Archive of posts with tag 'Materials'
Materials and Mastery →
February 17, 2025 • #In the latest Res Extensa, I explored how craftsmen build expertise through deep understanding of their medium. It starts with the nature and properties of their raw materials, then moves to the individual parts, assemblies of parts, and their relationships to one another.
All sorts of woodworking, done well, benefit from skillful selection of material. The furniture builder making an arch at the top of a dresser will help themselves if they find a board with grain that flows in the direction that agrees with their design. You want your material to move with you, not fight against you.
This process perfectly illustrates a fundamental truth: mastery requires rich understanding of your craft’s raw materials. The path to expertise runs through the mastery of your medium.
