On 3/19/2013 11:15 AM, John Grossbohlin wrote:
"Lee Michaels" wrote in message
eb.com...

My chest swelled with pride. I never forgot that little talk he gave
me. I have calipers everywhere. In all the vehicles. In my office.
In the shop. And a tape measure laying along side of it. It just
seemed natural for me to verify the thickness of anything I build
with. Be it metal, wood. plastic or whatever. How can you possible
expect to do a good job joining different material together if you
don't know their exact size? As pointed out to me by a kind salvage
yard guy, it is the "professional" way to do things.

Reminds me of my father... he went through an apprenticeship as a tool
and die maker and worked as same early in his career. Precision,
tolerances, and good workmanship and machines matter. I also recall him
saying half jokingly that "Williamsburg ruined you." He was referring to
my time working as a skilled craft interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg.
The day he made the comment I was wrestling with a home renovation
decision... Assuming equal physical and workmanship quality, there were
various options and to me it HAD to look right or it would detract from
the whole.

Williamsburg sensitized me to the whole notion of aesthetics and making
parts relative to other parts instead of to detailed technical drawings.
Both things became an important part of what I do. The aesthetics part
takes time to plan out... Golden mean, Fibonacci progressions, etc.
Making parts relative to what is already there, but within the design,
frees me from "hard" plans. Often my "plans" are a rough sketch with
gross dimensions, the rest is built to fit.... yellow sticky notes are
sometimes enough paper. ;~) I apply the quality workmanship to the
design... Seems to work out well judging by my success at shows.

You are indeed practicing "attention to detail", and at a very exacting
level, in order to accomplish your above.

It is not a matter of degree, it is a matter of context.

--
eWoodShop: www.eWoodShop.com
Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
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KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)