miles277•7d agoProlific Poster

Back in '98, we'd mix a whole batch of mud by hand for a chimney rebuild

Now my apprentice just wheels over the mixer and plugs it in. The job's done before lunch, but I kind of miss the quiet rhythm of it (and the forearms I had back then). Anyone else feel like the machines took some of the craft out of it?

2 comments

2 Comments

stellawood7d ago

Wasn't there a study a while back about how doing a physical job by hand changes how you learn it? I get what @ray_coleman41 is saying about the skill being in the know-how, not the sore arms. But mixing by hand gave you a feel for the material that you just don't get from listening to a motor. The machine makes it faster for sure, but that old quiet way taught you something a mixer can't.

ray_coleman417d ago

Eh, it's just mud. You still have to know how much water to add, when it's right, and how to lay it up straight. The machine just saves your back. The craft is in knowing what you're doing, not in how sore your arms get.