New weekly thread idea... A la 'Creeker's Weekend Accomplishments'...

[Michael Dunn]

I've had this in mind for a month or so.


Creeker's Bonehead Mistakes

I have many, but here's one really silly one that had me perplexed until I realized what the heck I was doing.

Leading up to Mother's Day I was making some picture frames for my mother and my MIL.

I was sanding with 320 between clear coats as recommended. I was using adhesive backed sandpaper as that was the 320 I had at the moment. So I rubbing the sandpaper all over. It felt like the clear cost wasn't dry. But it certainly was dry. 12 hours had passed.

So I felt it to see if it was getting smoother. It was. This repeated about three times. Until I realized...










I was rubbing the adhesive over the workpiece!!! Bonehead!!!

So what are some of your bonehead mistakes?

[Metod Alif]

I accomplish screw-ups on weekdays, and spend weekends on fixing them.:confused:.
Best wishes,
Metod

[Mike Wilkins]

Recent project. Planing some cherry to wrap a tabletop. Did not check the thickness while I was planing. Planed too much. Wood too thin. Slap self up side the head. Practice profanity.

[David Weaver]

Needed to make interior trim to match flooring in my house, the trim needed to cover HVAC lines from a split system that is 10 feet in from the exterior wall, and that runs an L shape, straight down out of the interior exchanger unit and then along the floor.

I can only fit 8 foot stock in my car, so I dovetailed together two boards so at least the joint would be interesting visually.

When I hauled the whole assembly upstairs, it was 6 inches short. :confused:

No clue where I measured wrong. That was my bonehead move of the week. Had to patch more on the end of it, and since the whole 3 dimensional thing was already pinned and glued, the piece patched on doesn't match "visual standards" with the rest. Thankfully, the plan is to have a couch in front of it, so the dovetailed part will be visible and the cobbled end won't.

[Michael Dunn]

Well, my latest bonehead mistake came today when setting up to spray some GF Conversion Varnish. Initially I added the appropriate 10% of the catalyst. Then a little voice told me, "it's supposed to be 4:1 poly/cat". So I added the extra inappropriate amount. Thankfully I noticed this as I was mixing before spraying on a test piece. I guess it starts to catalyze sooner when you put 2.5 times the intended amount.

So I had to dump it out and clean the gun and the tank and all that jazz. Very frustrating day that fortunately ended up pretty well overall.

Oh, I forgot to strain it too. Thankfully I noticed this before I poured it into the gun.

Bonehead!!!

[James Baker SD]

If I report all my mistakes, I will quickly become the number 1 most prolific poster here.

[Brian Kent]

A few years back I had waterlox in one cup and coffee in another. I accidentally gave my coffee table a nice smooth coat of coffee. Shop lighting wasn't so good in those days.

[Alden Miller]

When trimming out windows in my shop this weekend, measured opening (36"), measured case work width (5"), cut window stool 41" instead of 46" (case work on both sides of the window you idiot). Luckily I was able to salvage the pieces I cut for trimming the header of the window.

-Alden

[Larry Fox]

A few years back I had waterlox in one cup and coffee in another. I accidentally gave my coffee table a nice smooth coat of coffee. Shop lighting wasn't so good in those days.

HA - funny. Good thing that it went that way and you didn't give your innards a good coating of Waterlox.

I once did something similar where I did an entire French polishing session with BLO instead of shellac. I thought I had finally perfected my technique as it went on real smooth without any "grabbing" at all.

[Jim Rimmer]

I like this thread idea, although I have not personally ever made a bonehead misteak. :rolleyes:

[David Nelson1]

Not a mistake but it is a bone head move, I was adding a slider to my table saw which was supposed to have a 49 inch cross cut capability. After installation and getting everything square I realized I was only getting about 39 inches. I made quite a few adjustments moving the miter fence and no matter what I did it worked out the same. 4 days later with a fresh set of eyes and clear head I figured out the back of the blade doesn't cut duh!!!!

[Mike Cozad]

misteak. :rolleyes: Bahaha! Now that's funny!

[Alan Lightstone]

Table saw blade on backwards.

Funny, this cherry really seems to burn no matter what I do.... Hmm...

[Jamie Lynch]

I was building a new router table top yesterday and I started cutting the dado for the miter slot. Stupid me took a shortcut and didnt make a test cut. So the dado is now a full 3/4" to wide for about half the length of the miter slot. Chiseled it square and filled it with a strip of scrap. Now I will always have a reminder to make test cuts and not take stupid shortcuts.

[Mike Waddell]

Completing some drawers for a new router table, I had juuuuust enough 1/2" ply to make the last four drawer sides. Cut two of the sides 2" too short. Began that day's profanity practice session; evening in the shop ended.