Measure Twice, Cut Once, But Pay Attention

Why is it, do you suppose, that I spend most of my time scribbling on this post about my failures and foibles? Perhaps I just have too many.

As you can tell by the title, this may very well be another such instance.

This morning, I pulled my temporary coffee table loaded with tools out of my living room onto the porch and down the ramp to the back of my pickup. The wheels on one side really made it a fairly easy job, certainly easier than carrying each of the tools stored therein one at a time.

I opened my new cover, moved my bed extender out of the way, unloaded the tools from the cargo box (alias my temporary coffee table), then put the box in the back of the truck and loaded it back up. I moved it above the back wheels and secured it with a cargo bar that will prevent it from moving forward. The bed extender will prevent it from moving backward. In hindsight, it might have been easier to load it after I got it where I wanted it – that thing weighs a ton.

Anyway, the whole thing works well. I set my step stool inside the back too since I cannot reach inside the truck bed without it.

After this job, which took about 3 hours, I took a shower (boy, did that feel good!) and went down to Brandon to see The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I was entertained, laughing out loud a number of times. On the way home I stopped at the camper and re-measured the closet where my shelves are.

When I got home, I brought in the larger of the two pieces of Lexan I purchased the day before. My plan is to reinforce a piece of Lexan with 1x2 boards and install it on the right side of the shelves, not only to keep the shelves from moving right, but to keep the stuff on the shelves from sliding off to the right.

I needed to cut a piece of Lexan that is 15” wide. I used my framing square and very carefully measured a 15” wide section. I measured it the second time to make sure I had it right. I scribed the Lexan with a utility knife and it snapped off perfectly (quite an accomplishment, I understand).

My only problem was I had forgotten I didn’t have a square piece of Lexan and I needed to cut the 15”piece from the 48” length. Instead, not paying attention, I cut it from the 32” section.

But all is not lost. I will just use a piece of 1x12 I had left over and will fasten the Lexan on that a little ways down and reinforce the Lexan and the board with the 1x2’s. This will be even more sturday.

Once I get it screwed together, I’ll take a picture before installing it so you all can see what I’m talking about. It’s a safe bet I’m not describing this very clearly.

From now on, my new motto will be “Measure twice, cut once, but pay attention.”

Until next time…