Knowing when to stop....

[calanneh]

When did each of you learn that powerful lesson of knowing when to stop??

I am bad about working on a project and then adding just one more little touch.....and messing it all up! I have done it more than I care to admit and I did it agian today!

I was working on a belt case for my leatherman and I used my stylus to do a nice simple outline of Texas in the leather. Got the leather wet, traced the image a few times, let it dry. It looked very nice, but as the leather dried the lines pulled tighter and smoothed (is that a word?) out a little. It would have been just fine, but being me..I grabbed my stylus and went over it one more time......

And accidently added an extra loop to the Rio Grande and hosed up Galveston Bay.....LOL!

I was able to fix it, but once again I proved to myself.....I should of left well enough alone.

In the attached sword frog pic, I laced this darn thing for over an hour (with pretty good results) and it looked fine the way it was. But then I thought, 'I bet a cool celtic knot stamp would look nice at the bottom'. The stamp slips as I strike it and I get a double image of the stamp!!

I had to work a bit more and I added a border that kinda masked the double image, but the damage was done. I should have left well enough alone....

Anybody else care to share?? I know I ain't the only one with this 'just one more' addiction......

William

[jbird]

I am guilty to I push the envalope almost every time it has not bit me to bad yet, that itch to "improve" is hard to get rid of. And some times I get a bit nerves about waiting for things to dry. We are in the same boat on this one.

Josh

[Dags3777]

Some times " Less is More " Darryl

[rawhide1]

calanneh

I feel your pain!! I do that with alot of stuff. Right now I haven't been doing much braiding or anything else due to the freestanding treehouse I'm building for my kids. They would have been tickled pink with one thrown together. But not ol dad!! It's 9'x9' and 6' ceiling and the gable roof adds another 4' of head room. The whole thing is about 9' off the ground. When finished it will have a 4ft walk around deck, finished woodfloors,a loft, and be wired. The *amn thing just keeps getting stuff added to it. And it's driving my wife nuts!!! Luckly I've used alot of reclaimed lumber. The kids will really enjoy it if I ever get it done!! And I promise I will screw something up before I'm done. Thats just one exzample of me not knowing when to stop.

Mike

[calanneh]

Damn Mike!

Will you build me a treehouse too?!?!?!

William

[Go2Tex]

bwahahahaha!! Misery loves company, don't she? Been there done that so many times I don't even wanna count 'em. I guess it comes from being a bit of a perfectionist, never satisfied, always trying to improve on something. And sure 'nuf, 9 times out of 10 that last little touch is the one that SCREWS IT UP!.

Hey, thanks for sharing. It's nice to know I ain't the only moran that can't leave well enough alone. heh heh

[badger]

I want a treehouse!

Karl

[celticleather]

If I quickly grow a tree, can I have one too?

[carr52]

I was just going to make a messenger bag like the one Indiana Jones carries. Plain and simple, no carving. Well one thing led to another and Indiana Jones turned into Henrieta Jones.

Tom

[calanneh]

I was just going to make a messenger bag like the one Indiana Jones carries. Plain and simple, no carving. Well one thing led to another and Indiana Jones turned into Henrieta Jones.

Tom

Well, I'm sure Indy would love it too......

[Sharpshooter]

I know where you're coming from....

In a previous life I ran Auto Repair Shops and would watch as Technicians would manage to over fix things into destruction....

I solved part of the problem by making up a bunch of these

I would drop them in front of the technician whenever I caught them over-fixing... they got the message

You have my permission to take the image, print it out and stick it on your bench.... as soon as you think you're close to finished stick the sign on the project and go for a walk.

Works like a charm for me

[CitizenKate]

I feel your pain!! I do that with alot of stuff. Right now I haven't been doing much braiding or anything else due to the freestanding treehouse I'm building for my kids. They would have been tickled pink with one thrown together. But not ol dad!! It's 9'x9' and 6' ceiling and the gable roof adds another 4' of head room. The whole thing is about 9' off the ground. When finished it will have a 4ft walk around deck, finished woodfloors,a loft, and be wired. The *amn thing just keeps getting stuff added to it. And it's driving my wife nuts!!! Luckly I've used alot of reclaimed lumber. The kids will really enjoy it if I ever get it done!! And I promise I will screw something up before I'm done. Thats just one exzample of me not knowing when to stop.

When I was a kid in the '60's, I and the neighborhood kids used to spend endless summer hours building and playing in stuff we made from corregated cardboard (from our latest trip to the Duckwall's dumpster), scrap lumber, and nails generously supplied by our parents. On one of our projects, one of my neighbors' dad came out with us and helped us build a "fort" that actually had some structural integrity to it. We thought he was the coolest dad! Then, we promptly "modified" it to death, but what a time we had! I still remember it vividly, 40 years later.

I hope you're planning to post a photo when it's done.

Kate

[rawhide1]

CitizenKate

As soon as the weather clears I'l take a photo. It's still in the rough stage of being undone. And then when I get it done (could be awhile) I'll post another picture. It's neat ya said that as my best memories are of building forts and playing cowboys and indians. Not of store bought toys or tv( which we really didn't have). I think todays kids are missing out on that wonderful thing called imagineation(sp)I'll quit rambling now. Have a goodnight.

Mike

[calanneh]

I know where you're coming from....

In a previous life I ran Auto Repair Shops and would watch as Technicians would manage to over fix things into destruction....

I solved part of the problem by making up a bunch of these

OK, i'll bite.... What is LITFA??

William

[tashabear]

OK, i'll bite.... What is LITFA??

William

Leave It The Frack Alone (where "frack" equals something else...)

[tonyc1]

I know where you're coming from....

In a previous life I ran Auto Repair Shops and would watch as Technicians would manage to over fix things into destruction....

I solved part of the problem by making up a bunch of these

I would drop them in front of the technician whenever I caught them over-fixing... they got the message

You have my permission to take the image, print it out and stick it on your bench.... as soon as you think you're close to finished stick the sign on the project and go for a walk.

Works like a charm for me

I'll bite, what does it stand for, Sharpshooter?

Tony.

[cem]

I know where you're coming from....

In a previous life I ran Auto Repair Shops and would watch as Technicians would manage to over fix things into destruction....

I solved part of the problem by making up a bunch of these

I would drop them in front of the technician whenever I caught them over-fixing... they got the message

You have my permission to take the image, print it out and stick it on your bench.... as soon as you think you're close to finished stick the sign on the project and go for a walk.

Works like a charm for me

I would say Tasha bear has hit the nail on the head for an explanation

That's classic though sharpshooter, I wish I could give that to clients when I get endless revisions on their artwork.

[Ezilth]

The only way I've found to stop myself from constantly trying to improve is to before I start my project, have a mental image in my mind of what I want it to be when it's complete.I usually spend a couple of days thinking about how it should be(getting all the bright ideas out of the way before I start).Then start my project so everything is already thought through and through.Whenever I do that anything extra I want to add doesn't look right because it doesn't line up with my end goal.It still gets to me every once and a while so before I get carried away I antique it and put a finish on before my other half takes over and runes it.I don't like to leave the room with an unfinished peice because when I come back I just have to add this one more peice because in the heat of the moment the idea sounds wonderful at the time.

[rawhide1]

Here are some pics. of the unfinished treehouse!!! I have a ways to go. And I may put out a big LITFA sign!!

[tonyc1]

Looks like it will withstand hurricanes and earthquakes!

[Ezilth]

well it's not a leatherworker post but a craftsman is a craftsman.Looks sturdy let us know how it turns out

Ezilth

[Timbo]

That is seriously bigger than the cabin I lived in for a lot of this summer!!!!!!! ........and its a tree house.

Looks great.

.....and I really like LITFA..........I shall use that often.

thanks for posting.

Tim

[calanneh]

Here are some pics. of the unfinished treehouse!!! I have a ways to go. And I may put out a big LITFA sign!!

Well Rawhide, I think I see a new leather workshop with a nice few...hehehe

Think the young'uns would mind a workbench and a few tools????

William

[rawhide1]

I'll keep ya'll updated!!

I did threaten to put a recliner,fridge(beer), and a plasma tv in there and make it my man cave. But they didn't like that idea to well.

Mike

PS sorry for hijacking the thread!!

[CitizenKate]

That looks WAY cool, Mike. I bet all the kids in the neighborhood are going to be hanging out at your place.

Kate