice piece, I know it will be appreciated and enjoyed.

[WoodDoesntTalkBack]

I have a habit(?) of getting every thing together to do the Honey Do type jobs for the house. Even going so far as making lists of needed tools and materials. Where the bad comes in is that I will bring the stuff into the house and put something down (say a package of 1 1/4" brads), then as when I need them, I do not seem to be able to find them. When I ask Management (wife) if she noticed where I put them I get the "LOOK". Then after going clear up to the shop to get another package of the brads, I walk into the work area and find them on the window sill, table, floor or tool box. I hope that this is not galloping senility setting in, but just gremlin work. The chest is a real nice piece, I know it will be appreciated and enjoyed.

I think you are actually living my life because I do the same exact thing. All the time. It's the shop gremlins I tell you...