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I still think about this old guy I met on a job in Boise about five years ago.
We were installing this wide plank hickory in a big, old house. The homeowner's father, who must have been in his eighties, was just watching us work. He didn't say much for the first few hours. Then, as I was tapping a board into place, he just said, 'You're fighting it. Let the wood tell you where it wants to sit.' I was using too much force. He showed me how to look at the grain and the slight bow in the plank, and to work with it instead of against it. It sounds simple, but it changed how I handle tricky boards. I've never seen anyone read wood like that. Has anyone else had a moment like that, where an old-timer gave you one piece of advice that just stuck?
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the_anthony2mo ago
My grandpa told me to listen to the wood too, it's crazy how much easier the work gets.
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julia5492mo ago
Wow @the_anthony, I read that in a book once!
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amy9742mo ago
What does listening to the wood actually sound like?
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