5
Warning: A client in Tacoma told me my drawer boxes were 'too nice' for the job.
I was installing some basic utility cabinets in a garage workshop, using 1/2 inch ply for the drawer boxes to keep costs down. The homeowner, an older guy who used to build boats, watched me for a while. He finally said, 'Son, those dovetails are cleaner than the hull on my first skiff... but you're putting them where no one will ever see them.' He wasn't mad, just confused. It made me realize I was spending maybe 45 extra minutes per box on a detail that added zero function for that specific use. Now I ask upfront about the cabinet's purpose before I decide on joinery. Anyone else get caught overbuilding for a situation that didn't need it?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
abby_scott20d ago
@julia92 brought up that brick wall guy and it reminded me of something else entirely... the real issue here isnt just overbuilding, its that we as makers sometimes treat every project like its going into a museum when the client just needs a toolbox. I spent a whole weekend hand-cutting half-blind dovetails for a set of kitchen junk drawers once, and the homeowner was like "why does this look fancy?" She wanted smooth slides and a place to hide rubber bands, not furniture-grade joinery. The boat builder saw it clearly because he knew exactly what mattered for his work vs. what was just showing off.
6
julia922mo ago
Remembered a guy who built a perfect brick wall behind drywall. Just shrugged and said it had to be right.
4