Anatomy of a mess-up

I did the same thing to my first Arts & Crafts coffee table! I try to label everything (e.g. top, bottom, front, back, left, right etc.) when looking at which side I want to be the “show” side. Then I draw the mortises onto the wood lightly (so they can be sanded off if needed) and dry fit the legs in their proper 3D orientation. This has helped me catch numerous mistakes. It’s a beautiful project for a beautiful cause. Wood filler and a darker stain might help conceal a boo boo. Try to get over the frustration, learn from the mistake, and keep making sawdust. Good luck and keep us posted.

-- You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails

Welcome to the race! Nice recovery!

great save :)

I guess they are the marks of pride—so excited about the grandchild that you were anxious to “get ‘er done”.. they just show your love :)

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

tru dat, miss debbie

-- There are three kinds of people... those who can count, and those who can't

I recently measured not twice, but thrice, but unfortunately to the wrong side of the blade. So the table is 1/4-inch smaller…. These mistakes, and how we accommodate them and patch them up create the lore that sets handmade craftsmanship apart from mass-produced commodities. Bravo to your project and your recovery!

-- Bob

Man that sucks! I have made mistakes before, but luckily not on a $70 stick. I bet your grandchild will love it once your done with it.

-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"

Great recovery. Sorry about the problem. But problems seem to be a face of life. So many ways to screw up and only one way to get it right.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

My tagline says it all….measure once cut twice….

Some planned piece gets “planned” for use somewhere else…

-- Measure once cut twice....oh wait....ooops.

Great save! And a great story to tell the young ‘un some day… :)

-- I'm a wood magician... I can turn fine lumber into firewood before your very eyes! - http://www.woodworkersguide.com

All’s well that ends well.
That’s a lucky baby to have a grandpa like you.

Whenever I make a mistake like that (haven’t we all?), in addition to thinking of a way to fix/hide it, I try to also think of a way to make it part of the design. In your case, depending on exactly which side you put the hole for the mortise and how much maple there was in your piece, you could have considered making a maple “through tenon”, or some other design feature.

But you made a nice save nonetheless. Looking forward to seeing the final results!

-- Dekker - http://www.WoodworkDetails.com/Blog/MNagy/

Jenn and I just spent the weekend replacing a rotten fence with a new cedar fence. I empathize with your dread of replacing a 70 dollar stick… I made several mistakes (in my defence it was my first ever fence:-) and it really helps to have an understanding spouse who realizes we learn a lot with these ‘design modifications’.

Nice save, looking forward to seeing the finished project.

-- ....next big purchase is wood for the next project, Mark

Just encountered a similar whoops on door trim. Thanks Mr. Scarf Joint!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Along with the other comments, great recovery!
I think we’ve all done this at one time or another, or at least, if it hasn’t happened
yet; it will ;)

It’s not a mistake, it’s part of the design!

-- Still learning everything

Nice save! – thats one of the nice things about wood – if you know how to – you can always find a way to recover – one way , or another.

Thanks for sharing, it’s nice to know everyone screws up once in a while, kinda makes us normal.

-- My Drinking Club has a Woodworking Problem...

It happens to us all. I measured carefully, set the fence perfectly to the wrong side of the blade, and made my dado 1/8” too big this weekend in my shop cabinets.

Good practice for fixing a mistake I guess.

I’d rather fix my mistakes in woodworking than buy someone else’s.

-- Kevin, Wichita, Kansas

I’m proud to say: I’ve never done that before…again. Seriously, you can judge a real craftsman by how well they cover the mistakes, looks to me like you are a craftsman!

-- Tim: Remember, if it doesn't say "Binford", someone else made it.