One of my main hobbies this past year or two has been woodworking. Nothing too elaborate yet—mostly picture frames and boxes—but certainly something I now practice regularly.
As I was building a few frames recently, I decided to try a new, more challenging joint for bringing the frame pieces together: a mitered half-lap (see below):
This joint is more challenging than what I’d previously been using, and requires much more precision to get a clean and well-seated joint in the end. I should have spent a lot more time planning out the cuts and measurements. But instead, eager to get started, I charged ahead, rushing the cuts of the pieces of the frame, to predictably mediocre results.
Things got even worse when I was cutting the slot for the artwork with my router. The work splintered when I tried to remove too much material at once. The project was ruined, and it was time to start over. All because I was rushing.
It was a painful lesson in the value of patience and planning. Rushed work rarely pays off. Instead, it’s always worth overestimating the time and effort you’ll need.