Thread: the worst woodworking day or dumbest thing you have done

Ah yes, the mistakes we make that never get forgotten...by others!!
I tried rapidly seasoning a turning blank a couple of years ago at work, like Skew ChiDAMN, I headed for the microwave. I'd read about this and now was the time to try it out...in went the blank for a tentative minute...yep, some steam, turn it up a bit...another minute. Quite a deal of steam emitting, I could see it through the window. This is working really well I think, so put it on for a couple of minutes. There must be time for a quick slash, so off to the the loo, but as I rounded the corner on my return I knew something wasn't right. It might have been the smell of burning olive wood first, or maybe the fog rolling out of the smoko room grabbed my attention!:eek: I ran in and turned the thing off at the wall, flames were appearing out the vent at the rear, and the whole room seemed to be full of smoke! Who should walk in just then but the boss, but he took it pretty well, muttered something about being hard to find good help nowdays! Exit one microwave, and the block of wood never did make it to the lathe, but I still cop it over that stuff up. Can't even heat lunch without some smart comment!
BTW Skew, I've read somewhere that Pittosporum (undulatum?) has been called Engravers wood, because of its carving qualities. I've got some trees in my backyard, but I can't use any of it, full of borers and they drop branches neatly cutoff by the buggers!
Cheers,

Worst day of my woodworking life was when I tried to coax one more cut from my bandsaw blade because I was in a hurry and didn't have time to change the blade. I got my extra cut alright ----- on my left hand as I was trying to force the wood into a dullish blade. It bled for hours, but I felt hardly any pain, it was so quick.

I have used most power tools but would regard the bandsaw as the most dangerous. I only seem to have accidents or get close to having accidents when I'm short of time, there's a lesson in that.

Originally Posted by Andy Mac

BTW Skew, I've read somewhere that Pittosporum (undulatum?) has been called Engravers wood, because of its carving qualities. I've got some trees in my backyard, but I can't use any of it, full of borers and they drop branches neatly cutoff by the buggers!

Thanks for the info! I haven't been able to find much out about it, but it really is a lovely wood to work. I may have to try my hand at carving some... I certainly have plenty to spare.

Originally Posted by Tiger

I have used most power tools but would regard the bandsaw as the most dangerous.

Funny, I regard it as one of the safest. Hand held circular saws are the ones I'm scared of...especially the little 5" jobbie that went in the electric drill... now that was scary. :eek:

AlexS, my experience suggests that it is the most dangerous, also it's one of the only power tools that doesn't have a guard making it very dangerous.

Stay away from power tools! This arvo, I decided to change the blades on my electric plane (GMC Wood Razor). Power OFF, cord 3 meters away from power board, I loosen the bolts, started to take the blade assembly out, slip "My thumb is sore, it's bleeding!" Ouch! Memo to self - keep all body parts away from sharp implements!

This is an easy one.

A chisel, my thumb and momentary lapse of judgement.

My old bosses brother, trust me this is true, honest,,,,,,,,

Cut through a plank with a circular saw, but with it resting on his knee.

Originally Posted by bennylaird

My old bosses brother, trust me this is true, honest,,,,,,,,

Cut through a plank with a circular saw, but with it resting on his knee.

AWWWWW

Easy. As recently reported here, feeding my finger into a 60T triton blade while it was running.
Lesson = USE A PUSH-STICK.

A mate was using an angle grinder with a 12" stone cutter in it (yeah he was an idiot). Anyway, as luck would have it the blade broke into 3 pieces while he was cutting a block of sandstone. He looked around for the broken bits but could only find 2. He went get in his ute to go and buy another one and his left leg gave way on him. The 3rd piece was embedded in his thigh :eek: but he didn't feel a thing (until the ambos arrived).

Originally Posted by bennylaird

My old bosses brother, trust me this is true, honest,,,,,,,,

Cut through a plank with a circular saw, but with it resting on his knee.

May father did the same thing, still has the 8 inch scar down his leg to prove it:eek:

Wow! Was I stoked!

I purchased a length of Qld. Maple a couple of years ago and was saving it for the perfect project. I decided to use it to build a fairly complex jewellery box for my married daughter. After calculating the amount of timber I needed, I reckoned that there was just enough, as long as I didn't waste any making mistakes.

Hand cut dovetails - worked out great , especially pleased because the top dovetails are mitred to match the lid . The lid I cut from the body - perfect . Mitred Base - perfect . Three drawers faces - perfect - the grain flows around on all four sided . I had a few off-cuts left, so decided to face the end grain with face grain where the drawers shut against the sides. (Just a personal, probably unnecessary, detail.) Three days of shop time - this is going great !

I used one of the drawer faces to calculate what was needed for this, went to the table saw and adjusted the fence and ripped the face grain pieces from the scrap.

Wait a minute - that wasn't scrap - it was the drawer front I used to take the measurement. Arrrgh!:mad:

Now one of the drawer faces has a curf sized filler. Looks like crap!:mad:

Aww Mate!

I think that we've all been there, and done that. Doesn't lessen the angst though.

Utter bummer all the same. Time for a nice single malt, methinks!

back in my younger days I worked 60 hours straight and when attempting to drive the hour or so home I stopped 10 minutes from home for what I thought was going to be a 15 minute "power nap" as my eyes were refusing to stay open. 3 hours later I woke feeling like a truck had run me over.

I get home to find my wife half, no fully histeric as she had rung work to see how I was going and they said I had left, so she thought the worst, I must have had an accident. I found out later that a fella from work had tried in vain to find me, he actually drove all the way to my place and back, but I was sleeping out the back of a servo out of site.

Anyway I couldn't understand why my wife was so angry at me as I thought it was a pretty good effort working that hard and completing what I had to do (personal world work record) and bringing home the overtime and bonus proceeds but no she was furious, so much so I couldn't stand it anymore and bailed for the shed, but, what do I do then, punched the door to let out some built up agro with the whole situation, hit it so hard I broke my hand didn't I.

Well not realising it was broke at the time and ashamed, embarrassed and stupid I put up with the initial pain thinking it would go away, The next morning it had swelled out of proportion so the realisation of it being broken started to set in.

Off I drive to the doctor who set my hand/wrist in plaster and put it in a sling. Ok now more realisation, ever tried to undo your fly with one hand, you will find its easier with two especially when you really need to go. So I just managed that task, just one other thing, have you ever tried to drive a manual car with one hand in busy traffic? I rang my wife.

Where still married.