Quality - what is it?
Striving for excellence in what we create
Happy Friday! I hope your week has been quality and that you have an excellent weekend! ~JRC
In saying something is "quality," we are acknowledging its worth. It's the "degree of excellence" one thing holds in comparison to other similar things. A quality watch, for example, keeps accurate time and is dependable. Something need not be expensive to be quality, but it does have to live up to expectations.
Tools, in general, are a great way to think about quality. Like the watch, it's not about price. A "quality tool" is of suitable materials, exhibits good design, and feels solid. In this respect, quality is about durability. Objects we use repeatedly must withstand and exceed expected abuse.
But quality is not solely about strength. Quite fragile objects can be quality too. Consider a hand-blown glass vase. If well-executed, we measure the vase's quality in artisanship, not durability. It's inherently breakable but exhibits the maker's skill, warranting the praise.
In making, I think a lot about these two values - durability, and artisanship. They are both a sign of a well-made object. They denote quality.
Part of discerning quality maker projects is knowing what it takes to make something in the first place. A quality wood miter joint, for example, is when the cuts line up to form a perfect connection without gaps. A well-soldered component has a clean, smooth finish, with the right amount of solder. Likewise, for a weld, quality is a consistent, even bead without splatter.
Quality is expertise, rendered.
In a recent build requiring drawers, I pushed the limits of my own expertise in making. Without sacrificing durability, I sought to intertwine the qualities of quality: artisanship and durability. It was a tall order.
It was a narrow cabinet, a drill press stand, and the three drawers were for holding heavy tools like drill bit sets. The application needed 3/8" or even 1/2" wood to withstand the expected abuse. But there was only 11" of width available inside. The thicker woods would take up too much valuable space.
I opted instead to use 1/4" high-quality birch plywood. The better wood was inherently more durable and straight. I could therefore use thinner pieces in the build, knowing the wood would stay true. I also deliberately made the joints opposite the main stress points. And I opted to both glue and nail them together. The bottom I left floating - it fit unglued inside a groove, thereby limiting expansion stress. Finally, I laminated a 1/8" thin face to the drawer front, increasing the strength without adding too much width.
In all, the drawers take up nearly all the allowable room in the cabinet. I gained 134 cubic inches of space in each using 1/4" instead of 1/2" plywood. Despite the thin walls, they are sturdy and will take a lot of abuse.
Is everything I make this kind of quality? Not hardly. I'm often experimenting with new techniques and methods. And sometimes, I simply need to get a job done - so I rush it. But in my quest to become a quality maker, I am always looking to do better. And I look for opportunities to test my maker skills.
The result is a set of drawers that I proudly call "quality." And I'm confident that if another maker were to see them, they would agree.
Until next time.
JRC
Quality those things will las forever
So interesting !!