Confession is good for the soul - admit your mistakes!

[alan2001]

I think it's pretty obvious to anyone reading any of my posts that I'm a beginner to woodworking, and I've made a lot of mistakes along the way. But I've never minded admitting to them and don't mind giving people a laugh at my expense.

So, in the spirit of sharing and learning and perhaps slightly taking the mickey, how about posting up some examples of those really *daft* mistakes you've made?

I'll start with my most recent. I was kinda pleased with myself for devising a so-called 'quick release' bolting system with wingnuts for my bench vice, so I could easily remove it when I needed the space. I only realised the flaw in that plan when I removed it for the first time yesterday.

dome-headed bolts that you can't turn with a screwdriver should probably never be a part of any 'quick release' thing, ever. now replaced with socket head cap screws. (hammer)

 

[Jacob]

..
dome-headed bolts that you can't turn with a screwdriver should probably never be a part of any 'quick release' thing..

If anything; the opposite. But you could bear it in mind as a "security" fitting, designed to hinder vice thieves!

 

[adidat]

happily cutting a piece of wood shorter when making a picture frame, without remembering that mitres are much longer (homer) (hammer)

adidat

 

[merlin]

I measured a set of joists once for a house, trouble was that my tape measure was a bit short but only by the length of the tape body so with that added on all was good - tea time.
Went back and cut the lot and yes without the body added on! He who never made a muck up never made muck all.
Merlin.

 

[studders]

I don't make mistakes....





They arrive uninvited.






And are always someone elses fault.

 

[doctor Bob]

I once made a mistake ...... 1985 I think it was ...... pressed too hard with my pencil and broke the tip .... never forget it.

 

[gregmcateer]

Replacing 3 original doors with handmade from reclaimed joists.
All fine and dandy when they arrived - Just too short! Why?, Why? Why?
I'd gone and measured the old doors that had been planed away for thick carpet, not the frigging frames!
I was so p'=-*%£ off the missus didn't even have a go!
Greg

 

[kalvt22]

I remember fitting joists once in a barn conversion. Fitted them all, noggined out - but when we came to remove the ladder we realised a joist was going through the treads. We weren't sure if it was better to cut the ladder or the joist!

 

[Doug B]

Citroen Dispatch #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o



Nuff said :lol:

 

[Jonzjob]

I remember fitting joists once in a barn conversion. Fitted them all, noggined out - but when we came to remove the ladder we realised a joist was going through the treads. We weren't sure if it was better to cut the ladder or the joist!

You should have left the ladder there. What a talking point :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

The last time I made a mastike was when I thought I had!! 8) 8)

 

[Mark A]

Citroen Dispatch...Nuff said :lol:

We used to have a Fiat Scudo - what was up with your Dispatch?

Mistakes.... all the usual!

 

[adidat]

Fiat

Fix It Again Tomorrow 8)

adidat

 

[Mark A]

Fiat

Fix It Again Tomorrow 8)

adidat

Exactly. The common rail system decided to die 3 times in all before we sold the van. The injectors were not seated properly by the mechanic the first time and so were slowly eating away at the cylinder head. Also started very badly and hated winter - had to push-start it every time when it was really cold! Not fun when it stalls at traffic lights on a motorway roundabout pointing up hill, with a big queue of traffic behind getting impatient and it's snowing. Let's just say I don't miss it!

 

[mailee]

I once made a mistake ...... 1985 I think it was ...... pressed too hard with my pencil and broke the tip .... never forget it.

You are lucky you could find it Bob.....I never can, even though I put it down three minutes ago! :roll:
I always follow the old addage.........measure twice..........cut wrong!

 

[studders]

........measure twice..........cut wrong!

A classic example I think of it not being my mistake...

I always cut where the Tape told me to, not my fault if the Tape got it wrong... twice.

:|

It's also the fault, when I go to all the trouble of switching it on, of the extractor leaving itself connected to the wrong machine.
And as for Machines/Tools that fail to let me know they are still set up for that 'odd cut' when I want a 90 degree cut.. well, words fail me.

 

[alan2001]

..
dome-headed bolts that you can't turn with a screwdriver should probably never be a part of any 'quick release' thing..

If anything; the opposite. But you could bear it in mind as a "security" fitting, designed to hinder vice thieves!

indeed! if a mistake is discovered or questioned, i suppose it's a useful skill to turn it into a positive.

less ego and denial and car issues would be more entertaining, please. :wink:

 

[Benchwayze]

Making a 'story stick' for sizing a doorway, in a friend's house. Simply marking the stick for width and length, I neglected to put any more information on the 'stick'.

Of course I cut the rails to the width of the 'waste' at the end of the stick. Which meant the door was too narrow. Of course I didn't realise this until I got back to the job the next day!
And the door was in Honduras Mahogany. Expensive mistake.

John :mrgreen:

 

[Mark A]

Making a 'story stick' I neglected to put any more information on the 'stick'.

I did this when making a cupboard to cover the consumer unit in our house, though I both transferred the marks of the waste side AND got the vertical and horizontal mixed up, so it was too small and the wrong way round!

I've also cut a load of pieces to length with my mitre saw, and then realising afterwards when I did a dry assembly that I set the saw to 87 degrees last time I used it and didn't change it back.

When making my workbench I used polyurethane glue but didn't realise that it was the 5 minute variety because the lable was ripped off. Very stressful trying to put it together while stood in the middle of the base without any long clamps so had to improvise with rope and crowbars to use as a tourniquet.

And the top coming off the big bottle of superglue and sticking my hands to two different tables...... :roll:

The list goes on :mrgreen:

Mark

 

[Benchwayze]

Mark,


Those who understand 'Compounding', realise that once things start going wrong.... :mrgreen:

I know the feeling...

I once had to cut lap-dovetails, with the sockets at the ends of a six-foot board. I spent hours cogitating over how I was going to cut them without standing on a stool. After a few days, I realised I could put the board in the vice sideways, and slope it so I could lean over the vice from the side to cut the sockets.

John

 

[promhandicam]

Forgetting to change the plunge depth on the domino when changing from a larger cutter to a smaller one and wondering why I have obround holes in my work bench and dominos that go all the way through a carcase :roll: