My Least Favorite Portion of a Project

What's your least favorite portion of any given project?


  • Total voters
    67

DavidCBaker

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May 31, 2010
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I'm just a tad curious about what the answers will be. For me, my least favorite part is the design, just because I'm not all that competent at it yet.
 
Worrying about whether the client actually has funds to pay the final invoice. Seems to be a growing trend to contract for work that they cannot pay for!

It is worrying to the Nth degree! [sad]
 
Prep - PIA, takes up so much time, clients rarely understand or comprehend all the things that need to be done prior to building or installing X. Prep time is not something the DIY shows show much of.
Problem with Prep time though is if you don't spend it properly, you'll pay for it later in the project.
Friday - put in a new bamboo floor in the rear porch enclosure. Prep = take out old carpet and tile, rip sleepers to level out floor, install rigid board insulation to keep it a bit warmer, install plywood and rosin paper. Prep took longer than the actual flooring.
I painted the ceiling yesterday. Probably start measuring and doing the draw up for bookcases that will go under the windows on the 3 outside walls today.
 
David, you need to add an all of the above option.
My favorite part of a project is the finished product after everything has come out right.
Everything else is just steps I have to take to get there.
 
Surely the least favourite part is correcting the mistakes?

Richard.
 
It's interesting that so many people don't enjoy/like the finishing stage. I was in the same boat, but I've started to enjoy it more after finding some simpler finishes that are easier to work with. Plus the project feels like it REALLY comes together in this stage.
 
Richard Leon said:
Surely the least favourite part is correcting the mistakes?

What are these "mistakes" of which you speak?  [tongue] I think we call those late-stage design changes.
 
Correcting the "mistakes" can't be the least favorite for me, as all woodworking projects are is fixing and/or hiding mistakes throughout the process until you are done which means I would hate the entire process and woodworking itself.

Certain people that take forever on projects or never seem to get them done are to fixed on their plans and will not work on the fly. All that is important is that the final project looks like it was designed and a lot of fooling the eye may be required. If you keep going back to make sure every step goes as you envision it instead of just using tricks to cover up the mishaps(never mistakes) you probably will not get many projects done in your lifetime.

Anyway, I have to still say sanding . It is not as bad as it once was and sometimes I almost enjoy it, but it sure would be nice if when you were all done the project was automatically ready for finish.

Finishing can never be my least favorite either, though it can be a pain, because that's when the woods "pop" and come to life. Unless a good finish, even clear which I use 99% of the time, is applied the work will not look as good as it can and will never achieve that fantastic or amazing stage(at least of the laymen). The simplest project with the woods with nice figure that pop with finish tend to get a better response than a really intricate piece made out of plain flat saw Oak.

The rest is just woodworking if one hates those I would wonder why they do it in the first place.

 
Cool thread.  I enjoy all the phases of a project, though of the choices sanding is probably the least enjoyable.

I have really mixed emotions about completing a project.  I heard something that really resonates with me.  Someone was discussing why woodworkers, mostly hobbyists, procrastinate and take so long on their projects.  His answer was, they aren't lazy, its just that when you complete a project, you admit to yourself that it is not the lifetime masterpiece you had hoped for.

I have too much of an urge to go back and rework things that I consider glue-up something of a surrender (or at least an accommodation to other demands - yes dear, the chairs will be ready for Thanksgiving). ::).
 
Chris Rosenberger said:
David, you need to add an all of the above option.
My favorite part of a project is the finished product after everything has come out right.
Everything else is just steps I have to take to get there.

Got to be said I agree with you there. I feel the exact same way.

Although out of the options my least favourite is probably design.
 
Yeah I get that Jesse, but I finally realized people that are not woodworkers and a lot of times even other woodworkers love what we have done and even think its perfect, but we see only the mishaps we had.
 
Chris he is asking for the least favorite, not the the most favorite.  :)
 
GETTING PAID SHOULD BE ON THIS LIST!

...not saying it's my least favorite, but it can be an issue
 
nickao said:
Chris he is asking for the least favorite, not the the most favorite.  :)

The reason I said David should add an All of the above option was because there was not anything on the list that I really dislike doing.
I just like the finished product more than any of the options on the list.  :)
 
You will notice one of two votes for dry fit before glue-up - thats me!  [crying]

This is generally the worst part for me because its where I find out how much I cocked up! But 9 times out of 10 it's perfect and then I find myself irritated by the fact that I doubted myself and I could be busy with the final glue-up.  [doh]

I know it's the "right" way to do it but it's still a pain

Good thread David  [not worthy]
 
My least favorite portion of a project is recovering from the inevitable miscalculations, and gotchas that creep in during all of the project phases.

Charles
 
David said:
It's interesting that so many people don't enjoy/like the finishing stage. I was in the same boat, but I've started to enjoy it more after finding some simpler finishes that are easier to work with. Plus the project feels like it REALLY comes together in this stage.
I would have to agree, I always know I'm getting close when the finish starts to go on. Plus I have been sanding my last few projects to 4000 grit then waxing with bees wax and it's been going easy. I know wax isn't the most durable but it sure is easy to refinish right in place with no odor or mess or prep.
 
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