Think Tank and Kerfs

7-28-25

Yes, that child is a bit of an odd duck. And I love that about him!

But this little canvas style above ground pool has become my “think tank” …. I design and create and build and sometimes I run into issues that I don’t know how to solve. There have been many projects that are left dead in the water (pun intended) and some that I’ve left for months and come back to. I had an issue with kerf the other day - that’s the space that you lose in cut whether it’s with a laser or a blade. That dang kerf. It can be the death of a project sometimes. And one that I designed a long time ago almost just now died because of it.

The checker board. I have always hated it. Almost every time I make it, I have to scrap parts or all or just chalk it up to a misfit. I began to avoid making it.

Sometimes it was the way I painted it before, sometimes it just a process failure. But the kerf has always been in issue and it got me good last time so I left it. I got in my think tank and I floated, mind wandering of all the ways to “fix” it. Not the one in progress…. But the design itself. I had already found ways to fix the paint issues and the cuts and the assembly process and lots of other things…. But the kerf…. Ugh.

I floated and my brain just went into high gear. What can I do? I pushed my focus and just lost myself in the ripples of the water.

And I came up with a plan…..

and another…..

and then i went back to shop.

....sigh... the first one failed …. So plan B….

One little move and I fixed it!!!!! I FIXED IT!!!!!!

So guess what?? NOW the 8x8 board will now be a stocked item!!! And I’m so excited that after about two years after designing this thing, I finally figured it out!