When working with wood, there are many skills to master. There are techniques for shaping the wood, finishing it, fastening pieces together, enhancing the grain, etc.

But before any of these techniques come into play, the woodworker has to be able to consistently perform a simple task: marking the wood and cutting it exactly where she wants to.

If the woodworker can’t do this, then everything else is obsolete.

It doesn’t matter how nice the finish is if there’s a quarter inch gap in a piece of furniture, and it’s nearly impossible to effectively fasten two pieces of wood together when they aren’t the right length.

It seems simple, but there’s a science to marking and cutting wood. Just making a mark and cutting on it isn’t enough.

The woodworker needs to be able to place the pencil mark exactly where it needs to go, and the saw blade then needs to hit a precise spot on that mark.

Same thing for tile work, or any other precision work that requires a saw.

 

Outside of construction, the principle also stands true.

It doesn’t matter how earth-shattering an academic finding is if the author can’t effectively explain the details to the rest of the world.

It doesn’t matter how well a receiver can get separation from the defense if he can’t catch the ball.

The real craftsmanship usually comes during the advanced work, but it’s useless without the fundamentals.

-Brandon