Can we talk about the push for CNC-only shops in Seattle

Three years ago I took a job at a high-end place in Ballard that had just bought a massive 5-axis machine. Last month, the owner told me they were letting go of two guys who only did hand-cut joinery, saying it was 'inefficient'. I watched a $15,000 custom vanity get ruined last week because the programmer didn't understand grain direction on the walnut. Has anyone else had a client complain about the lack of craft in machined-only work?

3 comments

3 Comments

hollyscott5d ago

You said the real skill is in the programming now. But a program can't feel when the wood is about to split. That vanity is a perfect example. The machine followed its code perfectly and tore out a huge chunk of figured grain. A human with a hand plane would have felt the resistance and adjusted. The final look is often wrong because it lacks that human touch, it looks too perfect and cold. Clients might not always know the right words, but they can feel the difference.

blake_kelly195d ago

Honestly, that shift is just progress. Those machines can do work in hours that takes days by hand, and the owner has to think about the bottom line. Maybe that vanity was a one-off mistake, but how many perfect pieces came off that 5-axis machine last month? Clients usually care more about the final look and the price tag than how many hand tools were used. Isn't the real skill now in the programming and design, not just moving a chisel?

daniel3915d ago

Exactly, that human touch can be a huge flaw. A machine doesn't get tired or have an off day, so the work is always the same. Most people just want a nice table that doesn't cost a fortune, not a story about the wood's feelings.