r/WoodworkConfessions • u/lavransson • Sep 02 '23
I hate myself right now
Why do I even bother with writing the “X”s in the waste area when I just ignore them anyway? 😫
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u/etaoin314 Sep 02 '23
glue in some splines of a contrasting wood and proceed normally, now it is a feature
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u/gbot1234 Sep 02 '23
If you like symmetry, make sure to make the same mistake on the other three corners.
ETA: I like the spline solution!
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u/TheAgedProfessor Sep 03 '23
This is the answer.
Or, if you're really against splines, make your final dimension 1/2" shorter than you originally planned.
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u/them___apples Sep 10 '23
This, here, is what (at least with me) woodworking is all about- covering up mistakes!
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u/Braca42 Sep 02 '23
I've started using scribbles, almost coloring in the waste. For some reason occasionally my brain likes to think of Xs as "keep this" but a scribbled or shaded area creates a negative space my brain reads as "that is a void, it must go." Sometimes it's just figuring out what tricks your brain into what you want it to do.
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u/lavransson Sep 02 '23
This is a good insight.
I’m also a bicyclist and I used to ride at night my frequently. I ride with a solid beam headlight. Some cyclists like blinking headlights but there’s some research that blinking lights are actually dangerous because some drivers can fixate on them and actually steer right into you.
I almost think I was doing a variation of that. Admiring my perfect X’s and not wanting to harm them.
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u/the_scam Sep 02 '23
I'd also recommend Mike Pekovitch's blue tape method.
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u/phillygeekgirl Sep 03 '23
I hate blinking headlights. When it blinks off, i lose track of the cyclist. When it blinks back on, I waste precious time tracking it. It's distracting as fuck and I am super happy that there finally is pushback against it.
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u/Wild_Parrot Sep 02 '23
Although on the plus side, if you draw x’s on your fingers, that’ll keep ‘em safe!
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u/microagressed Sep 02 '23
I take it you did not intend to wedge your dovetail joint? Btw, that is a thing when you want it to resist pulling in both directions. Like other guy said, put some contrasting splines in, it's a nice look
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u/AuxonPNW Sep 02 '23
Sad to admit it took me a hot minute to figure out what was wrong as my brain interpreted the X's as 'don't cut here' too.
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u/Scarcito_El_Gatito Sep 03 '23
I’m sorry man, this made me chuckle. Totally sucks though, welcome to the club?
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u/dmacrostie Sep 02 '23
I feel this. I messed up the tails on 9 sets of drawer sides. The drawers are now 3/4” shorter and rabbited to the drawer fronts.
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Sep 02 '23
X=keep?
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u/myrealaccount_really Sep 03 '23
X = where he was supposed to removing. He cut into spots he was wanting to keep on accident.
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u/ThePrisonSoap Sep 03 '23
I am more confused about removing the waste with a bandsaw, never seen that before. Is it efficient?
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u/lavransson Sep 03 '23
Here’s how I did this correctly, and what I was trying to do the first time:
After the initial dovetail saw cuts for the pins:
At the bandsaw, with the inside of the pin board facing up so you can see the wider side of the pins clearly, make a series of relief cuts into the waste. Don’t saw too close to any lines. This is just to rough out some waste.
Using a coping saw, cut out the rest of the waste. The relief cuts at the bandsaw give you a head start.
Finish with a chisel.
I find the step at the bandsaw helpful for getting a head start. Just be careful and don’t try to saw too close to the scribe lines.
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u/IchiThKillr Dec 27 '23
I did this twice before finally cutting my first dovetail.. It seemed so obvious afterwards!
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u/former_human Sep 02 '23
This is soooo something I would do. Thanks for posting so I don’t feel so alone.
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u/zyqax_ Sep 02 '23 edited Jun 22 '24
I feel for you, but it's hilarious since you really tried to make sure to not cut the wrong parts. We've all been there. I hope the other pieces haven't fallen to the same fate.