One of the most important things that Warren Nelson ever taught me was: “In woodworking, it’s never a mistake unless you can’t fix it.” Warren was the foreman in my father’s and uncle’s woodworking shop, and the first person to really teach me serious woodworking.
And while I often must have been a trial for him — the boss’s kid asking one elementary woodworking question after another — he was good-natured about it, for the most part. I learned so many things during those early days that I still put to good use nearly every time I walk into a shop, but how to deal with mistakes remains one of the most useful: Take your time, fix it properly and move on.
So what about you? Do you have any lessons from your first efforts at woodworking that come back to you on a regular basis? If so, share them with us and we will share those we can with the eZine faithful.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
