One of the goals I have for the eZine, in addition to our primary focus of delivering solid woodworking information, is to have a bit of fun. Hence, we have held, via the eZine, the messiest shop contest, a silliest project contest and, recently, our first annual woodworking poetry contest.
So, with that in mind, I’d like to hear about your best workshop goof ups. And to spur you on, I’ll give you an example of one of mine. As a young man, I was made foreman of my father and uncle’s woodshop . We had built 50 displays for Northwest Airlines and now needed to construct their shipping crates. I carefully calculated the lumber required , added the standard 30% waste factor and ordered the material. About three days later, the truck with the lumber arrived and backed up to our door. It was a big truck, and it was completely loaded, stem to stern, with dimension lumber. I asked the truck driver who the rest of the wood was being shipped to … and he said that it was all for me. “No really, who’s it going to?” was my nervous reply. He just gave me the “Don’t be stupid and don’t waste my time” look. Which was unfortunate, because I was actually about to do both. Apparently, in my lumber calculations, I had doubled the quantity of wood I needed. Even after strenuous argument peppered with shameful language, he would not split the load, so I was left with the task of explaining a monstrous pile of lumber to my father and uncle. It did not go well.
Sincerely,
– Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
