Rough To Fine - Programming Lessons from Woodworking

Woodworking has experienced quite a renaissance as of late, and a very popular style involves using power tools for rough work and hand tools for detail and precision work. Using both defines each woodworker's speed and ability to produce beautiful/functional pieces. The same can be true of developers. What can we as developers learn from this mix of modern and ancient craft? Come find out.

Transcript

1. Rough to Fine
   Programming Lessons from Woodworking
   

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2. Mark Simoneau
   @marksim
   

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3. Hobbies
   

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4. Crafts
   

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5. Woodworking
   

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6. https://www.geekchichq.com/collections/game-room-tables/products/sultan-deposit
   Geek Chic - Sultan
   

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7. https://www.geekchichq.com/collections/custom-dining-tables-for-gaming/products/vanguard-deposit
   Geek Chic - Vanguard
   

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9. Building a table
   woodwhispererguild.com
   

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10. First… a word on Safety
    woodwhispererguild.com
    

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11. Safety
    • Immediate
    • Body / fingers away from blade
    • Kickback prevention / avoidance
    • Eye protection
    • Long term
    • Ear protection
    • Dust Collection
    Easiest to
    Remember
    Easiest to
    Forget
    http://jayscustomcreations.com
    

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12. Lesson 1:
    Invest in your safety and develop
    strong habits
    

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13. Legs
    Powering through Identical Pieces
    

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14. Repeatability:
    Length, Width & Taper
    jayscustomcreations.com
    woodwhispererguild.com
    

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15. Lesson 2:
    Repeatability increases speed and
    consistency
    

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16. Aprons
    Getting Stuck
    woodwhispererguild.com
    

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17. A bit stuck?
    • Concerns about solving the problem
    in a way that won’t work
    • Fear of an uncorrectable mistake
    • Fear of wasted effort
    • Fear of a flawed final product
    http://www.wilkerdos.com
    

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18. Lesson 3:
    A known problem is better than
    many potential ones.
    

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19. Top Frame
    Using the right tools correctly
    

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20. Flattening the top
    • Small Jointer
    • Hand Plane
    • Sharp enough?
    • Is it Flat?
    • Nearby shop
    

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21. Lesson 4:
    If you’re fighting your tools, focus on
    improving them instead
    

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23. Solving a Hard Problem
    • Miter Saw?
    • $400-$600?
    • Takes time to tune
    • Once tuned, works well
    • Hand saw
    • $15-$30
    • Fast to set up
    • Perfect with a plane
    

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24. Lesson 5:
    Knowing your tools and techniques
    improves your effectiveness.
    

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27. Lesson 6:
    Having a specific project facilitates
    and motivates learning.
    

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28. Lessons
    • Safety Matters
    • Repeatability
    • Focus on Known problems
    • Improve your tools
    • Know your options
    • Specific Project
    Bonus:
    Problem solving is a
    skill that can be
    developed in any craft.
    

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29. Thanks!
    @marksim
    

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