Unpopular opinion: Hand-cut joinery still beats CNC for one-off pieces.

I was at a trade event last week and saw each booth had a CNC machine running. It made me think about how we might be losing hand skills (you know, the kind you learn over years). In my shop, clients who order custom pieces really like the hand-cut joinery. Sure, CNC is fast for batch jobs, but for special projects, the handmade feel is key. I'm curious what other carpenters think.

3 comments

3 Comments

patkim29d ago

Last year at the Woodcraft Expo in Portland, I watched this old timer hand-cut dovetails for a drawer while talking to the crowd. He said his joints had a slight wobble that told a story, unlike the perfect ones from a CNC. It stuck with me because clients often point out those tiny flaws as proof something was made by a person. Sure, CNC gets things done fast, but for a one-off piece, those human touches are what people pay for. The time you spend on hand work shows in the final product in a way machines can't copy. That's why I still keep my chisels sharp even though I have access to a router.

andrewt4112d ago

My buddy's client actually framed a chisel mark on a table leg like it was art.

black.beth29d ago

Do those imperfections ever help the wood adjust to climate changes?