Should a project look perfect?

[David Larsen]

The question is: "Should a woodworking project look perfect?"

Look at antique furniture. It has its wear and tear blemishes that give it character, but even when it was new it wasn't flawless.

I like to strive for perfection in my work, but I don't try to make the piece look perfect. If that were the case, then I should perfect a mold and form it out of plastic so that it looks flawless. (look at your computer keyboard...it doesn't have any character because all the keys are the same or similar, the surfaces have consistent surfaces, and there is no color variation.)

I am not talking about building crap. I am talking about building it with character and maybe seeing a filled nail hole or molding covering an edge.

If every woodworker made perfect projects, then there would be little to differentiate between craftsmen other than design choices.

[Brian Kent]

I'm in no danger of perfection. I try to do everything right and beautiful, but wood is not even or consistent, so neither will woodworking pieces. I love pieces that look like they are done beautifully and artistically and with care and skill. If it shows a whole lot of character, then many imperfections are easily acceptable and at times even enjoyable.

[Mike Davis NC]

I have never seen a perfect piece of wood if by perfect you mean exactly the same all the way through in every respect. The prettiest piece of wood I ever saw was all gnarly and twisted. I have seen some nearly perfect craftsmanship in wood working. I think it is something to work toward but mental health and monetary constraints keep just out of reach.

[doug faist]

The question is: "Should a woodworking project look perfect?"

David - I guess I've got a different view on my projects. I have yet to build a "perfect" one; and I doubt very much that I ever will, but a goodly part of the enjoyment I get from woodworking is trying to improve and "perfect" my skills at different tasks. On one project it may be dovetails, on another it may be a "perfect" moritise and tenon joint. In any event, it's the sense of accomplishment at trying to make the perfect project, rather than the actual completion of the project that I find rewarding.

I doubt you will find any woodworker who has made a "perfect" project. They just don't exist. In every one there's a flaw, be it big or small, and often known only to the builder, but it's there. It's what keeps us humble.

Doug

[Larry Browning]

I agree completely. I always try to get everything perfect on my projects, yet I have never produced a "perfect" piece. There is always something that I can say I wish I had done better on. That's the way I like it. If I always produced perfect pieces, I think I would get bored with woodworking. I think what I love most about woodworking is the process of finding creative ways of overcoming problems that come up. When I see this or that little imperfection on the finished piece it reminds me of building process and what I did that caused it or how I fixed it.

[Rick Thom]

I strive for excellence not for perfection.

[John Coloccia]

The question is: "Should a woodworking project look perfect?"

God, I hope not!

If I look closely enough, I can see the imperfections in EVERYTHING. Good luck getting an aerospace machine shop to hold a tolerance of .001" without paying massively for it. I can see .001" gap from quite some distance away, so it's kind of hopeless I think. I'm with Rick. I strive for excellence and maybe one day I'll achieve it!

[Joe Angrisani]

I'm in no danger of perfection.....

That's funny.

I strive for excellence not for perfection.

I suppose Rick's words describe my attitude best.

One of the great parts about making things ourselves is that WE get to make the ruling on all aspects, from material to method to look. I think for most of us, the real draw is using quality materials in a quality way. Not some quest for perfection. Certainly not for me.

[David Larsen]

I don't have a sprayer and I don't have any immediate plans to buy one.

If I had some type of production shop, maybe it would be of value.

I can live with brush strokes in my work.

Spraying to me is trying to make it look perfect by eliminating brush marks.

[William Hamilton]

I don't think I'll ever be in danger of creating a perfect project. I think the fun part is accentuating the imperfections you want to be noticed (that great knot split by a butterfly key) and hiding those you don't (that glued piece of end grain that flew off when I was using the should plane). I think another great thing is looking at a finished piece and knowing every flaw, while those looking at it do not see them.

[glenn bradley]

I work a piece until I am happy with it. Even a pair of nightstands will have small variances, tool marks, etc. otherwise they may as well be Ikea. I am not sure I could achieve "perfect" in anyone's eyes and certainly not in mine. I gave that up in order to move on and make the next piece ;-)

[Cody Colston]

I'd love to build a perfect piece although I never will. I don't have to strive for "character" either. It happens on it's own all too frequently.

But, knowing I'll never achieve perfection does not keep me from trying. That's the only way to improve my skills and my work. So, I say to try and make your project look perfect. It won't, but if you strive for perfection, you just might achieve excellence.

[George Neill]

I look at so much of today's furniture and I just see Formica. Is Formica really what we consider the perfect 'wooden' surface to be? In the past, cabinetmakers didn't bother to fill pin holes in mouldings etc. The emphasis was on the moulding and that someone had hand wrought it and stuck it on a piece of furniture. That in itself was worth celebrating.

Veneers were often pinned onto groundwork and again, the cabinetmakers didn't fuss about some little pin holes, they rejoiced in the stunning overall effect of the veneer. Lay-out lines are frowned on now, but were badges of honour on early furniture, showing that they were constructed with dovetails and proper joinery techniques and not just nailed together.

Sawn ends on drawer linings are perfectly acceptable in my book, but these days everything must be planed to an ever-finer degree using tools with precision normally only found in machine shops. Utter madness!

I have asked the makers of some reproduction furniture why they don't follow through and replicate the aged finish too. The usual answer is that they want the look of a period piece when it was first made. Fair enough. But then why make it look like Formica?

I wish We would quit this obsession.

[Matt Winterowd]

My experience is that being far short of perfection, I am still much more critical of my work than anyone else. What looks like a big throbbing glitch to me is usually either invisible or completely ignored by everyone else (I'm sure that other sharp-eyed woodworkers would spot it, but politely hold their tongues).

It's also contextual of course. A big old dutchman in a rustic or natural form piece is a feature, a filled nail hole in the face of an apron on a federal console would be a bit rough for the style.

[Brent Ring]

+me to all who said striving for excellence - not perfection. I am finishing up a morris chair for a friend that he saw when it was about 95% complete. He told me he had originally planned to put it in his master bedroom but he loved it so much that he is thinking of putting it in the main living room downstairs. Made me feel very good. However, if he only could see what I was seeing..... My wife made me promise to NOT point out any of the defects to him.