Hi Viv,
I had the same experience. In the beginning I poo-pooed all those preparation steps - who needs them? Of course the corners don't meet up and points get cut off when you don't. So I thought I'd try it the slow way and what a difference. The devil is in the details and the more attention you pay to the prep work, the better your blocks go together and the better the top fits. Good for you that you listened. Keep up the good work.