Need a laugh? Click here.:)

[Pete Jenner]

After routing the binding channel for my soundboard by hand, I thought I'd try the method and setup I saw some time ago on 'The Dude's' website for the back channel. It looks a little like this:



Knowing myself and my uncanny ability to break into a daydream any time, anywhere (it's a bit like narcolepsy without the falling asleep bit) , I thought I'd better write a note so I wouldn't end up re-routing the top. It looked like this:




Everything was going swimmingly until I flipped the mandolin over to see how things were looking. ...well what a bad time to break into a daydream ...!!! It was only brief but the damage was done. The note was nowhere in sight when I decided to go over one of the tight curves near the headblock again. I figured something was wrong when the sawdust started coming out a brownish red. I quickly (because I'm really quick ...not) realised my mistake and flipped it back over. It looked like this:



I looked like this:

and a bit like this:

Then this:



Then this:


Then this:


Of course I blamed the note for falling off the table.

The back channel came out really well though and looks like this:




The top on the other hand, will never look the same and currently looks like this:



The lesson learned? Always burn notes to self onto the back of hand with a soldering iron, thus ensuring good visibility and minimizing chance of a random daydream.

I hope you've all had a good ROFL - I did.

Cheers,

[otterly2k]

Aw, bummer, Peter!
If it's any consolation, when I was building an electric guitar, I was drilling a hole for the strap button late in the afternoon (e.g. tired after a long day) and put it on the wrong horn. My instructors and classmates had a good laugh at my expense, and we spent a good while joking about what to hang from that lower horn-- tassel?? fuzzy dice?? We ended up using it to demonstrate technique for drop filling ... but still... I felt mighty stoopid.
From one dunderhead to another...
KE

[delsbrother]

For lefties.

[Kerry Krishna]

Black, I think you and I may be related! I do instrument repair photoessays for Facebook quite often, and when I actually make mistakes, they have a tendency to go right into the essays too. I think for me, it is more of an 'honesty' thing. I want people to know that even semi pros like me still make mistakes, and to tell the truth as I see it, it makes folks looking at my essays think they are right in my shoes. Plus the fact that I REALLY want people to know that I am honest about the whole thing. Not putting in the mistakes would be akin to lying right? Kudos to you for showing your mistakes here. I really respect you for it. Friend me on Facebook Bucko!

[billhay4]

I drilled a hole all the way through a top once. Filled it and now call it a repaired bullet hole. Kept something inside to rattle.
Maybe there's a creative solution to your "mistake", too.
Bill

[buckhorn]

I've made enough mistakes cutting out parts that I broke down and built a lefty..the final straw was when I cut an F style peghead backwards...where ever ya go , there ya are....................

[Pete Jenner]

It's all good - noone will notice the error by the time I'm finished.
I just posted this for the humour. I'm still laughing.

[John Kelly]

There is a man of courage and good humour. SO easy to do and always makes you wonder just where the brain was at that moment. Do not, however, use the soldering iron on the back of the hand: a much better way is to get a good, spirit-based marker, dense black, and write you memo on the instrument itself! Always works for me.

[Pete Jenner]

Ah good idea - although I thought the pain of the soldering iron would keep the mind focused.

[Dobe]

I think I get it; you were trying to route back channel, not top, right ? No biggie, one piece to re-do. I once (pretty recently) finished, setup & started pickin a new build that just seemed a bit dissapointing compared to what it sounded like in the white. After a few hours, resigned to the idea that it was an O.K. one, just didn't have 'it' ; I removed the newspaper from the body chamber. Made a pretty big difference !
BTW, if you tell anyone, I'll have to dissapear you .

[Marty Jacobson]

Haha, yep. Lutherie is all about how you deal with your mistakes. It's still a good looking box.

[TLC]

it's a good person to be able to laugh at yourself and an even better person that can put it out there for all to see. I really hate it for you but you know that being able to hide your mistakes is what seperates someone that is able to make a wooden masterpiece and those who spend a lot of valuable time making firewood. LOL!
Remember, there are no screw ups, just extra operatunities to be more creative. Keep making sawdust, it's looking wonderfull.

[Bertram Henze]

Knowing myself and my uncanny ability to break into a daydream any time, anywhere (it's a bit like narcolepsy without the falling asleep bit) ...

Do you drive? if yes, please tell me where so I can avoid the area...

[Pete Jenner]

Do you drive? if yes, please tell me where so I can avoid the area...

38 Years of driving and I haven't had an accident for ....weeks.
I don't even know where 0.8 mpc from NGC 224, upstairs is Bertram but I'll bet you drive on the wrong side of the road;-)

[Bertram Henze]

I'll bet you drive on the wrong side of the road;-)

in fact, on the wrong side of the planet!

[Dale Ludewig]

This reminds me- not that I've ever done something similar...... route both top and bottom at the same time. Then do the binding and stay away from the router.

[dan in va]

Maybe that's how D'Angelico or Bozo got into multiple bindings to make them wide.

[belbein]

Blackheathen, my friend, welcome to the club. I can't tell you the number of charlie foxtrots I've gotten myself into. The way I figure it, every screw up is an opportunity to learn a new technique. Unfortunately, I have to keep using those new techniques, because I keep . . . uh, giving myself opportunities to learn.

[Mandolin Mick]

What a drag! But, at least you're able to laugh about it!

[Pete Jenner]

As a footnote to this story, the ability to laugh at one's self is in the Aussie DNA. Anyone caught taking themselves too seriously here is exported to Tasmania to work in the treacle mines.

[mandomedic]

Been there, done that and had a few laughs and tears. I trained repair people for over 30 years and we always said the difference between a repair person and very good repair person was the ability to fix your screwups... Thanks for the chance to laugh at ourselves.

[David Houchens]

When its done, if it looks intentional, it wasn't a mistake at all.