Interior door making #5: Measure #%$&@ times and cut once! %$#@!!!

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This is part 5 in a 9 part series: Interior door making

  1. Some people say I'm nuts...
...
  1. First paint
  2. Measure #%$&@ times and cut once! %$#@!!!
  3. Done with door 7 of 12
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  1. No movement doors!

I worked from home today and had a few free minutes so I painted the other side of the door. Yay. Paint is done. Then I demoed the old door and buck and started to hang the new Buck in place. Galdern hinge mortises are on the wrong side of the frame. I guess is not the end of the world. I have a right swing door to replace so I can keep this leg, but I have to make a new one. I was hoping to really get ahead of schedule, but it looks like I will simply be on schedule, which is to install tomorrow. Tonight I’ll make a new hinge side leg. No problem getting it painted. Fortunately I have a 1by left over.

Losing fingers since 1969

If it makes you feel better:
I cut the drawers for the buffet I am building. and recut tem 2 " shorter the following weekend out of the blue. Lost 3 drawer and some expensive veneer:)
I am still kicking myself you know were. My wife had a great laugh.

Abbas, Castro Valley, CA

I usually mess up when there are right and left pieces . I get done cutting and I have 2 rights or 2 lefts . Man I get so mad at myself .

Wheaties

My woodworking mentor rarely made these kinds of mistakes. He was able to focus very clearly on this kind of spatial object thinking. Me, sometimes I measure twice on a completely different number. 60-13/16 becomes 61-13/16. I get so focused on getting the 16ths accurate that I completely overlook the fact I’m an inch off. That actually happens so often that I remeasure 3 times to make sure I’m in the right location and I still mess up sometimes. The worst is when I’m rushing things, of course.

Losing fingers since 1969

Don’t feel bad Brian, I suspect most of us have done the same right/left mistakes many times. I think it’s partly because we get enthused with the idea that we are making a duplicate and forget that it is a mirror image.

Mike, an American living in Norway

I have done it so many times that now I don’t even write the numbers down any more. I simply mark on the tape measure, when it has to many pencil marks on it, I simply throw it away and get a new tape. If I have to use a measurement out of the workshop, ie, go buy stock, I make a note on my phone along with the current project buying list. My phone is never to far away, including pics of things that may need a better description once I get to the hardware store. if I’m not sure of the proper name of an item, the pic saves me a lot of time describing something to a box store kid what I’m after. I have even taken a pic of the tape measure to eliminate my second guessing.

CHRIS, Charlottetown PEI Canada. Anytime you can repurpose, reuse, or recycle, everyone wins!

Yes, the mobil phones with cameras are really handy. I am trying to get into the habit of using it more for my woodworking needs.

Mike, an American living in Norway