frustrated again!!! lol

[Dragonkort]

spike often asks me why I do the crafts I do if it gets me so upset!!  lol when I tell him I like and enjoy my crafts he just sort of shakes his head and mutters who knows what !!!  lol I am at the momet sitting in my chair taking a break. why you might ask?  well im still working  on those pesty little elephant cell phone charger thingys. I seldom toss out a project if all it takes is a little fanagaling to get it to work, so im sanding and cutting the tabs so they will fit in the slots.  this is not hard for me as iv done it many times before. lol   now I got all the tabs to fit into all the slots and there are no big holes that have to be filled in . each piece fits together nicely. So what's my problem you ask?  My hands are just not big enough to hold all the pieces together.  I can get all of one side together with no problem, but when I go to put the other side on the darn thing falls apart. grrrrr lol  so spike is nicely dry fitting all the pieces for me. when he gets that done he'll put rubber bands around it so it won't fall apart and then we will glue it all together.  you might ask why I don't  just have him do it in the first place instead of frustrating myself with it.  well spike is 11 years older than I am and there might be a time when he won't be able to help me like he does now. I'll be 62 on the 20th , spike will be 73 on his birthday this year.  we have both decided its time for me to try to do things with out his help.  when he's finished with this one i'll start working on another one and we'll see how far I get next time. lol  this is proubly the easest thing I have to try to do with out his help.  taking deep breaths and calming down lol I will not throw my projects across the room lol 

[crupiea]

I can understand frustration.

Perhaps a different approach might work.  Why not think up some sort of a jig that will hold the pieces in place while you assemble them?  Something like that might at least give you a sense of taking matters into your own hands and not having to rely on others. 

[Dragonkort]

Now that's a great idea !  and as soon as I read your post it gave me an idea!! when I get ready to put the next piece together i'll try holding it together with clamps...  I can use 2 clamps ...one holding it together from the top and one from the side. the bottom should stay in place because its attatched to the side pieces with the tabs.  I knew I was happy I found this sight !!! lol i'll try it tomarrow i'll let you know how it turns out

Thanks !!!!

[OCtoolguy]

7 minutes ago, Dragonkort said:

Now that's a great idea !  and as soon as I read your post it gave me an idea!! when I get ready to put the next piece together i'll try holding it together with clamps...  I can use 2 clamps ...one holding it together from the top and one from the side. the bottom should stay in place because its attatched to the side pieces with the tabs.  I knew I was happy I found this sight !!! lol i'll try it tomarrow i'll let you know how it turns out

Thanks !!!!

Without pics, we won't believe you.

[Dragonkort]

lol ok ok  i'll see if I can get spike to take pics while im trying to do it. lol and i'll put them up weather it works or not!! lol I was planning on putting up the pics of the ark of the covenet and one of the finished elephants today but I do several different kinds of crafts and my plastic canvas took me away from my wood working this afternoon.  While I was trying to glue the elephants together ( befor spike took over for me ) spike was helping me with the plasti canvas by drawing ;the pattern onto the plastic canvas for me. for some reason I have a heak of a time getting that right!  he only has to do that for me once with each new project as when I cut it out I always cut out an extra one to use as a template for the next time I want to make that project. I wish  could find a way to stack cut plastic canvas on the scroll saw. lol then I could just stack cut several pieces out at a time. lol I do cut cloth with my scroll saw from time to time when im make several of the same projejct.  Iv also used it to cut paper...or rather books, when someone wants me to make them a book safe hinding place thingy. you know were theres a hole cut into the middle pages of the book. then you have a little safe like thing to put on your bookshelf with your other books but your the only one who knows that one of the books isn't really a book. lol   I tend to do my wood working durning the day and I have one of my other crafts to do in the evening and night while im watching tv. fa

[OCtoolguy]

2 hours ago, Dragonkort said:

lol ok ok  i'll see if I can get spike to take pics while im trying to do it. lol and i'll put them up weather it works or not!! lol I was planning on putting up the pics of the ark of the covenet and one of the finished elephants today but I do several different kinds of crafts and my plastic canvas took me away from my wood working this afternoon.  While I was trying to glue the elephants together ( befor spike took over for me ) spike was helping me with the plasti canvas by drawing ;the pattern onto the plastic canvas for me. for some reason I have a heak of a time getting that right!  he only has to do that for me once with each new project as when I cut it out I always cut out an extra one to use as a template for the next time I want to make that project. I wish  could find a way to stack cut plastic canvas on the scroll saw. lol then I could just stack cut several pieces out at a time. lol I do cut cloth with my scroll saw from time to time when im make several of the same projejct.  Iv also used it to cut paper...or rather books, when someone wants me to make them a book safe hinding place thingy. you know were theres a hole cut into the middle pages of the book. then you have a little safe like thing to put on your bookshelf with your other books but your the only one who knows that one of the books isn't really a book. lol   I tend to do my wood working durning the day and I have one of my other crafts to do in the evening and night while im watching tv. fa

If you cut a half dozen squares of canvas and sandwich them between 2 pieces of scrap wood I don't see why that wouldn't work to make your patterns.

[teachnlearn]

Clamps,

One idea is to keep an assortment of rubber bands, another is an assortment of zip ties. Club stores and home improvement store has sold jars of assorted size and color zip ties, use and cut off.

The last is string. Put a loop on each end of a length you need, put string around project, put a pencil or dowel in each loop and twist.

Keep an assortment of 'binder clips' or 'bulldog clips' from the office section or office supply store. With this desktop assortment you can grab one to use to hold or help clamp. 

Mix the ideas, use binder clips to grab, while you use rubber bands  around the binder clips. Put zip ties around wood to hold the string to clamp......RJF

Edited March 9, 2020 by teachnlearn

[amazingkevin]

rubber bands have been a blessing to me constructing projects!!!

[MrsN]

I would love to see some pictures of your project. It sounds interesting but I can't quite get a mental image to offer any suggestions.

[OCtoolguy]

Another suggestion that if I recall came from Scrappile (Paul) mentioned that he bought a package of the old style spring clothes pins and sort of reshaped the jaws so they would fit where he needed them to fit. The do come in handy. I on the other hand, bought a jug of tiny spring clamps at Harbor Freight. Before I saw his hint. Darn!

 

[Puzzleguy]

rubber bands , clothes pins , spring clamps ( a buck a piece at home depot 

I personnally have so many clamps i could open a store - especially those big darn

pipe bar clamps ( kits i got from sears years ago -use steel threaded pipe )

and bar clamps ( get those from home depot etc) -id stay away from the small bar clamps from harbour freight

their junk , and of couse my old favorite -masking tape

 

[teachnlearn]

3 hours ago, Puzzleguy said:

rubber bands , clothes pins , spring clamps ( a buck a piece at home depot 

I personnally have so many clamps i could open a store - especially those big darn

pipe bar clamps ( kits i got from sears years ago -use steel threaded pipe )

and bar clamps ( get those from home depot etc) -id stay away from the small bar clamps from harbour freight

their junk , and of couse my old favorite -masking tape

 

My wife has puzzled for years. She loves to just sit and put them together. For some years we had a kitchen table she worked at and I put plexiglass on top for meals. We could look at the puzzle underneath the glass.  At times I threaten to use 'puzzle glue' and glue the puzzle together. Of course if I got near one with the glue, she would beat me with the glued puzzle. Don't know if clamping puzzles 'permanently with puzzle glue would be clamping.

If  you had 1000 piece puzzle or more she would get one of each, which we couldn't afford them.

I can never buy a puzzle as a gift for her, she will stand looking them over and over in stores until she finds one she likes. I ask if there is a type and its just 'what she likes'. RJF

Edited March 9, 2020 by teachnlearn

[teachnlearn]

3 hours ago, octoolguy said:

Another suggestion that if I recall came from Scrappile (Paul) mentioned that he bought a package of the old style spring clothes pins and sort of reshaped the jaws so they would fit where he needed them to fit. The do come in handy. I on the other hand, bought a jug of tiny spring clamps at Harbor Freight. Before I saw his hint. Darn!

 

Heres a few to grab. Let me know if this is enough. RJF

https://www.amazon.com/Clothespins-Natural-Wooden-Multi-Function-aHeemo/dp/B071GR1JNH/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=hardwood+clothespin&qid=1583796008&sr=8-5

[Dragonkort]

Thanks everybody for all the suggestions!!! we keep a large bag of rubber bands in the house at all times and that's what spike uses when hes putting my stuff together. lol I like all the other ideas too and will be writing them down tomarrow when I have paper and pen at my chair.  lol I know I said I was going to work on the elephants today and take pictures of it and the ark but spike went to town today so I used the time to pick up and vacume the house. lol even with  just the two of us we do have to clean the house every now and then!!  and about the only time I can vacume is when hes out IF theres nothing on tv on want to watch. lol I think he leaves on purpurse when im not going to watch tv just so i'll vacume. lol we will see what tomorrow brings. in the mean time you can look at these lol ok this is as you can see a wreath cut to look like fall leaves. Im sure theres more stuff you can make from leaves but this is what I came up with lol  the next one is a bird feeder my friend Ritia gave me the pattern for.   it uses a canning jar.Ritia also gave me this pattern, im not sure if she made it herself or copied it from a magazine, and the converted it to a wood pattern and then the last one a simple little box

[teachnlearn]

5 minutes ago, Dragonkort said:

Thanks everybody for all the suggestions!!! we keep a large bag of rubber bands in the house at all times and that's what spike uses when hes putting my stuff together. lol I like all the other ideas too and will be writing them down tomarrow when I have paper and pen at my chair.  lol I know I said I was going to work on the elephants today and take pictures of it and the ark but spike went to town today so I used the time to pick up and vacume the house. lol even with  just the two of us we do have to clean the house every now and then!!  and about the only time I can vacume is when hes out IF theres nothing on tv on want to watch. lol I think he leaves on purpurse when im not going to watch tv just so i'll vacume. lol we will see what tomorrow brings. in the mean time you can look at these lol ok this is as you can see a wreath cut to look like fall leaves. Im sure theres more stuff you can make from leaves but this is what I came up with lol  the next one is a bird feeder my friend Ritia gave me the pattern for.   it uses a canning jar.Ritia also gave me this pattern, im not sure if she made it herself or copied it from a magazine, and the converted it to a wood pattern and then the last one a simple little box

 

LARGE BAG OF RUBBER BANDS? And your not tempted to shoot a few at each other? RJF

[Dragonkort]

lol well now to do that we'ed have to move away from each other...we're old not dead lol 

[Dragonkort]

thanks everybody!! iv written down all the wounderful ideas and tips!!!  I took some pictures of the elephant phone charging this morning before I cleaned off the table and will put up the pics soon I hope. my kitchen table is no longer my put wood projects together table...it a transplant your plants table!!! lol Im afraid I won't be doing any crafting for day or so...hopefuly just for a day or soo.....I have a LOT of plants and they are all in need of new soil and bigger pots!!! I put it off for as long as I daired  but the poor babies were getting to looking not so good sooo this morning we changed gears from crafting to taking care of my poor little plant children lol I asked my daughter if she could come down to help me some day this week but shes busy and besides as she said she'll be here for my birthday on the 20th. geezzz!!! I cant wait that long. lol  oh well  i'll pop in the next few evenings and see how things are going here and to look at all your lovely projects !!