I have just posted my latest SQ - Stupid Question - because I find myself overthinking about the various options in most projects in several areas. Quandries include: Joints? - which one? Techniques - example, my question re the sequence of cutting a picture frame. Design? Materials?
Do you find yourself overthinking? (The more tools, the greater the o-ptions, it seems.) In what areas? Does more experience add more options?
Discuss and compare and contrast. 25% of exam grade.
We don't hear from you all summer, and now you want us to write thesis papers? Where ya' been, stuck in traffic on Rt. 6?
I overthink on occasion, but usually when I do, the clearly correct answer always becomes apparent when I'm about to start using the tool. Once I started to realize that I do this, I began to take "practice swings" without touching the tool to the wood. Occasionally, a better method comes to me during the practice. If it dosen't, I usually have to best method I know ready to go.
I know _I_ understand what I just said, hopefully you folks do as well.
Barry
Hi Bob
Who's opinion do you want, me or my wife's?
Take care
*that* question is easy.
FINGER joints!
Eight on each hand.
I'm _always_ thinking about 'em. particularly near any equipment with moving parts. *Especially* when they're _sharp_ moving parts.
Umm, Let me get back to you on this one.
Actually experience reduces options,, as one then knows what is the best option to choose
You bet.
Worst of all is having too much raw timber. Can't do a damn thing, because I can;t decide which is the absolute optimum board to use.
Evidently not paying enough attention. Eight finger joints on each hand? I have twelve on each hand, not counting thumbs.
When I'm in the shop, I'm right-brained. I think in pictures. The finished product spins in my head like a VR computer display, only better. The joints design themselves, and the hand tools volunteer. It is so fun.
I tried to design and build a crosscut jig for my circ saw by thinking it out and calculating on paper. Nasty, ugly, out-of-square, yuck.
BTW, today is my first visit to wreck woodwork. Hiya.
HA! Don't you go to your computer to expand on your PROBLEM! What do you think we are some kind of humanoid Super Computer for you? I see through your question this is a clear attempt at getting us spend our lives helping you get through the question that arise in your atempt to make a push stick.
Well, you are not going to do it to me.
I find the "thinking" portion of a project is usually kinda fun to the point where final execution sometimes feels like I'm "just going through the motions".
Also, it has been my experience that flashes of utter brilliance occur throughout the life of the project thus justifying those self-imposed delays when I question the next move/ponder a design element/re-figure how I'm "gonna do this part". Some short sighted people call this procrastination. I know better now.
It's all in how you look (and re-look) at things and attitude.
UA100
Well, well smarty-pants. I already have a push stick. Of course, I no longer have a cat, but you can't have everything.
I agree with Andrew on this one. The more the experience the less options as you know what's going to work. Granted all problem provide multiple solutions and as you state more tools provide more solutions. When on a jobsite I tend to collaborate and see what ideas the other trades have, folks like me that have had to come up with oddball solutions to cockamamie ideas homeowners and their new age designers come up with. There are many great ideas here and in a couple of the other newsgroups where other people provide unique solutions to some projects. For me the journey is much more interesting than the destination. If I can build a jig or tool instead of spending cash on technology to solve a problem, you bet I overthink /over-engineer the whole thing.
EJ
Hiya Robert, And what part of the computer business are you in? In what part of the world are you located? Are you neander, normite, both? mahalo, jo4hn
Robert Lane wrote: [snip]
I'll solve that one for you Andy. Send me 90% of your stock so that you won't stress over finding the perfect board; you'll just grab whatever's left for your next project.
dave
Andy D> >
Yeah, me too, but they usually occur about 5 minutes after the glue has started setting up or I just cut the joinery for the joint that would have been much better had I done it like this ...
Yes Bob, But how long did it take you to figure out how to freeze dry it and convert it into that push stick?
Roy
See?
UA100
Do I ever overthink?
Hmmm....let me see. All projects start with thinking, generally about what steps to take, do I have the tools and so forth, and naturally about the design of whatever it is I'm thinking of making. At some point I realize that I've been thinking a long time, and no sawdust is being made, and then I think I've been overthinking, but on the other hand, underthinking is a great danger as well, so I usually think a bit longer even though I think I've been overthinking. Just when I think I'm convinced I'm overthinking, I'll - you guessed it - think of something that clearly indicates I've been under thinking and that more thinking is required. At some point during all this thinking, I sometimes think to myself "why all this thinking? It's a hobby for Pete's sake, and you're not getting anything done!", then I think "Well, yeah, but if enjoyment is the goal, and I'm enjoying myself thinking, then just thinking's ok." Of course, I think actually getting something made is better than just thinking, but sometimes I get something done and think to myself "Ya know, I really should have thought about this more before I started..." But, if you think about it, thinking _is_ doing - to think is a verb after all, so if thinking is doing, then it doesn't really matter if you are thinking or doing - they're both the same thing! I wish I'd thought of that before I bought all these tools! 8-)
Maybe he's not so good with the bandsaw?
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