3 P's  are absolutely essential for all of us.

     – Planning

     – Patience

     – Perseverance

     Planning out the project, thinking through the necessary sequence so that you don't end up like the cartoon character painting yourself into a corner… Been there, done that – out-engineered myself that is – to date haven't literally painted myself in to a corner….yet :)

     More than once, especially when younger, however, I've started a project only to wind up doing 4 times the work trying to re-do or work around sequence mistakes.

     – Patience = safety and economy. Whether metal work or woodworking, a proper, secure set-up usually takes longer than performing the actual operation itself.  But ya don't hurt yourself with slipping tools, flying work pieces, etc. Ya also don't damage tooling or machinery. I know it's more fun and satisfying to be DOING something, but over many years, I've learned this the hard way. :) And even though I've "been there, done that" they don't give out T-shirts for stupidity, incompetence, orimpatience – at least they didn't give me one, and I've earned it! :)

     I repeat:

          IT WILL TAKE LONGER TO SET UP THAN TO DO THE OPERATION

     – Perseverance: Often when your project involves new skills, you will make mistakes and have to start over at the beginning, or do extensive re-work to salvage the project or materials….. Be patient. You will get there eventually, the sun will rise tomorrow whether you work recklessly and injure yourself or not.  Like the Wooly Mammoth, keep plodding ionward.

      'Fall six times, rise up seven.'  – Japanese proverb

          – Don

OK Nick… 

      'If you use a welding torch to thaw out the Christmas turkey… you might be a redneck…' – Jeff Foxworthy would be proud, Nick – you'd fit right in here in South Carolina!!! :):)

     You're right about the bench grinder though… I bought a $25 one at Big Lots [a super-discount closeout type store] close tio 20 yrs ago after my Grandpa's old one died on me… still using that $25 machine… gonna have to replace the wheels soon though.

     – Don

Guess I could have been clearer, Tyler – - – when younger, I made the sequence mistakes slowly because I WAS young andi nexperienced… now that I am 'older' ie 'fossilizsed ' :) I still make the mistakes, but because of my VAST exoerience, I can make them much faster!!! :):):)

       'growing old is manditory – growing up is impossible' :):)

      – Don