I have been shamed beyond belief

[Dan Karachio]

I have built my wife so many things in my shop, all painstakingly done and much appreciated. This weekend I was out of town. I come home and what do I see in the upstairs TV den - a new Ikea bookshelf! She bought it on sale, put it together and there it is. It actually doesn't look too bad, but it is not well made. Now, before you get any ideas, my wife actually has very good taste. We have very nice furniture she picked out. She even has a very nice Japanese tonsu - the real deal. I told her I would build a shelve for this same wall, but I am in the midst of two other projects for her and they are going well.

Where did I go wrong? Should I seek some type of combined wood shop marriage counseling?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dan,

My condolences!

Tell your wife the only relief for this shame is for you to buy the most expensive shop tool you have been wanting.:eek:


While it won't completely make you feel better, it is a start!:D

[Mike Cruz]

IKEA? Really? IKEA? Say it ain't so...:mad:

[Dan Karachio]

Guys, I think we are okay. I am calling my lawyer to stop the process of having her committed. She is home now and said it was so cheap, she thought it would be good until I built a better one and just wanted to get things organized. Whew. Still, this could be a warning sign! :D

[Damon Stathatos]

Dan...I've been through this and it ain't pretty.

Ikea's only the beginning. You get sucked into 'it was on sale' so you're lulled into a false sense of security, and sure, you can build me another one 'when you have the time'.

Then you come home one day and begin to find melamine 'dust' around. Innocently you ask about it only to be told to mind your own business. Next you begin to spot Black & Decker tools strewn about, cords unraveled, grounds cut off and guards removed. Ace Hardware begins to show up on your credit card statements, she begins to use the word 'Craftsman' more and more, you begin receiving emails from Harbor Freight, and then it hits you...your Felders and Aganzanis just ain't cutting it anymore.

The only possible chance you have is to get rid of your previous 'junk' and upgrade to Martin. Do it before it's too late to save whatever remaining relationship you may still have left. If that doesn't do the trick, at least you walk away with your Martins.

Best to you, best of luck.

[Dan Blackshear]

The shame is too great....

Seppuku with your biggest Japanese chisel.

Be sure to do it where you bleed on the Ikean offender :D

[David Weaver]

I have built my wife so many things in my shop, all painstakingly done and much appreciated. This weekend I was out of town. I come home and what do I see in the upstairs TV den - a new Ikea bookshelf! She bought it on sale, put it together and there it is. It actually doesn't look too bad, but it is not well made. Now, before you get any ideas, my wife actually has very good taste. We have very nice furniture she picked out. She even has a very nice Japanese tonsu - the real deal. I told her I would build a shelve for this same wall, but I am in the midst of two other projects for her and they are going well.

Where did I go wrong? Should I seek some type of combined wood shop marriage counseling?

I saw your second post. My reaction before that would've been - you got out of this one, now you can enjoy making something you wanted to make rather than what your wife wanted you to make.

There's still time to avoid making a second one. Maybe stretch that ikea shelf out as long as you can and build what you want to build in the interim :D

[glenn bradley]

You definitely could have gotten that shelf done for her really quick if only you had a <insert name of wish-list tool here>.

[Fred Belknap]

If you don't want to be sleeping in the shop or dog house tell her how much you like it. Discretion is the better part of valor. If you can't do that, just act like you can't see it.:rolleyes:

[Cary Falk]

Don't feel bad. A few weeks ago my wife was organizing the Laundry room. She wanted some shelves and cabinets. I wanted to make some built ins but she said she wanted them yesterday since she was in the mood to organize. I already have on my plate 2 kids beedroom sets, a sofa table, etc.... So, she drug me to Target to buy cheap particle board cr@p and then made me put it together. I felt kind of dirty afterwards and felt I needed to take a shower to wash off the particle board. In the end she was happy because she got her organization done while she was in the mood. Pick you battles.

[Dan Karachio]

Thanks! All is very wise advice.

[Bob Rossi]

Reverse psychology, tell her how much you love the new shelf and that there is no way you could improve on it. Suggest replacing existing furniture with fine furniture from ikea. Tell her you could sell your tools to finance a whole-house ikea makeover! Tell her how nice the house will smell as the toxic finish used by the third-world artisans out-gasses!

[John Coloccia]

You need to stop this now. Ikea is the gateway drug. Next, she'll be bringing home Walmart bookshelves, or worse. Heck, she could start getting into the Martha Stewart collection. She'll say it's under control, and you'll convince yourself it's not a problem until she starts hitting the garage sales. And then she'll start picking up those old beat up items people put on their lawns with a "Free!" sign on them.

[Chris Damm]

Luckily I went out and got the mail yesterday. There was a Ikea catalog in it that didn't make it past the garbage can. Got to nip that in the bud!

[Don Alexander]

with a little bit of luck she will overload it with something heavy and it will not be up to the task :D:D

[Karl Card]

Well, TOOLS go on sale to right??????

[Harold Burrell]

Guys, I think we are okay. I am calling my lawyer to stop the process of having her committed...

Maybe...she is in the process of having you committed. And she is in the process of finding furniture that she needs because she knows you won't be around much longer...:eek:

This could be more serious than you think.