Having a bad day

[Andrew Bangs]

This is a new hobby for me so I'll put most of this down to cluelessness and lack of skill, but do you ever have a day when you can't mark a straight line, can't saw straight, can't plane something flat (let alone square) and you end up with a pile of shavings that weighs more than the tiny pieces of usable wood that emerged from what you started with? That's me today.

On the plus side I still have all my fingers, so I can go and practice some more.

[Brian Holcombe]

The two most useful tools I have, a pair of precision ground straight edges and a steel square. Helps to greatly reduce the number of those days when you feel you should have taken the day to meditate on woodworking rather than participate in it.

[Judson Green]

Yup! I know its not wwing related but yesterday I was making a fried egg and forgot to put butter in the pan.

[Zach Dillinger]

Everyone has days where nothing seems to go right. Best thing you can do is just find something easy to do, focus on doing it perfectly, and work yourself back into a rhythm. Even sweeping the floor can be the just the fix you need.

[Jim Koepke]

We all have bad days.

Kind of like the old adage about lemons on lemonade, when the working wood goes wrong, make firewood.

Like Zach said, pick up a broom and sweep those blues away.

jtk

[Brian Ashton]

This is a new hobby for me so I'll put most of this down to cluelessness and lack of skill, but do you ever have a day when you can't mark a straight line, can't saw straight, can't plane something flat (let alone square) and you end up with a pile of shavings that weighs more than the tiny pieces of usable wood that emerged from what you started with? That's me today.

On the plus side I still have all my fingers, so I can go and practice some more.

Big smile on my face... Oh the many days where that's the case over the decades. Unfortunately something usually gets destroyed - generally it's the project that gets pounded into saw dust. I have a cat that knows what all those colourful four letter words mean and when they start flying he runs for the hills.

[Tom Stenzel]

This is a new hobby for me so I'll put most of this down to cluelessness and lack of skill, but do you ever have a day when you can't mark a straight line, can't saw straight, can't plane something flat (let alone square) and you end up with a pile of shavings that weighs more than the tiny pieces of usable wood that emerged from what you started with?

My entire woodworking career, summed up in a single sentence.

-Tom

[steven c newman]

When I have "one of them days", it means it is time for a break, take a little time off from it. For me, it is just a hobby, no time card or schedules for it. Bad day? Maybe tomorrow will be better? Sleep on it, maybe that will reveal what was the problem, and then try again. Above all....RELAX!

[Joe McMahon]

When I have "one of them days", it means it is time for a break, take a little time off from it. For me, it is just a hobby, no time card or schedules for it. Bad day? Maybe tomorrow will be better? Sleep on it, maybe that will reveal what was the problem, and then try again. Above all....RELAX!

Yup, I couldn't agree more. It is your body saying "I don't want to do that today", you are out of rhythm.. On those days, go read a book, take a walk, pet your dog, sweep the shop..... Above everything else DO NOT HANDLE BLADES OR SHARP INSTRUMENTS!!! It will pass. Things will return to normal.

[Tony Wilkins]

My entire woodworking career, summed up in a single sentence.

-Tom

D'oh - me too!

[Terry Beadle]

Yep. Bad days can happen. All good advice above but the best thing is you will be making unseen progress to being a better wood worker. Your brain works on improving your performance even while you are sleeping.

An old mentor said "If you aren't making mistakes, you are not getting better."

Take a break and sweep the saw dust works for me.

Enjoy !

[Shawn Pixley]

I'd love to say that I have never had that kind of day. But that would be a lie. If I find myself in that kind of day, I may switch to cleaning the shop, remedial sharpening, etc....

[Bruce Mack]

Today I awakened depressed at the gaps in the dovetails of my hanging curio cabinet. A few slivers and glue and a hammer made me feel like Frank Klausz.

[Daniel Sutton]

How did it go today?

[george wilson]

I have had such a bad day that a whole guitar I just made was ruined!! Took it outside to spray it. Too cold. Blamo! The back broke open. Total rebuild needed. Over 2 weeks of hard work down the porcelain oasis.:) I did not make that mistake again.

[Andrew Bangs]

Thanks for your stories. Glad it's not just me! George, I winced at reading what happened to your guitar. :(

I decided to (temporarily) move on to a different project - restoring (or, at least, making usable) an old screwdriver. Nothing special, I thought, until I uncovered a Robt Sorby mark under the rust. I might post some pics in another thread later.

[george wilson]

That was back in the 60's,when I was a lot more inexperienced.:)

[Tom M King]

I've been doing this for a living for 41 years now. I've had more than a few of those days during that time. I have enough experience now that I tell the guys, "Let's go home", and they know to put the tools up, and not to ask any questions.

[Jim Morrow]

i'm just happy if i have more good days then bad ones :)