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Talked to a retired cabinetmaker at a diner last Wednesday and he said I was overthinking my joinery.
He told me he just used pocket screws and good glue for 40 years, never owned a domino joiner or a fancy jig, and his stuff still held up in kitchens from the 80s... makes me wonder if I'm wasting time on half-blind dovetails nobody will see.
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stellachen28d ago
Used to think you had to go all out with traditional joinery to take pride in your work. But hearing stuff like that really changed my mind, makes a lot of sense that it's more about getting the job done than showing off.
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felix_hayes6427d ago
Are you saying you used to build stuff just to show off? Because I think plenty of people do that and end up with a shed that's way overbuilt and costs twice what it should. There's nothing wrong with using simple techniques that work and getting the thing done. Nobody's going to see the fancy joinery on a workbench anyway, they just care if it holds up. I'd rather have a functional piece that's solid than something that looks complicated but takes forever.
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wadem8918d ago
Hold up though, traditional joinery isn't JUST about showing off. There's a REASON those joints have been around for centuries, they distribute weight and handle movement way better than screws and glue ever will. A well cut mortise and tenon on a heavy workbench will outlast a pocket screwed one by DECADES even if both look fine on day one. Getting the job done is important but building something that can be passed down takes a different kind of pride.
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