Two Table Retrospective
This was the first time I ever took on two major projects at once. Initially I was thinking this would be a great productivity gain, after all if I could do a single setup and cut double the parts that would increase my efficiency.
But I was wrong.
Well partially wrong. The problem was the two tables weren’t the same. I had two similar tables, but with their own unique qualities.
The coffee table was stout with thicker boards, which meant I couldn’t rely on a single setup since I needed to accommodate the thinner material for the sofa table.
The sofa table was taller, which meant I had to change the angles of of the base to have a similar look while being proportionally correct.
Those two differences meant every setup was different, thereby eliminating the efficiency of doing these two projects at once.
And yet I finished these two tables in 5 weeks, a record for me. Despite the discrepancies in tool setup, I was still able to do things a little faster and I’ve been reflecting on why.
In all my builds the big barrier to moving forward is me. My brain. I have to figure out what I’m doing and how I’m going to do it before I can act. But once I do figure it out it sticks in my brain, and that’s how I was able to speed up these projects.
By having a plan and doing the thinking for two projects at the same time I was able to reduce time spent in my head and spend more working my hands.
And I made one big change on this project from previous projects. I kept track of my thoughts on paper.
Going into this project I knew I had a challenge, to work two things at once and not confuse parts or measurements. Early on in my woodworking most of my mistakes were because I would cut to a measurement that was wrong, either because I didn’t write it down or I simply marked the wrong spot.
I have learned to be extra diligent, but when I had two sets of numbers floating around in my head I knew I needed to get them out and put them on paper so I couldn’t forget. In doing so I was able to quickly switch my machine setups and cut the parts I needed with confidence.
So what I’m saying is, these projects went well because I came in with a plan and I updated and tracked that plan as I worked which allowed me to move forward confidently and focus on the task at hand rather than keeping track of everything in my head.
And that is the lesson I shared in the sofa table video. The idea that you have to slow down to speed up. Taking the time to make a plan is well worth the initial investment.
And with that, here’s the two videos. I suggest starting with the coffee table and rolling right into the sofa table video. I hope you enjoy these builds and videos as much as I enjoyed making them!