I .. am a great big chicken

[Beamer]

Coffee table progress of sorts has been made! I've been in the shop making up a jig for doing the sliding dovetails I need to continue.

These two sliding dovetails are ... more than critical ... they've got to be right and I only get one shot. It's two sliding dovetails across a veneered panel (anyone remember that panel?) that's surrounded by some nice arched aprons which are M&T into the legs.

The dovetails have to go through both aprons and the veneered panel. So there ain't no way I was gonna be able to just slice the dovetails on each part before glue up - i ain't that good, no how. Plus, these are visible dovetails ... so everything has to be perfect.

Well just before I wrecked the bike, I glued all those bits together in preparation for the big important sliding dovetail cut ... i'm just gettin' back to 'em now ...

This morning, I put together a couple guides for my router to run against. Did a couple test cuts and satisfied myself that the jig would work, and well.

Then I puttered around with moving my tool chest up off the floor and onto the counter.

Then I went about organizing my sockets into said tool chest.

Then I moved the phone to a better location.

Then the thermometer.

See a pattern, here?

Well I finally sucked it up and started measuring for where these sliding dovetails need to be. 8 or 10 measurings later to be SURE SURE, yay a distraction! It dawned on me that the frame and panels that are going into these sliding dovetails haven't been flattened yet - still some slight ridges at the joinery. Salvation!

So I pulled out the drum sander and spent a few minutes with it getting the panels a uniform, FLAT thickness. This was probably my last stall tactic and I knew it ...

So I put the jig in place. Clamped everything nice and neat.

Put "blowout" blocks on each side of the cut.

Made sure the router bit was TIGHT TIGHT in the router.

Tightened all the base plate screws, too, for good measure.

Tightened the guide collar twice.

Checked all the clamps again in case they moved on me while I wasn't lookin'.

Set the bit depth and triple checked it.

Hung the cord up so it wouldn't snag on either trip (down and back, it's a two-pass cut).

Passed the router back and forth as though making the cut a couple hundred times to be sure it wouldn't hang up on anything...

hemmed...

hawed ...


Got my dust mask on.

Got my eye goggles on.

Put my earphones on.

Knelt down and set the router in place...

Looked up at the cord to be sure it wouldn't snag.

Took a deep breath...

Turned on the router ...

Started to venture into wood - got about a quarter inch from making the cut ...

My gut ... see ... the last time I ignored my gut feeling, I laid the bike down...

So I shut the router off and shut off the lights and went into the house ... here i am, posting how big a chicken chit I am.

This is a HUGE cut. The only variable I think I have left is whether that veneer stuck down good enough and won't explode under the bit. Everything else that I can think of is checked, rechecked, rerechecked and then checked once more.

But if something goes wrong now ... i have half a coffee table that may become ruined (depending on how bad the phantom mistake is).

I do NOT want to screw this up. I also do not want to change my design to avoid this particular cut. I just ... need to dwell on it some more, that's all.





Bawk! BAWK!!

[Ruffnek]

Jason,

On the rig I just left after 5 years, we had several new, young drillers. The drillers are the ones who operate the drilling equipment, hoisting loads well in excess of 1 million pounds and responsible for monitoring all of the drilling parameters to ensure nothing rips or tears.

The rig has touch-screen controls for all the ancillary functions and a joystick for the primary block which does the hoisting. These type rigs are technological marvels but they are SLOW! Part of that is the built-in controls but much of it is the hesitancy of the drillers to "push the envelope" at times.

And there were times when the envelope needed to be pushed, whether it was keeping the drill string from sticking or going through a bridge in the hole or getting casing to the desired depth...just lots of situations where I would tell them that they needed to "get rough" with it.

When they were still hesitant for fear of tearing something up, I would routinely tell them, "It's only iron and there are 1.3 billion Chinese who don't give a chit about it." After putting it in perspective they would almost always proceed in the manner I wanted.

It's the same with your coffee table. Yes, it's important to you but if you screw it up, nobody dies, the sun comes up tomorrow and 1.3 billion Chinese won't care one whit.

Grow a pair buddy and make that cut! We'll all be rooting for you. ;D

[Leo Voisine]

Jason

Been there done that.

But

Cody said it nicely.

Next time you are 1/4 inch away.

PUSH your will through the cut.

After all - what is there to loose - a piece of wood? OK - so it's expensive. If it's too expensive - you got the wrong hobby.

Now git your a$$ in there and DO IT.

[brburns]

You need to start drinking while you work. You don't want to delay the important cuts becaus it makes it more likely you mess up.

[Doug B]

Jun 5, 2010 20:34:10 GMT -6 brburns said:

You need to start drinking while you work. You don't want to delay the important cuts becaus it makes it more likely you mess up.

LMAO! Yeah, that would definitely work! ;D

Go for it Jason, you learn from your mistakes and the bigger the cost of the mistake the better you learn the lesson. He who hesitates is lost!

[sawduster]

Guess this means we'll need to find a smiley faced chicken to include with the smileys at the new site, huh?

[rhull]

[sawduster]

There we go. Thanks, Rob.

[Leo Voisine]

We certainly need a smiley eating popcorn too.

[Beamer]

Got one of those!

[Leo Voisine]

kooowelll

;D ;D

[Doug B]

Here's the one I'd like to see...



CHEERS!

[elizabeth]

Oh, Jason! Are you sure you weren't in my shop today?

[gomer]

Jason, Better to be a chicken chit than a sorry woodworker. You seem to be a lot like I WISH I was. I would have screwed it up already. Make that cut when you feel comfortable about it. Gut feelings are correct more times than not.

[Ruffnek]

Jun 6, 2010 14:47:48 GMT -6 gomer said:

Jason, Better to be a chicken chit than a sorry woodworker. You seem to be a lot like I WISH I was. I would have screwed it up already. Make that cut when you feel comfortable about it. Gut feelings are correct more times than not.

I think you and I have a lot in common, Gomer. On something like Jason's cut, I would have already thrown caution to the winds, damned the torpedos and made the cut...probably errantly as I would have realized a few seconds too late.

But, what the hey, it's only wood, eh?

[Jim Brown]

Analysis = good. Paralysis = bad. The hard part is knowing which is which before it's too late!

[gomer]

Jun 6, 2010 17:42:29 GMT -6 Ruffnek said:

Jun 6, 2010 14:47:48 GMT -6 gomer said:

Jason, Better to be a chicken chit than a sorry woodworker. You seem to be a lot like I WISH I was. I would have screwed it up already. Make that cut when you feel comfortable about it. Gut feelings are correct more times than not.

I think you and I have a lot in common, Gomer. On something like Jason's cut, I would have already thrown caution to the winds, damned the torpedos and made the cut...probably errantly as I would have realized a few seconds too late.

But, what the hey, it's only wood, eh?

Yup, It's only wood is right. With my luck though, it would be the piece that took six weeks to locate, go to get another and the price has doubled. That is just the way I have come to expect things to happen sometimes. But, what the hey, it's only money, eh? Can't take it w/ us.

[boodrow]

Beamer I get in a situation like that sometimes , just cant pull the trigger , Its hard to think ur fixin to screw up something uve put alot of time in. Drink u a 6 pack of natty lite and go for it my friend.
Boodrow

[elizabeth]

Jun 6, 2010 20:07:14 GMT -6 Jim Brown said:

Analysis = good. Paralysis = bad. The hard part is knowing which is which before it's too late!

I like that Something else that may be helpful is "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good". I tell myself that a lot. Jason, take your time. You're not a chicken but a great sport to take the teasing ;D If you rush it you may deeply regret it. If you're still not comfortable about it, sleep over it.

Where's the beer!

[dcarter636]

This is why we keep a supply of cheap wood, off cuts, and scraps, on hand for test cuts.

Sometimes the real cut is the third or fourth cut.