Hit 500 perfect dove tails without a single gap in 6 months and I finally see why practice matters more than jigs

I kept track on a whiteboard in my shop and reaching that number made me realize my chisel sharpening rhythm got way more consistent around number 300, anyone else notice a turning point like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_parker16d ago

Dont you think that same muscle memory thing happens with basically any skill you grind out? I noticed the same kind of shift when I was learning to cook steaks by feel. The first 50 were all over the place, but somewhere around that 200 mark my hand just knew when the pan was hot enough without checking. Its like your brain finally stops thinking about every little step and just lets your body take over. Thats when the real improvement happens, when you stop fighting the tool or the motion and start flowing with it. The magic number is different for everyone but that point where it clicks is real.

simonh7416d ago

That clicking point is gold, @the_parker. Took me about 300 hours on a lathe to feel it.