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That time a client told me my dovetails were "too tight" and refused to pay
Last spring in Austin I spent 4 hours hand-cutting perfect through dovetails for a walnut nightstand, and the guy stood there with a credit card in his hand and said they look "off" because they didn't have gaps likes the ones his grandpa made, so what do you even say to somebody who thinks sloppy is better?
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margaretrivera1mo ago
Man 4 hours is a lot for dovetails on a nightstand, but walking away over them being "too tight" seems like a stretch. Clients say weird stuff all the time and sometimes its just about finding a middle ground instead of making it a whole thing. sounds like you took it way too personally.
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roberts.jordan1mo ago
Right? I've definitely taken sawdust home in my pocket more times than I'd like to admit. One time a client told me my custom bookcase looked "too sturdy" and I spent a whole weekend trying to figure out if that was a compliment or a diss. Turns out they just wanted thinner shelves for their little knick-knacks, idk why I turned it into a whole personal crisis. At least your dovetails were tight enough to grip, mine have been known to slide apart if you look at them wrong.
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