I usually write about my family and so I thought I'd do something a little different today. I do have other things in my life, you know. There's work, but don't get me started on that. And there is my passion for movies. I'll talk about that another day. I think I'll talk about my ability to fashion useful and/or entertaining items out of wood.

I like to work with wood. I like cutting it and making it into something else. It is very different to my day job, which DW has advised me to keep. Several times DW has shown me a picture in her favourite magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, and I have said, I could build that. She then gets this look and it is almost like I can see her remember my previous attempts at building something. Its not that I have failed or even done a bad job (except Princess' first swing - boy, that sucked). But my attention to detail can be a little, let's say fleeting. I do think about the details. Its just that wood isn't as forgiving as... well, as I need it to be.

It may also be something to do with my choice of tools. My brother, who is following in Jesus' footsteps by first becoming a carpenter and now studying to be a priest, likes to buy the very best tools. I, on the other hand, buy the very cheapest tools. My theory goes like this.

1) If the very cheapest tool can do the job, don't waste money on a better tool.
2) If the very cheapest tool cannot do the job, a better tool is not a waste of money.

It is simple and logical and for the price of a really good drill, I managed to set up my garage with a complete set of basic tools. I save money like a super hero whose power is... thrift. Actually, I may not be saving that much money. I am now replacing the crap tools with better ones.

Anyway, it is a poor workman who blames his tools. In my case it is a cheap workman who blames his crap tool budget. Now that I have learned my lesson (I haven't really) let's move on. No matter how hard I try to "measure once, cut twice" things don't seem to work out just the way I want them to. As an example, I tried to fit a piece of dowel into two pieces of timber. I knew the diameter of the dowel and thanks to DW who gave me the most beautiful set of drill bits and stuff for Christmas, I had exactly the right size wood bit. Funnily enough I used one of my other bits which was also the right size but didn't have the markings displayed. I don't actually use the beautiful drill bits. I just open the case up and look at them, all shiny and sharp and in their right place. They are so pretty.

However, I did have the right size wood bit and so I popped it into my el cheapo corded drill and set about drilling. I even clamped the wood with my very expensive plastic clamps, but Bluetak probably would have done better. Anyway, two holes later and I squeezed the dowel in (the hole was a tiny fraction too small - force is my first resort) I discovered that the holes were not lined up. They were also at a slight angle. Apparently a slight angle can be significant when working with a long piece of dowel. And I should have waited before using the wood glue. Anyway, some more force and some completely new timber and dowel and I was away again. I decided a completely new approach would ensure that I didn't make the same mistakes again. In that particular regard, I was right. Fortunately, I have a little more timber and I'll buy some more dowel on the weekend and have a third try. If there are three things I can say in my favour they would be:

1) I am always willing to try
2) I am not afraid to fail
3) I can count

Ciao!

Thought for the day: I don't get sent to the "Sin Bin" at home. I get sent to the "Idiot Box".