# Question Of The Week... (2022 week 38)



## ripjack13 (Sep 25, 2022)

Welcome back to the Question of the Week woodbarter peeps! It was an exciting past summer. With the end of summer, that means the triumphant return of the world-famous Question of the Week!
So let's get this shindig on the road!

*What single thing do you think is the most important (thing) in woodworking?*





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**Rules**
There is no minimum post requirement,
primates, woodticks, wood spinners, and leprechauns are welcome to post an answer.
Don Ratcliff said:
Honestly, is that the strangest thing you think Marc has going?


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## ripjack13 (Sep 25, 2022)

@woodtickgreg

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Sep 25, 2022)

Enjoy it. If you don't like it, you can have all the tools and plans and still have a horrible outcome.

Reactions: Like 4 | Agree 2


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## Mike1950 (Sep 25, 2022)

Adaptability. Almost Nobody gets through a big project without error. You adapt to situation and finish. It is so easy to get derailed by a mistake, but success is always still there, just have to accept change and move on.
First real furniture project was a plan out of Woodsmith magazine. Stacking barrister bookcases. Great plans except for one detail. I had started two sets-one white oak and one cherry. The whole project was sorta overwhelming but each component was just a box. base-4 book units and a top.
I did great until base. had little 6" tapered legs that mortised into rails. seems easy enough until the taper on those 6" legs. I had no bandsaw and the directions had you doing it on tablesaw. I made 1 of 4 cuts on one leg. Scared the crap out of me. the project sat for 2 months. other than finish I was 95%+ done with both sets. But try as I might I could not get myself to cut those tapers. One day while driving a jig idea popped into my head. Couple hours in shop and legs and base were done. You need to be able to adapt.

Reactions: Like 5 | Agree 3 | Great Post 2


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## Tom Smart (Sep 25, 2022)

Patience.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 4


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## geofffer (Sep 25, 2022)

Wonder. Your imagination is shaping the wood before you touch it.

Reactions: Like 5


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## Sprung (Sep 25, 2022)

A willingness to learn and grow. Which I would say ties in with Mike's adaptability.

Here's the reality: In the beginning, you're going to suck. No getting around it. You're going to make some things that look like crap, or are kinda decent, but not great. But you're learning from those things. What didn't go right? Where can you improve? What did you mess up? What design choices can you make different? Learn and grow. Take what you've done and try to learn from it. Also, try to learn a new skill with each project. I find that when I get to a point where the whole project is super easy and I could pretty much do it without much thinking, then I'm getting bored and stagnant. That's a great point to start looking at what you can learn next - what skill can you add, what technique can you try, what new tool can you buy and learn how to use. And remember that the people who have been doing this for years and seem to crank out perfect project after perfect project still make mistakes too. They've just learned to hide them, overcome them, shut up about them, or burn them as kindling before anyone sees them. You also don't need to show everyone your mistakes - let them marvel at the finished piece and there's a good chance they would've never noticed your "mistake" if you hadn't pointed it out to them.

Reactions: Like 7 | Agree 4


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## woodtickgreg (Sep 25, 2022)

For me it's the whole creative process, or the ability to be creative. It's about taking something that is organic and raw and turning it into something that is beautiful or useful or both. And then there is the unplugging from the world while you are in your shop and in the zone being creative and enjoying yourself making things.
Also understand this is a hobby for me and not a job, so my views may be a little different.
And my runner up response is WOOD.
Without wood there is no wood working.

Reactions: Like 5 | Agree 3


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Sep 25, 2022)

MONEY!!!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Great Post 1 | Funny 6


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## Nature Man (Sep 25, 2022)

Wood!

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Agree 2 | Funny 3 | Useful 1


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## woodtickgreg (Sep 25, 2022)

And I have another thought after thinking about my last year or so at work and not having any time in my shop. Still being a card carrying member of the rat race and working for a living it can really suck and cut into your shop time. So my next answer is.........
TIME!
Of course I know that's 3 answers but I think all are equally important.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 4


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## DLJeffs (Sep 25, 2022)

Hoot! QoTW is back like never before! 

My answer: Keeping my body parts away from the sharp bits.

1st corollary to the above: don't bleed on your project.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 4


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## Gdurfey (Sep 25, 2022)

Great answers so far. I would add planning. Seems like that trips me up as I don’t plan down to the smallest detail and I miss something or the project doesn’t come together as it should.

Reactions: Like 4


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## Mike Hill (Sep 26, 2022)

Nature Man said:


> Wood!


Danged Pragmatic Mikey was gonna say that!!!!

Reactions: Like 1 | +Karma 1


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## Burly Man (Sep 26, 2022)

Well, to answer this question I might pretend to be a woodworking teacher in front of a class… if they were high schoolers my answer would be SAFETY, if I was an instructor in front of a group of my peers of professional woodworkers I would say “know how to fix your mistakes”, and if I was in front of a local senior citizen’s woodworking club I would say “Wood”, you know because you gotta have wood and seniors are always talkin’ about “you got wood?”

Reactions: Funny 4


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## JonathanH (Sep 26, 2022)

Appreciate the current place in the journey regardless of how close, or how far, you are from the end goal. Burning the mistakes, or showing off the beautiful finished pieces, it is the journey and what we learn from it that counts.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Great Post 1


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## Mike Hill (Sep 26, 2022)

Burly Man said:


> and if I was in front of a local senior citizen’s woodworking club I would say “Wood”, you know because you gotta have wood and seniors are always talkin’ about “you got wood?”


Lil Mikey is without words!!!!

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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