I have spent most of my life trying to improve my skills for making things by hand.  At one point I wrote down some of my thoughts regarding craftsmanship and how we can improve it.

I.      WHAT IS CRAFTSMANSHIP?

II.    HOW DOES GOOD CRAFTSMANSHIP COME ABOUT?

III.   WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE IT?

 

CRAFTSMANSHIP:

“The skill of manipulating materials with intent to create objects of lasting value”

Basically, craftsmanship refers to things which are ‘handmade’  –  art works in various media, tools and machinery, clothing and accessories, and especially buildings and the things we furnish them with.

The three basic elements of craftsmanship are:

SKILL  –  Tools /Training / Talent

MATERIALS  –  Quality / Suitability

INTENT  –  Design / Functional Purpose

In residential construction, these elements are more or less present in every one of the Trades and Professions involved.  Home building provides more opportunity for ‘hand’ work than just about any other industry.  The craft of building a house begins with creating the Working Drawings and continues from the preliminary Earthwork all the way through to the finishing touches of Painting and Decorative Hardware.

Every individual involved with building a house has the opportunity to demonstrate good craftsmanship.

 

The attributes of a well-crafted object which give it lasting value are:

PRECISION  –  Working within prescribed tolerances / Consistency / Attention to detail

INTEGRITY  –  Understanding and respect for the materials and how they interact with each other / Achieving the desired functional purpose / A sense of ‘wholeness’ and ‘completeness’

STRENGTH  –  Durability / Serviceability / Efficiency / Safety

ARTISTRY  –  Beauty / Harmony and Rhythm / Compatibility / Occult Balance

Good craftsmanship is measured by how fully these attributes are developed in the work.  It is thought and awareness coupled with intent that make these attributes possible.  Someone must take responsibility rather than pass it on.  There has to be substance.  For example, the existence of extensive general notes and standard specifications does not necessarily demonstrate a clear and efficient solution.  A truck filled with all the latest tools does not translate directly to good workmanship.  Materials which are perfectly suited to one set of conditions may be completely wrong in a different environment.  It is the people involved, the ‘hands on the job’, who must craft the finished product and they must be the ones to instill these attributes.

 

 

If we really want to improve the level of craftsmanship throughout the home-building industry, we should consider what motivation people have to be thoughtful and aware in their work.  It seems to me this motivation can come from several sources:

ECONOMIC REWARD  –  the recognition of value

EGO GRATIFICATION  –  an internal sense of being important

REPUTATION  –  on-going acknowledgement of work well done

SPIRITUAL SATISFACTION  –  comes from the sense of having helped others

THREAT OF PUNISHMENT  –  the disincentive resulting from others’ bad experiences

 

Some combination of these motives is behind anything well done.  Almost without exception, the best craftsmanship is  accomplished by people who feel the work they are doing is “theirs”.

Even when all the elements are on hand and motivation is high, there are still difficulties to be overcome and it is always possible to improve.  Teaching, especially in the form of mentoring, should be an ongoing part of the job.

 

In the context of homebuilding, here are some specific suggestions for improving the level of craftsmanship:

MENTORING – Teaching trade skills and raising the level of understanding and cooperation between the  trades is vital.

EARLY ERROR RECOGNITION – Quality workmanship is  progressive and cumulative.  It is relatively easy to do good work on top of other good work, but quite difficult to do on top of bad work.  Rectify errors immediately and completely before flaws get ‘locked in’.

IMPROVE TIMING AND SEQUENCING – There is a right moment for everything!  Every material goes through changes as it  becomes part of the new structure.  Drying and curing are real-time processes which shouldn’t be rushed.  Try to  avoid putting the various trades into conflict with one another.  Every installation is a process in time and space which requires choreography to make the overall dance beautiful, and everyone should be listening to the same music.

IMPROVE ACCURACY –  Each successive trade whose work goes on top of work already done should improve the overall accuracy relative to the idealized model.  For example, framing can improve on foundation accuracy, drywall and plaster work can improve on the accuracy of the framing, finish carpentry can improve on the accuracy of the drywall, and so on.  It’s of little benefit to point fingers at the poor work of those who came before … make it better.

JOB SITE CONDITIONS –  Everyone needs room to move.  The dance takes place in space.  Organizing space and scheduling, the staging and choreography, can greatly improve both the speed and accuracy of production.  A clean and unencumbered job site is also a safer environment.  Give the craftsperson a chance.

WORK WITHIN LIMITS – Trying too hard to achieve a conceptual result can easily lead to a piece becoming ‘overworked’.  Simple is good.  Remember that every bit of energy expended in the creation of something is recorded forever in or on that object.  The best craftsmanship often appears to have been done ‘effortlessly’.

RECOGNIZE LAYERING REALITIES –  Every material, no matter how thin it is, has a finite thickness which occupies space.  Any two layers applied next to each other have some space between them.  Make allowances for the ‘real’ dimensions of built-up assemblies.  This is especially important with flashing, waterproofing, and wall-coverings.

 

These guidelines and suggestions are generalities which apply to most trades and in most situations.

 

 

In addition there are many ‘Tricks of the Trade’ which help improve workmanship in more specific ways.  I list a few of these here.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE:

Layout –  begin layout from a center point rather than from the ends or edges of the work.  For repetitive spacing, shift the layout to make any odd spaces as close to the typical spacing as possible.  Consider the sizes of the materials to be used and try to minimize the number of joints in the final product.

Offsets and Setbacks –  leave joints as far from edges and corners as possible.  Accuracy is ‘relative’, which is to say that a 1/4 inch variation is less visible if it is compared with something a foot away than it would be compared to something one inch away.  Create shadow lines by staggering surfaces and corners.  A single thin line in a uniform background shows discrepancies more readily than a wide line in a varied background.

Check the Materials  –  look at ‘both ends of the board’.  Check color and texture prior to installation.  There is almost always a ‘best’ way to orient every piece of any assembly.

Transitions –  Changes in materials, colors, or textures appear more natural if they occur at inside corners rather than at outside corners.  The effect is one of volume rather than surface.  This approach also hides flaws in the edges more subtly.

Reflective Surfaces –  have the effect of  ‘doubling’ any discrepancies in straightness, flatness, or squareness.  Where such errors exist, the use of flat or matte surfacing will look much better than using gloss or semi-gloss surfacing.  Mirrors are particularly troublesome and extra care must be taken with all the surrounding shapes and surfaces.

 

In addition to these practical real-world guidelines, the true craftsperson should also know the ‘vocabulary’ of good craftsmanship.  The simplest and most cost-effective means for improving the level of workmanship in any given situation is to learn the proper use of the following terms:

“CHARACTER” –  As in “this dimpling effect really seems to add to the overall character, don’t you think?”  With extreme situations, it may be necessary to resort to the expression “‘rustic’ character” to put things into the best light.

“HONESTY OF THE MATERIAL” –  as in “the curvature you notice in your countertop is an honest expression of the organic qualities of wood”.  This applies to most natural materials and can also be used when looking at the effects of drying and shrinking, as in “these cracks in your plaster are an honest outgrowth of the curing process and add (rustic) character to the building”.

“THERE !!” –  If you botch the job while the customer is watching, never say ‘Damn’ or ‘Oh Crap’.  Instead, confidently step back from your work and simply say ‘There !!’.

“TURKISH RUG GAMBIT” –  One of the oldest tricks in the book.  An obvious flaw only highlights the fact that this is a truly hand-crafted work of art as opposed to some sterile, lifeless machine-made product.

“PATINA” –  is normally used in reference to finish surfaces.  Referring to  an especially dubious finish as a ‘Sumptuous Patina’ can often dramatically improve perceptions.

“ECO-FRIENDLY” or “ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE” –  applied to any process or material, these terms immediately raise the discussion to a higher ethical plane on which poor craftsmanship pales by comparison.

“FENG SHUI” –  has the effect of quieting all criticism by establishing your claim to ‘Ultimate Knowingness’, leaving critics grasping for some relevant point of reference.

 

In conclusion,  there are two sayings which can be applied in almost any circumstance and cover a world of sin.  Remember these.

 

“IT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR WHO IT’S FOR”  and  “YOU’LL NEVER SEE IT FROM MY HOUSE”