Does it ever seem...

[swede2207]

Like when you go into the shop,nothing goes right..Yesterday i went to grind a couple of knives for a guy who ordered them..plunge cuts were wrong..it quickly went down hill from there..so i just came in and watched tv.Today i thought a change of pace was in order..so i started setting up the mill for some blade shoulders and guard slotting..on a big knife(the reason i wanted to make knives in the first place..nothing like a big sharp knife huh?) The vise has so much slag a square mill was out of the question..where do you get a good mill vise for a hf mini mill(44991)? So im back inside, on the internet instead of grinding..is there such a thing as knifemaking slumps? If so how do you beat it..Hope everyones shop time has been better spent than mine..

[Ed Caffrey]

I don't know about other makers....but there are days that I simply walk out of the shop, lock the door, and go do something else. I'm one of those who has to be inspired about a project in order to put my heart and soul into it. Sometimes, when things are going badly, it's best just to walk away from it, get a change of perspective, and then come back to it when your in the right frame of mind. I find that an hour or two of intense concentration on a given task is about all I can take, then I have to take a break for a while...... maybe 15 mins to 1/2 hour, then I'm ready to hit it again.

[SVanderkolff]

Yes, at least in my experience there are definite slumps. What I usually end up doing is either cleaning the shop or building another machine or jig or something similar. Or if I really hit a slump I will actually go and spend time with the family.
Steve

[cactusforge]

Some times it works well to fire up the forge and take your spite out on a piece of steel, surprising what this turns into. Gib

[Dementia]

Im sure that this is a universal problem.
Sometimes the flow just gets a little interupted and you need some time away from the place in order to find it again.

But I think that you have some great suggestions here... when this happens to me I start making new machines .. or if not - modify one you already made last time

clean the shop from top to tail... which, if you have seen my workshop, would convince any mojo to quickly get its butt back in place .. nobody wants to have to clean that sty.

or else - jump on the net and come visit the forums and see if there is anything interesting to read up on.


but, dont grind angry.

D.

[swede2207]

Thanks alot guys..nice to hear from people who really have an understanding of such things. So im off to clean the shop..organize and see if that helps..

[DanCrabtree]

I know exactly what your talking about, the day fire wont start is a bad omen. Because that day will be the day the weld doesnt stick, the tang snaps, the grinder belt rips, and you burn the damascus billlet in the forge... Im a big fan of the bang on a peice of metal for a while to take out the frustatration. You would be amazed how quickly you can draw down 1/2 inch bars to 1/8 th in. You would also be suprised how many 1/2 inch rods i have laying aroundn the shop wikth 5 or 6 inches drawn down But cleaning the shop also helps on these days. These days also give us time to fix things around the shop. You can always make something good out of the bad.

[Jason Cutter]

Same here... I am a fan of cleaning the workshop or going out to my garden, doing some pruning or playing with my guinea pigs ! I think figuring out hwo to correct the problem areas is a key rule to progress in knifemaking (and everything) but there are times I need to just step back and defuse, reconsider my strategy or just wait till the fog in my head clears. There comes a time when trying harder and pushing even harder doesn't go anywhere. Another point is that when I "try too hard" thats when accidents happen - when I'm pushing the limits of my experience a bit too hard, a bit too fast. Jason.

[McAhron]

for stuff for the mini, Little Machine Shop has precision vices for about 80 bucks

[TJ Smith]

I go fishing and do nothing but think about knifes when I'm out.
TJ

[pipecrafter]

I don't make too many knives, but I do make pipes (URL in sig), I find, when I can't seem to get things right, the best thing to do is walk away. Save your materials and sanity until you feel more "in the zone". Sometimes it only takes an hour or so, but that "reset time" is important.

[DiamondG Knives]

My shop has a fence behind it that is a feed lot. Ive set up a table ander the eve of the shop, with a sand bag, and a nice comfy chair. When things are going down hill for me, Ill take out the trusty 22-250 Ackley Improved Encore with 6 x 24 x 56 BSA scope and vent my frustrations on the plentiful supply of crows that find the feed lot a tasty buffet. The cows are usually in the side pastures by the ponds, so I have clean shots up to 600 yards with a nice high bank in the back. I dont want to sound like a demented type, but it is amazing just how soothing it is to rein down havoc on a crow from 400 yards!!! My personal best is 473 yards which was stepped off to verify.

Its pretty sad, but when the pasture is clear of cattle, Ive been known to put down a blade and take up my rifle for just a shot or two!!

God Bless
Mike

[john mcdonald]

Yup I agree take a drive along the back road for a few km's and let loose with either the 0.22 or my 0.223 knock a few possum's (night time) crow's or Rabbits..... MMMM rabbit stew.... there is real therapy in loosing off 15 or 20rounds REALLY soothes my soul...

[Ron Claiborne]

I know I?ve been there many times wanting to get things done and things going wrong we all been at the point that if one more thing go wrong im going to the house ; but you have to admit that we are the luckiest people in the world to get to do what we love to go out and build that knife that you have wanted to build for so long .i
t is a great feeling of satisfaction and to have someone else to want to spend there money on what you produce is all so a good feeling .
When one can`t do what we want it?s a bummer we feel like we are letting others down and losing time . As we get farther along in this craft and learn skills that should be repeatable we really get upset when they don?t,.
The trick is as Ed said go and get a needed break, we tend to push to get a particular task done and some times we don?t and some times it?s a waist of time, set back take a break walk away is all good advice I have had some poor health problems to cause me to not go to the shop and get thing done as I would like and in that time I was beating myself up and had a feeling of letting people down my customers my wife and my dreams and what I wanted to get done this year ,but looking back it was for the better I got the health thing in check and I have had time to reflect on my goals and better way to reach them .
So all that I thought was bad was really better for me, im behind in getting things out and this is by far the worst thing in my line of work and most have steped up with encouraging understanding that s##t happens and they understand and have stuck with me thanks to you all its not easy letting you down , I have learned to pace myself and stop this head banging drive tio get it done in a certain time every time and when it go`s wrong to set back take time to work though it .
most of the time we tend to push our selves to fast this is not whey we do what we do we need to understand that thing go wrong and thing happen out of our control and too take a break that why we are in business of working for our self
I have gotten back to my old ways ?DO WHAT YOU LIKE AND LIKE WHAT YOU DO and DO THE BEST THAT YOU CAN
When thing go wrong stand bake take a break

Bowie 6days Damascus free