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 trim your sails

Welcome to the race! Nice recovery!

-- Chuck near Nashville - “All you are unable to give possesses you” (Andre Gide)

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 :)

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

tru dat, miss debbie

-- Adapt, improvise, overcome

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.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. 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! - Please visit http://www.woodworkersguide.com and sign up for my project updates!

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

-- Eric

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/

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.

-- "Checking for square? what madness is this! The cabinet is square because I will it to be so!" Jeremy Greiner LJ Topic#20953 2011 Feb 2

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.

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.