What's mildly irritating you today?

[Aliantha]

I'm a bit irritated that I'm not a very good tradesman. We're closing in the back porch and converting it to a double room for the big boys so they'll have more space once the baby comes. Dad and some other friends came over on the weekend and we got it all framed up and mostly sheeted, which left all the trimming for me and the boys to do, then paint. Painting will be fine. I'm not even concerned about that. We're doing ok with the trimming, and thanks to Dad leaving his mitre saw, it's making the job much easier, but I still wish we could get a better finish. It's ok for three drongo's, but I just wish we were better. Unfortunately, I'm not prepared to buy more timber in order to get the cuts more accurate second go around.

Yes we've employed the measure twice, cut once theory, but have discovered that it really is just a theory. It doesn't mean you'll get it exactly right anyway.

Still, it's not a bad job, and no more gaps and putty will fix up most of the little errors. I just wish we were better.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Yes we've employed the measure twice, cut once theory, but ...

You're missing the last part of the saying, which is don't measure at all unless you have to. It's much more accurate to take your board and hold it up where you want it, and make the mark where you need to cut it. When you get a measuring tape involved, you add a couple more opportunities to let error creep in. The reading the measurement, the remembering/writing down the measurement correctly, and the transferring the measurement to the work piece are all prone to error.

But that little nit picking rant aside, you should also remember that when you build something, you see the flaws much more readily than anyone else will. I still notice the spots where the grout lines are a little out of alinement in the shower I tiled. Nobody else knew about them until I pointed them out.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by glatt

You're missing the last part of the saying, which is don't measure at all unless you have to. It's much more accurate to take your board and hold it up where you want it, and make the mark where you need to cut it. When you get a measuring tape involved, you add a couple more opportunities to let error creep in. The reading the measurement, the remembering/writing down the measurement correctly, and the transferring the measurement to the work piece are all prone to error.

But that little nit picking rant aside, you should also remember that when you build something, you see the flaws much more readily than anyone else will. I still notice the spots where the grout lines are a little out of alinement in the shower I tiled. Nobody else knew about them until I pointed them out.

That's my story pole and I'm sticking to it.