# Measure once cut twice !!!



## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

Is there anything more frustrating than putting in the time, energy, effort and $$$ into a project only to muff it up ???
I decided last night to cut the miter slot on my router table top. I use a pocket rule with a stopper at one end and I keep it in my shop apron pocket. The one thing I dislike about it is it's reversible. Si I measured 4.5'' from the edge of the table to the beginning of the cut and went to the T/S to adjust the fence. I did not realize that I set the fence to the reversible side 4.5'' which is far from the true measurement I needed. So I am in the middle of the cut and I see sparks ??? am I hitting screws ???
I had drawn on the reverse side and made sure no screws were in the cut lines. So I finished the cut and just looked in awe at the terrible mistake ! 

I have been told by many that a true woodworker can always find a way to cover his mistakes, so I looked at it and thought would a T track fit in there upside down to re-fill the cut? It did and That is how it will stay. It looks OK to me and I will not scrap it and start over. I guess when you're cutting something upside down that is heavy and bulky it's hard to check all the things you would see if it wasn't upside down.So I made the best of the situation and then re-cut the proper location for the miter track.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Nice recovery Dan , it actually looks pretty good regardless. This is something that would probably happen to me also , at least looking back at prior experiences .


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Sooo...how's the blade? (VoE)


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Great recovery, Dan...now it's sorta art deco table...one of a kind...:grin:


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I used to have a rule like that. Note: used to have. Now why would someone toss out a perfectly good, two way rule like that? Every time I try to walk on water, my ears get wet.


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## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

Cutting through screws is my specialty! I do it making jigs usually but don’t hesitate to take every opportunity!


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Quite a few times I've walked out of the shop when things seemed to be going sideways. I've found it doesn't pay to try and persevere when it starts happening.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

I don't think I could count the times I had to fill a groove, rabbit or other defect in wood. Sometimes, I had to make it look like I never did. 

Here, I'd do the fill repair, then, go in, say, 1/8" (material repair thickness) and make a wider slot to fill and in which I'd make the intended cut.

In the end, we know it'll be purty.


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

I have been there too many times to count Dan


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## MYB506 (Dec 5, 2012)

Dan you did a good job of covering it up and the good thing is that you will see that everytime you are in the shop, which will remind you to measure twice. It has worked for me


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

A dear friend, who passed some time ago, used to say "No matter how many times I cut it, it's still too short"...

I think of that every time I make a mistake measuring...it happens.

The writing on the bottom of the picture might be a bit small to read...it says...

*"Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail, sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it - but sail we must, and not drift, nor lie at anchor."* - Oliver Wendell Holmes


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

This isn't your last mistake, it's part of the tradition of woodworkers. On a very bright note you weren't using my Sawstop which would have cost both the blade and a cartridge! If that decorative T-Track hasn't been glued in place yet why not truly make it look like a design feature and take a piece of contrasting wood to fill that slot? You'll still have a functional T-Track to use elsewhere and the table will look more natural and unique. 

I have a special drawer for my mistakes that holds them as a reminder of what I did and the result. When I'm finished laying out and building the shop I'll line the upper wall area with these. Funny thing is most times when you see these, no matter how bad your memory is, you'll immediately know what caused this and have a flashback. It's good to remember these for the future.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

I am so relieved to know I am not alone. I routinely measure twice, and still often get it wrong. Especially if the cut involves transcribing a measurement from left to right. Known as ambiguous laterality, and in my case stems from having been born a southpaw, but being forced to write right-handed.

Only did shop class in high school for a few years, as I was in an “academic” stream, but just as well - the only subject I ever flunked. We had to make a small coffee table with mortise and tenon joints between the legs and the crossed stretchers. Cut not a bad mortise on the first leg, but when I went to the bandsaw, I cut the leg so the mortise was on the wrong side. The teacher, who was incomprehensible because of a speech defect that might have had something to do with being a professional boxer before becoming a teacher, was convulsed with amusement, while failing me. Oh well, he knew nothing about Latin.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Betcha you could swear at him with a smile and he'd smile and nod.


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## vzbingo (Mar 1, 2012)

I've often been bound by the philosophy of cut twice, measure once.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Or the corollary; _'no need to write that measurement down, I'll remember it.'_


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

For inside pieces, I usually mark the piece a little long, then use my Lyon trimmer to shave it down to an exact fit. If I rely on the tape, sometimes even on a story stick, it often comes up short. I think everyone does this from time to time.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Welcome to the club, we've all been there. Regrettably some more than once.


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## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

Steve,

The track is Aluminium and the laminate is grey. I think I will leave it. I have several T tracks that I bought for other projects.


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## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

Biagio,

I can read Spanish and understand what I am reading. I'm sure I could learn to speak it very quickly. I am fluent in French which is also a Latin language.


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## gdonham1 (Oct 31, 2011)

I just dont what is wrong. I keep cutting it and it doesnt get any longer.

Those late night projects can get you in trouble. I built a laptop guitar for my grandson. I had made a purple heart fret board and carefully cut the fret slots on the bandsaw, glued in the frets of maple and had a beautiful fret board. So it was late and I decided to glue the fret board on the guitar. I finished the blue up with clamps and went inside and went to bed. Suddenly as I was bout to fall asleep I sat straight up in bed and quickly got dressed and went to the shop. To my horror I had glued the fret board on upside down. I went back to bed dejected and woke up the next day and figured out that I could make a second fret board and glue it on top. The new fret board was wider and was shaped like an upside down U. Since it is a slide guitar and you dont press on the strings with your fingers it worked great. Whew!


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## mbrun (Jan 12, 2020)

Mistakes in my projects are “My Signature”. Every project I have ever made I believe has a mistake. Given the opportunity, I am confident that every one of you would be able to find every one. 

I no longer beat myself up about it. 

Nice save on your router cable. I do like the idea of the contrasting wood...just for fun.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## rmark (Feb 11, 2009)

I tend to be the master of inchitis. LOL! And, Reading a tape upside down gets me waaaay too often. I’ll want 15 & 1/8” and mark 14 & 7/8”. 

This is probably something we all understand and all do well.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

rmark said:


> I tend to be the master of inchitis. LOL! And, Reading a tape upside down gets me waaaay too often. I’ll want 15 & 1/8” and mark 14 & 7/8”.
> 
> This is probably something we all understand and all do well.


get left handed tape...


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