I was in my wood shop today working on a little project and needed to make a quick angled cut on my table saw. Without thinking I started cranking away on the blade angle adjustment without first removing my zero clearance insert. The top of the blade remained vertical and the bottom side went on its way. Not good. I had spent good money on this blade only a few months ago with hopes of getting many years of use from it. The bend in the blade is irreparable and it will never make a clean and straight cut again.
After cooling from my initial upset I started thinking about how I had muddled this simple task I’ve done so many times before. Why did I miss such an important step and in my haste ruin a perfectly good blade? The answer is that my thoughts and energy were focused on other things. In that moment I needed to adjust my saw for an angled cut. But, I wasn’t focusing on the saw and what I needed to do to make that cut, I had already jumped ahead to how I would use that piece after it was cut. My thoughts were out of sync with my present actions. Now I’m out a $75 dollar blade and it took well over an hour to get my saw back in working order with a spare blade.
I’m reminded of an article from Leo Babauta on the importance of each moment. Even the small ones like making a quick adjustment to the blade on your table saw. After re-reading that article I’m left wondering what other things I may have missed in rushing to get that project done. What other insights or enjoyment in the making went completely unnoticed?