(continuing my occasional series of weird and wonderful things that never, seriously, never, happen to me)
… needed a table saw for quite a while, but couldn’t afford the one you wanted, until …
… you saw this fabulous portable one, ON SALE …
This is what it looks like with all the pieces assembled, not what it looked like once we took it out of the box
… and once you figured out the instructions that assume you have an intimate knowledge of the arcane language of carpenters, you manage to duplicate the image on the box …
… but find that you have all these …
OK, I know where that jagged edged bit goes, but the rest? No idea!
…left over?
Nah, me neither!
-oOo-
However, when it’s up and running, and properly accessorised …
Making a cross-cut jig
… You can make the most wondrous things.
Widdershins Worlds 
We have a complete machine shop and woodworking shop in a big room off the garage. Someone moving into this community insisted on bringing it, and several residents help people use it.
So my days of doing jobs in my own basement are over, fun as they were (mostly before I got sick, but a bunch connected with our homeschooling). I finally got tired of the other half doing jobs, leaving a god-awful mess, and me not being able to use it until MY assistant and I cleaned it up. Not worth it after a while.
But I didn’t have a table saw or a lathe.
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That had me going all envious! … well the bit about the tools, not the spouse.! 😀 I wonder if it’s a bloke thing? Mrs Widds and I tidy up after ourselves, and each other if necessary, without any of that drama.
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I don’t know if marriage arrangements of other kinds have similar problems, but the messy/tidy one is difficult, and even when both are the same (gender or tidiness) it is individual – I don’t have enough data.
Every arrangement will have its rough spots. My dad was tidier than my husband, I think, but he still had times when he wasn’t tidy.
I’m pretty tidy – I like to put things away as I go – but have lost a lot of flexibility because I’m so clumsy when standing.
If it’s bad enough, or important enough, I speak up. If not, I have a tendency to let a lot of things slide. At least I don’t do the ‘simmering until I blow up’ thing.
Remember, my husband has had to deal with a partner who changed a lot due to a chronic illness but still tries to do a reasonable share – the balance is erratic. ‘Fair’ is hard to achieve; he’s more patient with me than I am – or maybe he’s got a higher threshold for annoyance.
The house is behind us now; but this is a small apartment. Work in progress.
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I had a similar experience this summer, Widds. I needed a simple strimmer, as keeping the garden jungle contained was proving a bridge too far for my poor old knees. I was expecting to be able to use it straight from the box. Hah, not a chance in hell. and I’m not much good with assembling anything these days!
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I had one of those too … very annoying. And the ridiculous thing is, the bits that we have to attach could just as well have been installed before it was shipped!
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Precisely!
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Whoever invented flat packs should be treated to a session on that jig.
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They’re not too bad if the instructions are written in plain English and not a translation, and in a font and size that’s legible without wearing three pairs of glasses! 😀
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I haven’t seen any like that
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I have no idea what to do with a tablesaw except that it’s great for loading dirty laundry on. Also, my father used to say that putting an item together always had leftover pieces. He said they were extras and I believed him. Until the time a table fell apart because I forgot to put in all the pieces. Oops. I look forward to seeing what you can make now that you are equipped!
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Heh, I’m a little leery of ‘left-overs’ too, 😀 but I think in this case they’re probably some sort of brackets that attach somewhere on that blue plastic. 😀
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LOL! I would never even contemplate making anything – I am inept! I’m a wordsmith and rely on my soulmate to make practical things! Enjoyed your post!
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Hi there, Freya 😀 … I’ve always been a hand tool woman so something this power tool-y was a bit daunting at first, but everything is easier with a bracing pot of tea, 😀
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For carving the Sunday joint?
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Ah, of course! 😀
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Sometimes they do put extra pieces into the boxes. I have a small drawer from IKEA I assembled years ago. It serves me well. I also occasionally use an extra side panel that was in the box as a large flat surface, when needed.
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I think the extra screws are for the metal pieces, but the question begs, what are the metal pieces for? 😀
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It’s like a jigsaw puzzle, but not the kind I find peaceful 🥴
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Heh, yeah, I usually find myself staring at the offending part and saying to myself, “What the fuck does this do?”
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I usually find out what the extra parts were for after I throw them out!
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Or keep it, put it somewhere ‘safe’, and never find it again! 😀
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Oh yes, I do that quite often!
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I once put a flatpack exercise bike together. Took weeks. By the time I finally got it the way it was supposed to be I was so sick of it, I’ve basically never used it. -sigh-
Btw…I’m terrified of power saws. Multiple brownie points for putting it together AND using it. 😀
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I had to watch lots of YouTube videos before I even went near it! 🙂
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lol – thank god for youtube. 😉
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Wow… A bit of saw envy, here. And I especially like the portable tea service option. 😀 I was a picture framer for 18 years and dearly miss my tools that sold with my shop. But I have nowhere to put them so… I definitely know the fun and convenience of having the right tool for the job. Enjoy!!
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Heheheheh, it was the tea service that sold me! 😀 … because our lives are going to be quite transitory next year, at least that’s the plan, we’re going ‘portable’ with everything that we can. 🙂
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[…] I was minding my own business, doing some cool stuff with my new toy when […]
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