Oops! Murphy’s Laws of Woodworking

Oops! Murphy's Laws of Woodworking

Murphy’s Law states if anything can go wrong, it will. I’m convinced that

axiom applies to woodworking. Here are several examples I’ve experienced:

By Edwin Hackleman

• The more expensive the wood, the more you will waste.

• When you drop a piece with freshly applied glue, it will land glue-side down on a pile of dust and shavings.

• Every scrap piece will be 1/2 in. short of being useful.

• During glue-up, nothing lines up as well as it did during the dry fit.

• Router tear-out always occurs at the worst possible place and time.

• For every hour you spend woodworking, you spend two hours cleaning up.

• The phone only rings when you’re gluing or applying finish.

• You’ll always spot the area you forgot to varnish immediately after cleaning your brush.

• When you install butt hinges, at least one brass screw will break.

• A dropped tool always lands where it does the most harm.

• Staining highlights the grain … and all the blotches, scratches and glue spots.