I'm frustrated with myself and my ability: venting

[john mclane]

About Christmas time I decided I would make a Tool Cabinet similar to the one described by Jan Zoltowski in the Winter Tools and Shops from Fine Woodworking. Being a relative newbie I knew this would be one of my most complicated projects, but figured since it was going in my downstairs basement it would be a good learning experience, and I vowed I would take my time and do the best I can.

I needed to change the dimension of the project to fit my stone cellar workshop withthe 7 ft ceilings. I drew up plans on sketchup which I had to learn some new techniques in the process. Overall it came out only okay. I am frustrated because some of the the finger joints are not tight, the doors don't quite hang straight and I had some rip out in the plywood. I'm frustrated since in some cases I didn't take every precaution or cut slightly off the lines I drew. In other cases like the door I'm frustrated because I really don't know how to do it correctly.

How do you hang a piano hinge joint straight when the screw holes are on the inside and you have to open the doors to get the hinges on? I used a level to try to hold straight to the rest of the cabinet and replace the screws at least twice but the doors are still off by 1/4 in. How do I learn from this mistake when I still don't know how I can right next time?

I love wood working and the concentration it takes to make things but it is unforgiving when it doesn't go right. I will keep plugging away and vow to cut on the right side of the lines and take every precaution the next time.

Are there other newbies that feel this way sometimes?

[Dennis Peacock]

Oh boy John.....I hear ya a feel your frustration. Went through a bout with all that type stuff when I was making custom knife cases. Tricky it can be for sure.

[Jeff Wright]

Have you joined any local woodworking groups in your area?

[George Morris]

John is this the one that said quick and easy at the top of the page?

Well I built one also and it was not quick and easy , I found the box joints had a lot of tear out when cut and it is not easy to cut them on the table saw when they are 40" high. I feel your frustration my doors are not quite even but will work in the shop . It does give great storage space. But not quick and easy.

[Mike Cutler]

Are there other newbies that feel this way sometimes?

John.
Every woodworker feels this way at some time or the other, regardless of experience.
I just finished a beautiful cutting board out of Bubinga. It was perfect ..... Until I changed the material for the pins on the breadboard. I changed them from walnut to wenge,and blew out the back where the pin exited the other side of the breadboard end, when I installed the wenge pins.
What was a good solid "A "on my project, dropped to a "C".

It happens bro', We learn more from our mistakes than our successes.

[Lee Schierer]

Nearly any project will have things that don't go as we had planned or as well as we would have liked. The trick is to learn from each project and build on the skills.

You don't say what sort of shop equipment you have. You don't need top of the line stuff if the stuff you have is properly aligned and you know what it can and can't do well. The factory settings for perpendicular and 90 or any other angle on the dials they provide are not reliable. Check every set up. I use plastic drafting triangles to check my miter gage to blade and blade angle to table all the time. Getting doors square is a rite of passage sort of thing. The trick is square cuts on all the pieces so that the assembly goes together square so the doors can hang square. Check for squareness every step of the way, preferably before the glue sets up. DAMHIKT.

Piano hinges are a bit tricky but shouldn't be too hard to handle. Put them on the door first with just a few screws. Then put one screw in the top of the hinge on the door frame. Place some double sided tape near the bottom of the hinge. Close the door and line it up. Press the bottom in firmly to set the hinge into the tape. Open the door carefully and install one screw at the bottom of the hinge. Close the door and check every thing. If it is double doored do both doors. Once everything lines up, open the door and drill the rest of the pilot holes for the screws and put in the screws.

[Al Willits]

Join the club John, just got into this insanity a few months ago and its kicking my butt, lots of mistakes and lots of scrap wood, but every now and then a cut goes right and I see some improvement.
Pick easy stuff to start out with, right now I'm doing a basic storage cabinet to put CD's in, just a box with a couple of doors that swing out.
Its got two different types of plywood, finish is rough in spots and I probably couldn't give it away, but it looks better that the first box I made, and hopefully the next one will be a keeper.

I'd suggest trying to take any local classes on woodworking, look into adult education though the public schools or the local Woodcraft/Rockler/wood working stores.
See if there's a local woodworking club, you can meet a lot of nice people at their gathers, I know I have.
And most of, look for the good stuff you do, and just try and improve on the bad, this is one frustrating hobby, but when it goes right, it sure makes ya feel good.

I have gotten a ton of information from this forum too, these guys/gals are more than helpful and glad to help.

Good luck.

Al

[Jim Becker]

We are all our own toughest critics...each project is a learning experience. Each mistake is an opportunity. When we run out of "opportunities"...things get boring.

[john dennis]

John, the only advice I might give is to leave the project alone for a day or two. It's amazing how we can figure out the error of our ways after the anger and frustration has subsided. I build mostly chairs. Rustic chairs. Actually, chairs that are made of branches. Nothing is straight or squared so all my joints have to be very strong to accomodate the wild and twisty ways. I may have three projects going all at the same time, mostly because I'm trying to figure out how in the heck in can fix or accomodate something. Leaving them alone for a day or two definitely works for me.
Good luck and never give up!

[Bill Grumbine]

John, you don'ty have to be a newbie to become frustrated with a piece you are making. We all go through it. Anyone who is completely satisfied with their own work is probably turning out shoddy workmanship and doesn't even care. That is not to say we can't ever be satisfied with a piece that we make, just that overall we will always be seeing ways we could have done it better. No matter how long we do this stuff, there is always room for improvement.

Bill

[John Bailey]

I'm retired and love being in my shop. I took a part-time job for a couple of years to pay for my woodworking and build a woodshop. Then, I lost the part-time job - just as I was about to buy that really nice bandsaw. No problem, I thought, I'll just put my shop to work. I've always wanted to build a small sailboat, I'll just build one, plan on twice as much time as the plans suggest, spend twice as much for materials(and mistakes), sell it for half the amount this type of boat usually sells for, and make enough to buy that bandsaw. Well...after twice the time, and twice the money I'm about half done with the hull - no tellin' when I'm going to finish the hull and turn it over.

My solution - find another part-time job!!

I-feel-your-pain-John

[john mclane]

I appreciate all the encouragment. I do learn a lot from this forum and try to contribute occasionally when I can add my $0.02. I have taken some classes at the local woodcraft but in the one where we built an end table, the instructor paid more attention to the more advanced students but I still did learn a lot even from that. I had checked about a local club but couldn't find anything except a turning club that meets at the Woodcraft shop. Maybe I'll start to go to their meetings. The other classes on using tools have been excellent.

Thanks specifically for the help on installing the piano hinges it sounds like a method I can use for the next time. This project already has too many holes in the hinge region.

Since I do enjoy it I will continue and my wife and I or my sons will occassionally have to look at less then perfect "woodcrafts" and when I do have time in 100 yrs (10 year really) for retirement consider taking one of those week long or more classes.

[john mclane]

John is this the one that said quick and easy at the top of the page?

Well I built one also and it was not quick and easy , I found the box joints had a lot of tear out when cut and it is not easy to cut them on the table saw when they are 40" high. I feel your frustration my doors are not quite even but will work in the shop . It does give great storage space. But not quick and easy.

yes that was the one. I started before Christmas and maybe put about 20 hours into it.

[Jim Dunn]

John, just my opinion, but whenever I start a project I try a new technique by which I can learn something out of. If the box joints tear out I'll try another and add a little something different. That way by the time I'm feel comfortable, I believe I can build something for the upstairs of the house for all to see.

Right now most of my stuff is in the shop and it's getting crowded in here---Help.