That Tuesday last spring when I cut 47 dovetails without a single blowout

Still can't explain what happened. Every joint just came together perfect. Grain was cooperating, chisels were sharp, maybe it was the humidity or something. Usually I mess up at least one or two. Has anybody else had one of those mystery perfect days where you just know not to question it and keep working?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahpark3d ago

Man, that's the kind of day you just take and don't look back at. I've had maybe two or three of those in ten years of working with wood, and each time I felt like I was cheating or something. It's like the tools were doing the work themselves. The worst is when you try to chase that feeling the next day and end up with a pile of firewood instead. I figure it's a mix of luck and muscle memory lining up at the exact same moment.

willow6722d ago

Funny you say that, because I see the same thing happen in my garden every year. Some days I'm out there pulling weeds and it feels like the soil just lets them go with barely a tug, and other days I'm fighting the same stubborn roots for an hour with nothing to show for it but a sore back. It's like the universe decides when you're going to have a good day and there's no point in trying to force it. I think that kind of grace period shows up in all sorts of work, not just woodworking. You just have to take it when it comes and not get too mad when it doesn't.