Cwalker935
Member
I spent a good portion of yesterday working on a project with my Dad who as many of you may know had a major stroke several years ago. The stroke left him with very very limited speech and very little movement in his right arm and hand. Dad's insurance benefits no longer cover therapy but fortunately he is in a program at a nearby college where he gets both speech and occupational therapy. The lady heading up the occupational program has encouraged me to do some basic woodworking projects with Dad to help with therapy and to encourage him to try to use his right hand more. Yesterday's project was to make a small memory box for his first Great Granddaugter who just turned 1 (my Great Niece). The box is a simple cube with a hinged top.
Since Dad is unsteady on his feet, I had him cut the top, bottom, and sides using a scroll saw. I thought that it would be the safest option. He managed to get all six boards cut but the cuts were not exactly straight. He sanded until he got tired and I finished sanding for him. He sat down and we assembled the box with screws. The resulting box has some noticeable gaps along some of the seams and where the lid closes. Oddly enough the stroke actually seems to have enhanced Dad's powers of observation and he of course noticed all the flaws and was disappointed. Mom asked me to take the box home and paint it which brings me to my dilemma. I am tempted to to fill the gaps and to straighten the box where the lid fits but I want the box to be as much of Dad's work as possible. Should I paint the box as is or try to make some improvements?
Since Dad is unsteady on his feet, I had him cut the top, bottom, and sides using a scroll saw. I thought that it would be the safest option. He managed to get all six boards cut but the cuts were not exactly straight. He sanded until he got tired and I finished sanding for him. He sat down and we assembled the box with screws. The resulting box has some noticeable gaps along some of the seams and where the lid closes. Oddly enough the stroke actually seems to have enhanced Dad's powers of observation and he of course noticed all the flaws and was disappointed. Mom asked me to take the box home and paint it which brings me to my dilemma. I am tempted to to fill the gaps and to straighten the box where the lid fits but I want the box to be as much of Dad's work as possible. Should I paint the box as is or try to make some improvements?