Shall we call them happy accidents, or just plain mistakes?
In a recent tip, we discussed preparing extra boards for a project that utilized used oak flooring. The rejection rate is pretty high, as many boards are warped, stained, bowed and bent. And that doesn’t even count the ones that the floor nails blew out the entire underside of the board.
Although I followed my own advice, there were so many bad boards that I had to go back to the pile and select some more.
I took about twice as many boards as I thought I’d need to replace the rejects, cleaned, ripped and planed them, then began to arrange them among the original selections for a pleasing look.
That’s when it hit me.
These boards were different. Still oak, but about half the width of the first set.
I’d picked them out, done all that work on them, and I’m just now noticing?
As Popeye says, “All’s well that ends in the well.” As I tried various arrangements, it became obvious that alternating widths gave the panel an interest it lacked with uniform board width.
I’m not sure what the final product will end up being, but I’m calling this a happy accident for now.
Return to the July 2019 issue of Wood News Online
Jim Randolph is a veterinarian in Long Beach, Mississippi. His earlier careers as lawn mower, dairy farmer, automobile mechanic, microwave communications electronics instructor and journeyman carpenter all influence his approach to woodworking. His favorite projects are furniture built for his wife, Brenda, and for their children and grandchildren. His and Brenda’s home, nicknamed Sticks-In-The-Mud, is built on pilings (sticks) near the wetlands (mud) on a bayou off Jourdan River. His shop is in the lower level of their home.Questions and comments on woodworking may be written below in the comments section. Questions about pet care should be directed to his blog on pet care, www.MyPetsDoctor.com. We regret that, because of high volume, not all inquiries can be answered personally.