"That did not just happen..."

[WoodDoesntTalkBack]

After reading another members post on a project mishap, I decided to see what other mishaps/horror stories were out there. I'll start.

Two years ago my fiance and I moved into a condo that had a fireplace but the previous owner took the mantel. After looking into mantels at stores online and in person, we decided that they were a bit too much for us to afford after just purchasing a condo. So, I started looking into building one although I had taken 10+ years or so off of doing anything really wood related, I felt I could tackle it. After researching different techniques, woods, and finishes, the fiance decided she wanted a "distressed wood" look. So off I went to HD for some wood.

After browsing, I settled on some 1in x 6in x 8ft Eastern White Pine boards due to the price. I figured "I can make this work". So I buy a few, go home, and get to work. I beat both side of the boards down the entire length with an old broken dog chain, coat hanger, some screws, and old screw driver, and took a few chips out of it with a chisel. Then looked them over and beat them some more with whatever I had in front of me and then went looking through the condo to see what else I could beat them with. Once we decided on what sections of what boards we liked, I measured the angles of the walls, cut the boards, test fit the boards a few times, then assembled them with a Hitachi Finish Nailer to achieve the look I was going for. I carefully sanded it and built braces inside of it to hold the mounting brackets, test fit it again, and decided that it looked good to me. Cleaned up, patted myself on the back, put it in the overhead storage in the garage so the fiance didn't run it over, and went inside to wait for a warmer day to finish it.

Days later I went outside, kicked on the heater, more sanding, then applied a few coats of Minwax over the next few days. After I decided I liked the finish, I put it in the overhead storage which is basically four long 2x4's running the width of the garage with a 3/4in piece of plywood on each side with a 3ft gap in the middle for access. The next day I go out to pull it down from the overhead storage and when I was moving it, I failed to realize that it was sitting on top of another board I had up there and the back end slid off and it swung down like a pendlum and came crashing to the floor. As I stood there stunned I said out loud "THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN"... I picked it up and assessed the damge and the joints on each side had seperated but didnt break, and it had chipped up the finish. I then spent a few hours trying to get it to fit back together perfectly by giving it light taps with a rubber mallet and trying to not screw it up any worse than it was. In the end, it turned out great and I was happy with it. And everyone that has come over has asked me "where I bought it, and how much did I pay?". I then proudly tell them I made it and it cost me about $45 (with supplies). And although I know it is literally a "box", I was proud of it.

Note: I took these pics with a cell phone camera and the lighting is a bit strange in some of them. And I never took pictures up close so the "distressing" is hard to see in the pics, but in person it is obvious.

[petersb]

I've got one to add to that.

About 6-7 years ago I built a set of maple bunkbeds for my boys. This was my first "BIG" project and I was working in a very small shop. I completed the construction and I had taken the pieces out back to sand under a covered exposed aggregate patio, it was a nice day. As I completed sanding each piece, being ready to apply finish, I set them aside on top of the steps that went into the house. I had just finished sanding the very last piece, headboards and footboards (4 total), I called out the "troops" to see the final results and get all of the hardy approvals from them on a job well done. My then 2 year old son came out to express how really impressed he was with the neared completion of his bed and what superb craftsmanship was displayed in such a well executed piece of wooden art. He proceeded to admire the supple, smooth sanded finish by touching them with his hands and leaned a "bit" too heavy on the pieces, which were setup like dominos, and they proceeded to fall, just like dominos, all four pieces, down the two exposed aggregate steps that they were set on. It was just like slow motion as we watched them tumble to the ground. My heart sank. I just had to walk away. I almost cried.

After a bit of time, I went to check the damages. There was some pretty big dents, dings and gouges but it wasn't anything that some creative sanding couldn't handle. Most of the damage was on the corners of the tops of the legs that made up the head/footboards.

The two oldest boys are sleeping in them still today. One of them is the 2 yo that knocked them over. He is the one that likes to work and build out in the woodshop with me the most today.

Here he is. He's still alive.

[Guest Trace]

My story goes the other direction. Our home is 112 years old. We bought it at the 100 year point. One of the things we wanted to change were all of the mantles. There were 7 brasier coal type fireplaces and 2 log type. The first Management wanted to get rid of/change was a monstrosity that stood 7 feet tall, 5 feet wide, with cheap splinle columns and a mirror on top. I had scraped through the finish, finding 4 layers of white and 5 layers of other colors. She asked, "How much trouble do you think it will be to get that thing out of here?". Being the smart a.. I can, occasion demanding, be my reply was to grab the two spindles and say "Not too much". Them giving a hard yank, the mantle came loose from its very primitive anchoring, landing on top of me in the middle of the foyer floor. After making sure that I had not been cut by broken mirror, Management asked, "What are you going to do for your next trick?" I have taken a much more cautious approach to removing anything from the structure. My next big challenge is to replace the winding bottom three stair steps going down into the basement................

[billboard]

I had a bad shop day last Saturday. I hadn't been in there in 3 to 4 weeks due to weather and a bad cold. I went to finish some Christmas projects. For starters I noticed a bowl blank set to the side I had cut a several weeks ago was cracked all the way through. This wood came from the old courthouse grounds from my hometown and I was making a bowl for the courthouse museum. I went to check the pile of leftover wood that I had and all of it is cracked pretty bad. I then went to check the bowl I had started for the courthouse, took it out of the paper bag and it was busted in half. I had sealed and bagged it like always and never had this problem before. THEN, I was making some turned bracelets for my wifes coworkers. 2 out of 3 exploded on the lathe. THEN I had started a bowl several of months ago for a coworker out of oak, had it 75% done and put up to dry. I put it on the lathe to re-turn it and finish and POW, half of it went flying across the shop. I went up to the camera of my shopcam, through up my hands and said this was not a good day and retired to the couch.

[jHop]

My horror story isn't as bad as some here...

i was working on a set of pens for christmas gifts... and the pen mill glued itself to the brass tube. Naturally, I don't have any solvent around... So it's sitting downstairs, occasionally soaking in some brand-new solvent, and I blew my budget getting materials to make gifts, so I can't replace the tool until after Christmas.

Think people want blocks of wood for christmas? Other than us, that is.

[CJC5151]

I just had one of these. I was making a serving tray. Basically I was using a bowl bit to route out the inside. I had the tray sitting on a 1/2 piece of mdr that has non slip material glue to it (like those discs you can buy from rockler) Getting ready to make my final pass i set the depth with a combination square and subtracted 1/2" for my disired bottom thickness. BUT, i didnt take in consideration my bench cookies(or what ever they are called) and routed through the bottom of the bowl. I was literally 5 min from finishing and my wife said she could here me yelling from inside the house. oh well expensive firewood i guess. just another reason not to get in a hurry