Chimpin' for Britain
- Thread starter Smudger
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Smudger
Established Member
I guess it's because we are amateurs, still really in the apprentice stage of our skill development. I generally only make mistakes once (this was an exception) but I tend not to repeat jobs, so every one is a learning experience.
Mind you, this is the second spice cupboard and the fifth Le Bodge™ carcase jobbie so I don't really have a problem with that any more. What I really want to improve on is measuring and cutting accuracy.
Mind you, this is the second spice cupboard and the fifth Le Bodge™ carcase jobbie so I don't really have a problem with that any more. What I really want to improve on is measuring and cutting accuracy.
wizer
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I've taken to building prototypes of everything I build. Like this jewellery box I'm building, I started with an Iroko prototype and built it two steps ahead of the good one. The Iroko one is turning out to be quite a nice box actually. But I'm not fussed if it goes tits up.
It's not completely foolproof. But it's reduces the catastrophic cockups.
It's not completely foolproof. But it's reduces the catastrophic cockups.
Smudger
Established Member
I did that with some shelves, using MDF. Mrs S now uses them in her workshop!
I must get into boxes. If you see what I mean.
I must get into boxes. If you see what I mean.
jlawrence
Established Member
For us newcomers this type of thread is the best.
Everyone make cockups - regardless of experience - but what makes the difference between someone who has a clue and someone who doesn't is how they fix said cockups.
Me I would likely have smacked it a good few times with a hammer before thinking of putting runners under the shelves.
Everyone make cockups - regardless of experience - but what makes the difference between someone who has a clue and someone who doesn't is how they fix said cockups.
Me I would likely have smacked it a good few times with a hammer before thinking of putting runners under the shelves.
Smudger
Established Member
I think what it has taught me really is to keep it simple, stupid.
The first plan was to put in shelf runners, because there will be no adjustment possible on the shelves (the contents are a fixed size). But I decided to put adjustable supports in, just because I could. I've got a jig, a router and a box of assorted shelf supports. Use them!
Which made the whole thing much more complicated for a reason I didn't understand when I started (the sides are not symmetrical around their horizontal axis, only the vertical).
I then decided I wanted to cut the rebates at the back by hand, which I did using a Record 043. At the time I was thinking of making the back out of tongue and grooved French timber called lambris, a bit more than a quarter of an inch thick. Which meant changing the settings on the 043, which made me decide to sharpen it. So I actually came back to the wood about 20 minutes later.
By that time I had lost sight of the orientation of the sides, and cut the rebate on the wrong side on one of them, so that instead of the uppermost holes being the top, they were actually the bottom. I vaguely remember thinking that I wanted a particular side to be the outside, so that may also have been a part of it. Because the sides had not been dimensioned to suit the jig, the holes were not centred, and so not aligned.
So a series of little mistakes (and one big one) led to a pretty rubbish outcome. You only have to lose the plot for a second...
The first plan was to put in shelf runners, because there will be no adjustment possible on the shelves (the contents are a fixed size). But I decided to put adjustable supports in, just because I could. I've got a jig, a router and a box of assorted shelf supports. Use them!
Which made the whole thing much more complicated for a reason I didn't understand when I started (the sides are not symmetrical around their horizontal axis, only the vertical).
I then decided I wanted to cut the rebates at the back by hand, which I did using a Record 043. At the time I was thinking of making the back out of tongue and grooved French timber called lambris, a bit more than a quarter of an inch thick. Which meant changing the settings on the 043, which made me decide to sharpen it. So I actually came back to the wood about 20 minutes later.
By that time I had lost sight of the orientation of the sides, and cut the rebate on the wrong side on one of them, so that instead of the uppermost holes being the top, they were actually the bottom. I vaguely remember thinking that I wanted a particular side to be the outside, so that may also have been a part of it. Because the sides had not been dimensioned to suit the jig, the holes were not centred, and so not aligned.
So a series of little mistakes (and one big one) led to a pretty rubbish outcome. You only have to lose the plot for a second...
Charlotte
Established Member
If this is the 'fess up' thread, I've been making a dressing table recently. Came to fit the doors and the carcasses are not square - partly because I don't have enough clamps to do what I was trying to do, mainly because I didn't have the experience to know that I needed to glue up differently.
I have a lovely wood yard and took them dimensions for some knew doors to be cut - and they laughed at me when I pointed out that actually the dimensions are (whatever I scribbled on a post it) because NONE of the corners are square.
I have a lovely wood yard and took them dimensions for some knew doors to be cut - and they laughed at me when I pointed out that actually the dimensions are (whatever I scribbled on a post it) because NONE of the corners are square.
Smudger
Established Member
I use these
to keep things square when gluing up, use large T-squares and measure diagonals. That way you stand a fighting chance! If all else fails, use a temporary Jinx's corner.
to keep things square when gluing up, use large T-squares and measure diagonals. That way you stand a fighting chance! If all else fails, use a temporary Jinx's corner.
barkwindjammer
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Smudger
Established Member
That's me on the left
BradNaylor
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The received wisdom seems to be that the shelf stud holes for a cabinet such as Dick's should be drilled in the carcass sides before assembly.
"Bollocks!" I say.
For exactly the reason here I always drill them after assembly using a simple jig made from a suitable off-cut of 6mm MDF marked clearly 'Top' and 'Bottom' and a lip and spur drill bit. Ignore all ridiculous suggestions that a router should be used.
As Dick says, keep it simple stupid!
:lol:
Brad
"Bollocks!" I say.
For exactly the reason here I always drill them after assembly using a simple jig made from a suitable off-cut of 6mm MDF marked clearly 'Top' and 'Bottom' and a lip and spur drill bit. Ignore all ridiculous suggestions that a router should be used.
As Dick says, keep it simple stupid!
:lol:
Brad
Mr T
Established Member
Hi Dick
I suspect you were not "in the zone" when you fitted the shelves http://www.christribe.co.uk/blog/in-the-zone/00004.html
Chris
I suspect you were not "in the zone" when you fitted the shelves http://www.christribe.co.uk/blog/in-the-zone/00004.html
Chris
Smudger
Established Member
I was in a different zone altogether, I was in the Zen planing zone...
You have to go there when you are planing grooves, rebates and beads. Like sanding...
You have to go there when you are planing grooves, rebates and beads. Like sanding...
studders
Established Member
Some days I appear to be 'Not on the Right Planet' never mind in the zone. Almost as if it wasn't me that cocked it up in some mind bogglingly stupid way. Sadly it is me.
Smudger
Established Member
And those days get more frequent the older you get...
studders
Established Member
Smudger":2p927uhr said:
Trouble is I then spend an extraordinary amount of time trying to work out 'How the hell did you manage to do that'. I should know better by now, just accept it and move on, but I don't. :?
woodbloke
Established Member
Some days though, I can just walk into the 'shop and nothing, no matter what I do, will go right :twisted: Best then to shut up 'shop and go and have a brew - Robstudders":3vlaawal said:
studders
Established Member
woodbloke":3hhawbpi said:
And pour hot water into the tea caddy/coffee jar. :?
Yes I have those 'days' too.
woodbloke
Established Member
studders":2dyjlicn said:
Been there, done that
...and those sorts of days come more frequently now - Rob
