My top ten maker tips for 2019

In the spring of this year, I started a weekly tips newsletter, Gareth's Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales. I had released a book of tips in 2018, called Tips and Tales from the Workshop, and couldn't shake the habit of tips-collecting. So, I decided to launch a newsletter to share what I was rounding up each week.

The newsletter has been a big success and I am thrilled with the response I've gotten. I decided it would be fun to go through the last seven months content and share ten of my favorite tips with Boing Boing readers. Here they are, in no particular order.

Details LayerScott of Essential Craftsman shared this pearl of wisdom on an episode about using construction string: Details layer. The more accurate you can get in your details, even with something as mundane as how you tie your knot it all accumulates to acceptable accuracy. This is a makers truth. Ive been thinking a lot about this lately because I am the king of cutting corners, lazy work habits, and fudging the details. So, I know exactly what he means. I think understanding and applying this concept is the difference between a master craftsperson and an amateur. As I work, I dont put tools back, I dont stop and sharpen or change blades when I should, I dont read instructions, I try and rush things, and I try and skip doing things the way I know they should be done. Read the rest