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Lightweightladylefty
1263 posts
and
28 followers
in over 10 years
in over 10 years
Good News! I made virtually perfect dovetails on a drawer box today!
No, they weren’t hand cut. I have a really rinky-dink dovetail jig that is impossible to set up for consistently accurate dovetails. I had already made 2 of the 7 drawers for my current project and neither of them was even close to perfect. I was so proud of how perfectly these drawer sides aligned and how tightly all four corners fit. Then I went to route the groove for the bottom and . . . Bad News! . . . I realized I had reversed the pins and tails. What a bummer!
Has anyone else ever done something so stupid? My excuse is that the drawers are 15” deep and 22” wide which is opposite of what I usually make . . . well . . . it’s always good to find some sort of defense for my obtuseness.
Proverbs 16:18
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Benjamin Franklin
13 Replies
Consider it a learning experience, it’s tough tho. I can’t count the times I have done similar mistakes, prob easier to count the times I didn’t make a learning mistake. My empathy.
CHRIS, Charlottetown PEI Canada. Anytime you can repurpose, reuse, or recycle, everyone wins!
My scrap pile is full of the bones of projects who’s completion depended upon my abilities with my dovetail jig. Believe me I share your heartache.
Jack
Hehe… I think we covered this topic of paying attention in another thread recently. ;-)
Anyway, the bright side is you know it can be done. Next time you’ll raise the bar substantially.
Losing fingers since 1969
I have absolutely never, ever, made any mistakes like that… and my dovetails are always perfect after I sit the jig on the bench.
"I long for the day when coke was a cola and a joint was a bad place to be" Merle Haggartd
Thorreain, I just wish my “learning experiences” would stick with me and I didn’t need to do so much re-learning!
Jack, I considered whether I should design another project to use the perfect drawer box so that not so much would go on the scrap pile!
Brian, I keep trying to raise the bar and have found it’s just easier to bend over and crawl under it!
Fred, at least you’ve got a positive attitude. I just wish my jig could do my thinking for me!
L/W
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Benjamin Franklin
You are my new hero Fred!
Jack
Was it a mistake or a lesson ?
Wheaties
I love the idea of building a piece to highlight an excelent drawer. Maybe an acrylic table with the drawer displayed proudly within?
-- Alec (Friends call me Wolf, no idea why)
Bruce, I’ll claim it was a lesson . . . and that I purposely did it so I could learn. ;-)
Wolf, I’ll remember your great idea for the next time (IF I ever make another virtually perfect dovetail). I already used the longer sides to cut the parts for the shorter sides. As usual, a day late and a dollar short!
L/W
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Benjamin Franklin
lightweightladylefty , I have had many lessons . I spent most of my life fabricating and welding , We didn’t make mistakes " Just an onsite adjustment "
Wheaties
Happy Mother’s Day and best wishes !
Bruce, ;-) LOL
Moment, thanks for the Mother’s Day wish.
L/W
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Benjamin Franklin
3fingerpat, I’m glad to see that I’m not alone . . . except that it is highly unlikely that I will ever attempt, let alone master, hand-cut dovetails!
L/W
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Benjamin Franklin
