Ever Just Throw It Away?

[LoyalNine]

Do you ever do a project and realize it's just not coming out right? I worked on an open top case for my leatherman Ti today and from the start it just sucked... I tried to follow it through. It all stemmed with poor planning and I was just kinda seeing if I could throw something together. It didn't work. You can't polish a turd. ...and I can't bri g myself to take pics. 😨

[electrathon]

I tossed a lot when I was learning, still do sometimes. Tossing out bad work makes you want to do better, because you are mad you had to start over. Polishing up turds makes your work the quality of a shiny turd.

[JLSleather]

Yap, still do. Sometimes cut it in half - so I can't change my mind.

If it isn't going like i think it should, it'll just irritate me the whole time i'm trying to alter it. Better to just pitch it and start fresh.

[chiefjason]

Slammed it on the table. On the floor. Threw it across the room. Out of the garage. Into the yard. Tossed in trash can. In boxes. Cut in pieces. I could go on.

If I can save something I will. But sometimes all you will get out of a piece is a lesson in what not to do again. But that's valuable in it's own right.

[Dwight]

I have a box full of leather pieces, . . . and among them are the "lesson pieces" that were salvaged from the project that in a different frame of mind would have gotten hung up on my rifle range and used for target practice.

Throwing them in the box, . . . allows me to salvage any good leather that may be there, . . . and also reminds me of my humanity, . . . something that every now and then we all tend to forget, . . .

But like Electrathon alluded to, . . . there are times when you realize that this is NOT ever going to be a properly finished product, . . . so it just becomes a lesson piece.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Feraud]

Yes, I do toss a bad item. Just like Dwight, I keep the bad ones in a box as a reminder of how far I've come, and how far I have to go!

[humperdingle]

Sometimes it takes less time to restart than faff-about trying to make alterations.

Yes, i've chucked a few :D

[Chief31794]

I don't throw any away, I've never made any mistakes, although the leather fairy comes sometimes (actually pretty often) and removes some of my items so I won't have to deal with them. I hope you know I'm just kidding, I keep the local land fill in business. Learn from everyone of them. Sometimes it's mistakes, sometimes poor planning, and sometimes it just happens. I do seem to do a lot better if I'm not rushing, I ought to think about that, there may be a lesson in there.

Chief

[JREESER1]

The only person that has never made a mistake, never did anything. I've come to the conclusion that some mistakes turn out ok, some are better but never regret trying.

[ramrod]

i save it for scrap. that's about it. and i have a LOT of scrap.

[barehandcustoms]

Yup, Sometimes you just have to accept things aren't going to turn out right. If it happens a lot then I would suggest buying a pack of the thickest art paper you can find. Practice on it before you start laying a blade to leather. Generally you will find most of the flaws in your new design and save yourself some money.

Your time is generally the most expensive resource involved in a project. Don't be afraid to call it quits when something just isn't going to work out right.

[meagain]

I just made a fun little heart shaped coaster. (Bought a bag of 25 coasters for practice). I painted it, then changed the color, then changed it again and.... I wouldn't be surprised if it's still tacky 4 days out.

I have learned to only work when in the right mindset/mood. This is key for me. And yes, know when to step away!

[cgleathercraft]

If I got a dollar for every item I've tossed or scrapped over the past 3 years or so. I'd probably have enough to pay for half my tools. Tossed 3 things in the past month.

1. poor design with a possible salvage, not sure yet.

2. was a mistake, went to the trash

3. a belt I started before I had all the requirements from the customer. salvageable just need to keep working on it.

Learn from every piece, good or bad.

[Grumpy Coyote]

Scrap box is full of mistakes, tests, and really bad ideas. It's all part of the process in my opinion. You can't make something new unless you risk messing up.

I don't toss 'em though... I can usually salvage bits for other projects or more experimentation.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

Like many of the others, I don't toss my screw-ups. I keep them as a reminder. Usually my screw-ups are saddle parts, which can mean a pretty big piece of really good stuff. There's no getting any useable scrap out of a ruined swell cover, but a fender that maybe didn't get cut perfect or ended up a little too soft at one end or the other can provide quite a few solid useable pieces. I don't think I've ever just pitched a screw-up, but then I hate to throw anything that might possibly have a use or serve as a valuable reminder.

[Goldshot Ron]

My mistakes are used for practice tooling, and eventually end up in the trash. I've torn pieces off of my work days after completing just because I kept thinking about the screw-up. I have a couple of customers that go through my trash when they visit. So not to feel wasteful, I toss practice pieces in the trash before they arrive. Let one man's trash be another man's treasure.

Edited August 14, 2014 by Goldshot Ron