Recovery from mistakes

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JimD

Jim
Senior User
I am near completion of a bedroom set based loosely on the design in Woodsmith 34. I need to finish the 4 drawers for the chest and I'm done. I planned the wood and cut it to size yesterday but didn't feel up to the dovetails. They are just machine cut but the plans call for a 3/16 offset at the top and a 11/16 at the bottom. Both control how deep the drawer goes into the chest and the bottom one gets a cove on the back as a finger pull. I cut the dovetails this morning and figured out I cut all the pieces 6 1/8. The fronts need to be 7 inches. What to do.

I could have pulled more wood off the rack, planned it and cut to size. That would have taken an hour or two (my planner is a lunchbox and has to take little bites). But this piece is stained and for a guest room and I decided glueing on a piece would be OK. I didn't think of it in time but I could have offset the dovetails on the top and glued a 7/8 piece on the bottom. But what I have started is gluing a 3/16 piece to the top and a 11/16 to the bottom. That let me cut all the dovetails normally. All the joints are cut and the first drawer front is in the clamps. I don't have enough clamps of the size I want to use to do them all at once. But next time I go to the shop I will take the first out, glue up the second and probably cut all the dados for the bottoms. Either that visit or the next, I will cut the bottom plywood. So I have three more visits to complete the glueups but can do a little more work each visit.

How do you deal with mistakes? Does it depend on the project? I usually cut the bigger pieces first so I can recycle them into smaller pieces if I make a mistake. I think dealing with mistakes is one of those things you have to learn. In my opinion, some are live with it and others are not.
 

Plunkett

Lee
Senior User
I usually lay down on the shop floor and stare blankly into the ceiling. I then figure out the hardest way to fix it and get back to work. I'm still at the work hard and dumb phase of my woodworking life. :gar-Bi
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
I usually lay down on the shop floor and stare blankly into the ceiling. I then figure out the hardest way to fix it and get back to work. I'm still at the work hard and dumb phase of my woodworking life. :gar-Bi

Sounds like a plan to me.
 

Rwe2156

DrBob
Senior User
Before throwing something in the burn pile, I think of ways to make call a mistake a "design change".

For example in your case you might consider edging the drawer fronts to create sort of cockbead. A trim like that can turn a ho hum flat drawer front into something with a little interest.
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I glued on the extra pieces, sanded the parts, cut a 1/2 inch chamfer on the top (decorative) and a 1/2 cove on the back of the fronts at the bottom. From the front, the added pieces at the top are part of the chamfer. I just glued up the drawers but I'm running out of steam. I think finish will come tomorrow. I'm staining the outside walnut and might get to that. I'll try and post some pictures tomorrow. I think the glueup at the bottom will be visible but not objectionable. A glueup for a 7 inch wide piece is not unusual but 4 drawers do not normally have it in the same spot.

The typical user will be one of my kids. Fortunately they like my stuff. Both have a couple bedroom sets in their houses.
 

shawn

New User
shawn
Before throwing something in the burn pile, I think of ways to make call a mistake a "design change".

For example in your case you might consider edging the drawer fronts to create sort of cockbead. A trim like that can turn a ho hum flat drawer front into something with a little interest.

True. Many design innovations come from mistakes. Also, they are only mistakes if you don't learn from them.
 

bowman

Board of Directors, Webmaster
Neal
Staff member
Corporate Member
I usually lay down on the shop floor and stare blankly into the ceiling. I then figure out the hardest way to fix it and get back to work. I'm still at the work hard and dumb phase of my woodworking life. :gar-Bi

We must be related! :rotflm:
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
Dresser.JPG

I hope this works. I am late attaching a picture but I just attempted to do it. One of the goals of this bedroom set was to clear out some materials from the shop. I used old oak stair treads for 5/4 stock, for instance. Drawers are planned down 1X softwood from closet shelves. I also used some rough sawn 4 quarter oak I've had on hand for over 5 years. I think it came out OK, despite my mistakes and despite my decision to recycle material.
 

FredP

Fred
Corporate Member
View attachment 29425

I hope this works. I am late attaching a picture but I just attempted to do it. One of the goals of this bedroom set was to clear out some materials from the shop. I used old oak stair treads for 5/4 stock, for instance. Drawers are planned down 1X softwood from closet shelves. I also used some rough sawn 4 quarter oak I've had on hand for over 5 years. I think it came out OK, despite my mistakes and despite my decision to recycle material.

So... How'd you get that window in the ceiling? :rotflm: And the drawers are all vertical too!:gar-Bi Looks good.:icon_thum:icon_thum
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
It looks darn nice and my picture is oriented correctly. Nice recovery and reuse too!






View attachment 29425

I hope this works. I am late attaching a picture but I just attempted to do it. One of the goals of this bedroom set was to clear out some materials from the shop. I used old oak stair treads for 5/4 stock, for instance. Drawers are planned down 1X softwood from closet shelves. I also used some rough sawn 4 quarter oak I've had on hand for over 5 years. I think it came out OK, despite my mistakes and despite my decision to recycle material.
 
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