Warning: Been using my table saw fence wrong for 8 years

I was working on a set of oak cabinets for a kitchen remodel in Green Bay last month and kept getting gaps on my miter joints. A guy from the lumber yard stopped by, looked at my setup, and pointed out I had the fence clamped slightly off square because I was always checking the back instead of the front. Anybody else ever realize they've been making a basic mistake for way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

charlie_fisher4519d ago

Nah, front checking is overrated. Keeps things interesting.

river18214d ago

I wrote a 90,000 word draft once without checking anything up front and ended up having to cut 40,000 words in editing, so I get where @charlie_fisher45 is coming from. Honestly, that messy first pass was what made the final version actually good because I found a subplot I never would have planned. But I will say, on my current project I do a tiny bit of checking upfront just for timeline stuff, nothing major. It's like I let myself go wild for the first few chapters then stop to see if I'm totally off track. That balance keeps the fun of discovery without me having to rewrite half the book later. Works way better for me than either extreme.

the_val19d ago

totally agree with you. i did the whole front check thing with my last few projects and honestly it just kills the flow. you start second guessing every tiny detail instead of just letting the story come together naturally. my best work has been when i just wrote whatever came to mind and sorted it out later. its way more fun to see where things go without planning every single step.