Question Of The Week....( 2026 Week 46 )

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As a follow up question to last weeks QOTW, @DLJeffs had some very good ideas for questions. Here's one of em.

When it comes to doing wood working, do you prefer the "process" or the "final product"?
In other words, do you enjoy thinking through designs, finding the right wood, figuring out the steps necessary,
making jigs, sharpening tools, setting up and testing, and construction / finishing?

Or does the goal of creating a finished product drive you and give you more satisfaction?
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Leprechauns, primates, woodticks, and wood lovers are welcome to post an answer.
A Highly Valuable Walnut Tree. - Kevin Jaynes
 
Process for me, for sure. But I'm that way about most things - car rebuilds, boat building, etc. Love the process, learning, tweaking, finding improvements in ways to do things.
 
Mostly build for Kathie and I or family. We love the design process and the build. But also enjoy the finished product custom made for us. Example, no one would build our cabinets 2 " shorter so I built them. 2" short. Why? I am 5'11. Her 5'. Since she is the cook, loves cooking. Designed her own kitchen. I built to her specs, we both assumed she would not get taller. No one notices the 2" but her.
So my answer is 50/50
 
Last week's question and the answers gave me pause, made me think about whether I enjoyed the process of figuring out how to build something or whether I just like making a finished project I could use or show off. And after giving it some thought, for me it depends on the project. Those guitars I was building it was the process. I loved learning about guitars, what makes them work, how little things can change the sound, etc. In most of the boxes and pieces of furniture I've made, I enjoy trying something new, figuring out how to do it, figuring out what sequence I need to follow in order to safely make use of my limited tools, etc. I enjoy following along on some of the longer build projects people post on here - like Henry's boat and Greg's work bench. But for other things I just want to get it done so I can go on. For example, I recently built a little cabinet with 4 drawers to try to unclutter the top of my work bench and I just wanted to get that done so I could put stuff in it and try to make more work space. My work bench top is still full of stuff though.
 
DLJeffs said:
Last week's question and the answers gave me pause, made me think about whether I enjoyed the process of figuring out how to build something or whether I just like making a finished project I could use or show off. And after giving it some thought, for me it depends on the project. Those guitars I was building it was the process. I loved learning about guitars, what makes them work, how little things can change the sound, etc. In most of the boxes and pieces of furniture I've made, I enjoy trying something new, figuring out how to do it, figuring out what sequence I need to follow in order to safely make use of my limited tools, etc. I enjoy following along on some of the longer build projects people post on here - like Henry's boat and Greg's work bench. But for other things I just want to get it done so I can go on. For example, I recently built a little cabinet with 4 drawers to try to unclutter the top of my work bench and I just wanted to get that done so I could put stuff in it and try to make more work space. My work bench top is still full of stuff though.
Click to expand...
And i bet box is full also.
 
I do enjoy having the finished product and be able to gift it to someone, but what really gets me excited is the process.

Specifically with basket illusions, figuring out the design and experimenting laying it out on the wood with a small compass and pencil is my favorite part of the process.
 
For me its mostly the process. If I want to avoid that I'll throw a chunk of wood on the lathe and let the wood tell me what it wants to be. I have really enjoyed my workbench build since its all my own design and I've really had to think things through for my methods of work how I work and use a workbench.
 
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I enjoy the process, and my wife enjoys the product. Therefore I enjoy the product as well, just not quite as much as the process.
My process starts quite often with cutting a tree down, then milling the lumber, then picking through the boards sawn to find the 'right' one. Dry it, size it, plane it, then go pick out another one after screwing that up... The drawings happen after due consideration... Or when I have a moment at the restaurant to sketch out a design on a high quality napkin.
 
I love the product because that means success, but as I am growing my skills, it’s the process. When the process works, I am so darn happy for the product.
 
I favor the final product, probably 70/30 vs the process. I do very much enjoy learning new processes, and creating new things not done before, without a doubt. But the repetitiveness of, in particular sanding and finishing, drag on the process quite often. The final product is always the goal, and for those items I give away, the satisfaction goes through the roof when someone compliments my work. Chuck
 
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