# One of those days



## George_SA (May 4, 2012)

I had one of those days where things just did not go right. Nothing major, just small irritating stuff and mishaps that was beginning to frustrate me. That is where one of my safety rules kick in. When you start being irritated, take the shop key lock up and find something else to do which does not involve sharp spinning blades.

I can't really say why this happens once in a blue moon. It just does. I was just wondering if this also happens to other woodworkers that things just don't go right for no apparent reason?


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## SebringDon (Feb 1, 2013)

Yeah, I've had days like that. I don't lock myself out of the shop, but I do limit myself to sandpaper. There's alway something laying around that needs sanding, and it seems that quite often the zen-like attitude that forces on me helps me regain my equilibrium.


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## whitebeast88 (May 27, 2012)

i hate those days,when i have themi'll do like don says and sand or clean at the shop a little.thats something that always needs doing.


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## George_SA (May 4, 2012)

I have another rule which I broke once and paid the price. Never try to make that last cut when you are in a hurry. I was busy in my shop and the time approached for me to fetch my daughter from school. Instead of putting the work down, I just wanted to quickly make the last cut for the drawer front that I was busy with. I am not sure what exactly happened, but due to haste and inattention I put my thumb on top of the blade as the wood was passing through. Fortunately, I also never let the blade teeth stick out very high above the work piece. I had a 3mm wide cut in my thumb, but it wasn't deep enough to cut any finger bone. I was lucky! That reinforced to me that one should NEVER break your shop safety rules and always keep FULL concentration when the saw is running.


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## Tugboater78 (May 26, 2012)

"It's just one if those days, when you dont wanna wake up, everything is f%&*ed and everybody sucks….

Hate those kinda days, especially when at work, cause being on a small boat for weeks at a time you dont have much chance to walk away or call it a day


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

I've had a few of those recently. Recently, I'd just gone through a tough work week, I'd been looking forward to getting some shop time to relax. When it finally came, I found that I was getting frustrated, not focusing as well as I should be, and was just not getting anywhere. It was extra frustrating, because this was supposed to be the cure for the stress of the week! But I didn't push it, and went inside, and did non-productive things, and stopped beating myself up over it. I guess I was still distracted, and it wasn't that easy to make the transition. But the next day, I was "recovered", and was able to enjoy some shop time. I still resent missing that previous day, however.

It happens, and its better to walk away than make mistakes or have accidents.


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

For me, it is when I get tired. 
I notice myself making silly mistakes that shouldn't happen.
That's when I know it's time to pause for the day and pick it up another time.

Usually though, I'm trying to put that last coat of finish on a project before the end of the day and inevitably I make it worse rather than better because I rushed it and was tired.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

There are days when everything I touch turns to (fill the blank with your favorite expletive)!
Should'a stayed in bed in those days or at least out of the shop!


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

Bad shop juju. It needs to be properly expunged. Id suggest burning some cut offs to appease the woodworking gods. Native only, they hate exotics


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Like others mentioned, that's shop cleaning time. I hate those days but had one not too long ago. I messed up everything I touched. Once everything is clean (not just put away, I mean dusted, vacuumed, waxed and really organized) I still feel like a accomplished something and the shop time wasn't a complete waste.


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## jonwright (Feb 4, 2013)

Bad days apply to many areas in my life - when the universe is tapping me on the shoulder I've learned to listen.

dczwiz: that's very similar to my experiences with motorcycle racing. Basically, I had to remind myself that ultimately it's for fun. When I get too set on mile stones and accomplshments it gets to be like work again.

sometimes it does me good to remember that I couldn't always measure my races by lap times, finishes etc. And I've applied that to other areas.

When its no fun anymore I take it back to the trailer and I extend that to many areas of my life.

If you need to recharge your batteries and conduct a reset - that's still productive use as you are getting your head back on straight. that's ultimately what's needed - so it's never a waste.

I've found a little bit of zen in many things and not force my will as often as I used to. When things don't go like I perceive they should that's when the frustration sets in.

Most of us do this for fun (I think) and when it isn't - stop. So take the hint if the universe is trying to tell you something - it's probably for your own good.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

Gentlemen this is when it is playtime with the wife, girlfriend etc etc..

*lumberjoe* Dusted, vacuumed and waxed the shop?


> ?


chrisstef +1 sacrifices must be made, burnt offerings is a good start! (laughing)


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## mbs (May 8, 2010)

I either clean up the shop or shut the garage door and do something else. It's no fun making mistakes and less fun making multiple mistakes.


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## 9FINGERTIM (Feb 1, 2013)

Sometimes I have those days and sometimes my tools just dont co-operate properly, I know they say its a poor craftsman that blames his tools, but hey ,ive never had much money!


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

Had one yesterday. Changed the blade on my TS and could't figure out why I couldn't get the throat plate on.
After seriously thinking about how I could have messed up the blade change, I realized I had the wrong throat plate. That's when I knew not to plug anything in.

On days like that, I like to tidy, and set up for when it's a better day.


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

George, you always want your blades high enough so that the gullets of the blade are above the cut line.

I can't say that I've experienced this, I have to play it on being retired at an early age of 50 now 53, so I have all day, but I have gotten fatigued before so much that I knew I had no business out there so I came in and took a nap.


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## Oldtool (May 27, 2012)

*"I was just wondering if this also happens to other woodworkers that things just don't go right for no apparent reason?" * YEP! Had that day yesterday. Pick up a plane, knock my vintage square off the bench. Set down a ruler, scratch a work piece. Hand plane a work piece and another piece of the project falls off the other end of the bench. Here's the cream of the crop: rush to drill hardware mounting holes in a drawer front, only to find I used the incorrect pencil mark, nice hole - wrong place. Drop a hardware nut in the middle of the room, it manages to bounce and roll to location the takes me the better part of a half hour to find it.
I thought it was just me, but I guess it happens to us all.


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## Alongiron (Jan 10, 2011)

I had a funny one the other day. I was finish sanding with my orbital sander and I could not figure out why it was not "Doing its thing" even though it was running just fine.. Well knucklehead me forgot to put sandpaper on the sander!! I shut the lights off and watched some TV


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Absolutely! It happens to me. I think that it's quite comm to most people and you're just going to have a bad day every now and then. You just have to not let it get you down and believe that tommorrow will be a better day.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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