I’m reaching a critical phase on a build that’s been in the works for a long time. I’ve iterated the design many times, some of the key parts are roughed out, and now things are starting to get real. I’m entering the phase of the project when potential mistakes are getting very intimidating. Up to now, this has felt like a creative process. Now I am going into the territory where I have the potential to ruin things–things that are expensive, precious dues to scarcity (such as sentimentally valuable wood), or that have a lot of time/effort invested in them already. The catch-22 is of course that the best way to have the confidence to move ahead is to have done many high-stakes projects before.
Do other contributors have any advice on how to cultivate a go-for-it mindset?
The project is ambitious for me technically, containing a number of different techniques that I have not used before, plus the most expensive piece of wood I’ve ever purchased (which is replaceable at great cost) as well as some extremely old heirloom wood (over 200 years) that I have more of but I sure hate the idea of wasting even a splinter of it.
Replies
You're definitely not alone in feeling this way! The tension of moving into the high-stakes phase can be daunting, especially with expensive materials.
In woodworking, every time you tackle a new technique or work with precious materials, there’s going to be some resistance and doubt. But that’s the beauty of growth in this craft. Pushing your boundaries is how you gain skill.
Remember, the best have made more mistakes than you - that's why they're the best.
Perhaps a parallel build? Making a second one in something like white pine or poplar is my go-to on new or complex projects. Mess it up?.. lesson learned and applied to the "real one". I have never had trouble finding a home for the "test" items that reach the finish line.
I agree, I recently starting making Windsor chairs (hobbyist, not professional), and practiced getting the layout, drilling and reaming right on a chair build from cheap 2x10 material for the seat, dowels for the back, and poplar for the legs, arms and arm risers. I was able to work out all the kinks, and now have a chair that I use in my workshop as a bonus. it was a fun and stress free way of learning. I'll definitely be making more mock-ups in the future.
Measure twice, cut once.
I usually start with Plan A, something happens and then I revise to Plan B, and sometimes to Plan C. Nobody knows, looks fine. There are some projects that have to be visually Plan A but the interior ends up Plan C. And some interiors have wood plugs. If as you mentioned, the wood is special, do a trial with cheaper wood. I made kitchen stools for our counter, did two trials with HD's finest 2 x 6's before we settled on a final design. Good Luck.
For once I read the others comments. I agree with the parallel build idea. I get stuck sometimes too. Some sort of mental block that disappears eventually. I usually need some set of kick in the pants or a good deadline. I executed a nice pendulum cradle for me son after my wife's 1st trimester passed. Fast for me. He was 3 weeks early.
Perhaps tying some sort deadline to the project can get you over the hump.
If it is just a fear of the unknown, trust yourself. You have thought about it and thought about it. You're going to be fine.
Oh and glue with long open times can give you extra confidence.
As others have suggested, a parallel project is one way to approach this. You can take a similar but less comprehensive approach by focusing on the points in your project that concern you:
1. Break down your remaining build into discrete steps and decide on the best sequence. Commit this to paper as your roadmap, adjusting as needed along the way.
2. Make sure you approach each step with confidence.
3. The way you acquire the confidence is by practicing each new technique on cheaper lumber as many times as needed to get the skills you need to pull it off on your project lumber. This can include building components that match the dimensions and joinery of your project.
4. Dial in tool adjustments with test cuts on the cheaper wood.
5. As you progress, save the offcuts of your expensive project wood for Steps 3 and 4, and for testing your finishing techniques and materials as you approach the end of the project.
This of course would not work in a production environment where time equals money. But if your reason for working wood is the immense satisfaction it can provide, then enjoy all the cool things you will learn along the way and the beautiful end product.
+1 on the parallel project.
Tbonetim has a good summary of approaches that'll minimise mistakes on the important part, especially his Number 3. The best learning incorporates mistakes, with more mistakes sometimes meaning a wider scope of learning about all of those that are possible and therefore best avoided via skill at doing a range of things right.
Personally I wouldn't go as far as a parallel build, especially in a different timber. That means only one exercise to practice the necessary skills; and perhaps a practice on a timber that won't throw up the kind of challenges (and possible mistakes) in the real stuff. Parallel builds might be good for detecting design-mistakes but not really for getting enough WW skills.
Personally I find the greatest source of ruinous mistakes, though, is to be in a hurry. Our culture is drenched in the "time is money" and similar exhortations to hurry up. But a very careful, complete and comprehensive project plan, plus lots of practice on scrap, is essential; this takes time, including the thinking/absorption time after a practice and its various lessons/mistakes - Tbonetim's final point and a very good one.
I have a design/creative background and over the years have made many "mistakes" during the build process. But I've almost always been able to come up with a solution to correct the mistake that actually improves the finished product. Some of the improvements are on the functional aspects of the project, some on the aesthetic, and some on both!
Turning a negative into a positive is a great confidence builder.
Many thanks to all responders. Now I just have to find a way to have time and courage simultaneously!
I also agree with making a parallel or pre project. Also, it is very important to gain confidence in being able to "fix" mistakes. Don't just throw it away and start over, fix it, and fix it so you can't tell it was ever broken. Knowing you can do this gives an immense amount of confidence.
Also, I agree that you shouldn't put yourself under time pressure. You need to be able to easily walk away and think (or forget) about it.
Lots of good tips above so I won’t repeat them. What I can add, I’ve been woodworking for 9 years. Very rarely have I done something that isn’t fixable. The few major screw ups only required remaking of minor parts and since I save all scraps from an ongoing project, it was easy to remake those parts. I remind myself of this when I start to get uptight. Also, by using hand tools, the speed and power is much more controllable during the critical wood removal step.
Faint heart never won fair maiden,. Go for it - using above tips.
I agree with most of the above (I don’t see a need for a full on parallel build), particularly about milling extra pieces to dial in joinery and any other tricky element before touching the “good” wood.
That said, I think the most important thing is to be present, i.e.: pay attention, take your time, and think through each step before committing wood to tool or tool to wood. I don’t want to admit how many times I have cut a mortise on the wrong face, chamfered an edge that shouldn’t have been chamfered, etc. If I had slowed down and paid closer attention, the error most likely wouldn’t have happened. Over years of woodworking, I have learned how to recover from most mistakes, but that doesn’t remove the pain of making them in the first place.
Practice.
When you are coming up to doing a challenging part of a project, try to practice on less valuable material - a stock of scrap and bits of MDF and ply are great for this.
If you are having doubts, it is because you are not confident.
You are not confident because you have not done this enough times before.
Practice before the job and it will likely go better.
I just spent a few hours making and re-making a template, then practicing with it before cutting some laminate. Not a job I do often so I used old MDF to make sure the template was perfect and there were no unexpected issues. Thankfully, it went well.
Sadly, in woodworking, there is always room for the Mythbuster motto that 'failure is always an option'
Hate to say it but this is where hand tool skills can be invaluable. Also, the suggestion to make a “trial copy” in parallel with your soon to be finished project can really improve the outcome. Also, making very detailed notes while you work of modifications to the understanding of the plans will make you a better woodworker.
“Quick and dirty”(as my materials science collaborator advised me repeatedly) trial runs of joinery or other “one time”processes, fittings, irreversible cuts (mortise in the wrong spot) can yield worthwhile returns.
Often times just when I’m getting into a grove I need to leave the shop for various reasons, (woodworking is my passion, but not my livelihood). I take a couple of minutes and make a few notes of what the next steps are and what pratfalls I’ve identified and leave the list right on the workpiece. This way I can get right back into the line of thinking, even if it’s been a couple of days. My memory isn’t what it once was.
What are you making, that may help with suggestions? Pictures?
The project is what I am calling a modern Mid-Century Modern desk. The idea is for it to be built to conceal all the wires and other trappings of my computer based work. I will try to post some photos but I have work travel imminent and it may not happen. I am working from a combo of full-size drawing, story sticks, and what I will call an annotated template which functions as both a template and a full-size drawing of some key areas. Some of the techniques I am hesitant about include a profiled edge on curved panels (using large diameter router bits) and joinery for a bank of curved-front drawers. The drawers are extra tough for me because the curves are asymmetrical so the setup for joinery (pinned rabbets) will not be the same for each side.
Knowing it's a full-size desk I'm not sure I'd go full-on parallel build... Perhaps a smaller project where you can apply the same techniques in a similar scale or just test parts as usual.
How are you creating the curved drawer fronts?
Laminated on a form. They are glued up so I still need to cut to size and plow rabbets. I am going to make a carrier shaped to hold them that has other square sides so I can register against fences and stops.
One of the things that I discovered about myself many years ago was I tend to fixate on the light at the end of the tunnel. In other words, I want to constantly move forward. But I've learned that I do better when I slow things down and think about what I'm doing. So I stop often throughout the build process to return my tools to their storage spots, clean up the clutter from my bench, and sweep up the debris (chips, sawdust, etc) from the floor. This technique really helps me catch my breath, focus, and think things though.
A good insight, that, into the WW process, especially for we amateurs. I too discovered that stretching a build out can do a lot for improving not just the process of making it but also amending the design.
WW is a vast subject with a wide scope of design and skill elements. Many who enjoy WW do so because of the continuous learning process. Deeper learning takes time and a lot of consideration. If we're amateurs there's no need to rush, so we can spend even more time considering and learning.
I currently have two part-made pieces that have been "evolving" for nearly two years now. Distractions occur but I've learned to give in to them as they often increase the WW knowledge and skills to a point where the waiting pieces will see a benefit of some kind.
For example, the last 10 months have mostly been spent carving and otherwise making green woodworking items into existence. This has taught me a lot more about the structure of timber and the use of sharp edges of many shapes with which I was previously not au-fait. I already have a new idea or three (and the skills to implement them) that'll be applied to the incomplete waiting pieces.
"I too discovered that stretching a build out can do a lot for improving not just the process of making it but also amending the design." -lat_axe
Your statement leads me to a question that my sister-in-law asked me several years ago.... "Are you a fast thinker or a slow slow thinker?" My smart ass reply was "hmmm, let me think about that, I'll get back to you in a week". After some introspection I realized what a great question that was and that I am in fact a slow thinker. That concept really took some pressure off of me as I continue to move through life.
Nothing in wood that can’t be fixed with a sharp chisel and a calm mind
...and some creativity.
I always duplicate complex or unfamiliar cuts/joints on scrap wood.
Take lots of notes.
Take your time.
Take your time.
The finish is usually where you see flaws so get it right.
If it’s not perfect, you are usually the only one who will notice.
Reticence, lack of courage, often stems from spending too much on tools and not enough on wood. You have a knife at your throat with just barely enough wood to complete a project and you're frozen like a deer in headlights worrying about making a mistake and ruining stock. Sell the tools you don't need, don't own duplicates (nobody needs five No. 4s for example), spend money on wood.
Selling unneeded tools is rather risky, though but. What's not needed today may be needed next month or even next year. I've made the mistake of selling often expensive tools then needing to buy another-such two or three years later as my making-interests vary.
On the other hand, good tools keep and often increase in cash value. But even if selling gets your original price-paid money back, when you come to re-buy a year or three later, for that new ambitious project, inflation has upped the price of that tool you once owned.
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There's another issue: cost of wood, especially "fine" wood. You won't get much, say, high quality 8/4 quarter-sawn white or European oak for even the resale price of one of the more specialist LN or Veritas planes. Truly exotic timbers for a fine piece might cost thousands rather than hundreds. This might not matter to commercial makers who can recoup the cost by selling a finely-made piece but for amateurs ......
Personally I long ago developed techniques for reclaiming wood - often exotic species - for nothing other than the effort of cultivating sources and exchanging a portion of the reclaimed timber rendered as a piece of furniture for a large tranche of stuff otherwise destined for the dumpster, landfill or bonfire. This technique doesn't require the selling of any tools! :-)