Reflection 4a

Lessons in Beaver Barf... as it pertains to the ribbon or the spider...

Lately the preponderance of my free time has been spent building a bookcase for some folks. They're remodeling and requested the material be melamine (pictured here) as it matched their existing office furniture. Melamine is rough particle board (thus Beaver Barf - it is what beavers might barf) covered with a thin and brittle coat of white something-or-another. I hate it. That may be the primary problem. Other issues include chipping and full-bore break out when cutting, routing or drilling the stuff. Despite all my wood butcher tricks the piece, while huge @ 8ft x 16-1/2in x 28in and absolutely solid, it was a bane to my woodworkers margin for error, not to mention ugly for all the chips. I spent more time touching up then actually building. I decided not sign it - hence I told my clients they owed me nothing.

A bit of history: The bookcase was designed by the homeowner to filling a useless and problematic architectural space created in the remodel. I'm told it will be used to house a stuffed penguin collection and some random books...

So I deliver to my clients what I consider to be the spider - read not what I wanted it to be; though certainly not easy from my point of view - I wanted the ribbon. Well, these dear people think I've delivered them the ribbon! They love it; and despite my protests pay me the full amount and tell me they may have more work for me...??

So the upshot is - one person's spider is another's ribbon. Is the piece good enough to house a stuffed penguin collection and some random books? Obviously yes. Sure makes it a bitch to know when good enough is just that... Good Enough.