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A machine probably isn't going to make unique hand-made tables. There's a trend right now, we mock hipsters for their love of "artisinal" products.... but in a

by swalsh 10y ago

A machine probably isn't going to make unique hand-made tables. There's a trend right now, we mock hipsters for their love of "artisinal" products.... but in an age where machines make everything the same, I think people make things that aren't. If you just want a table, you can go to ikea and get the machine made table that everyone else who doesn't care bought too. If you want that "one good" product, you can ask an artist to make one. Or you can find a place with tools, and make it yourself. To me the future is one where we all have access to the basics, and you choose to have a few things that are of quality. The catch is, making things by hand isn't very profitable. I think a minimum income paid for by machine "owners", distributed to everyone frees normal people find the work they LOVE instead of just "work". If I didn't have to worry about money, i'd split my time between the woodshop, and designing a new programming language.

Johnny555 10y ago
Well, no, the machine will make custom tables that look just like the "unique hand-made table" at a fraction of the price, with customization, so if you saw a table that you like but you wanted yours to seat 6 instead of 4, you upload a couple pictures of the table, and tell the machine to replicate it with a larger tabletop. Some people will still pay the artisan to create the table, but most will continue to take the cheaper route.
- spc476 10y ago
  There's still creativity though. In one video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc907FbLK4U&t=3m30s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc907FbLK4U&t=3m30s) the woodworker is using electricity to obtain a unique burn pattern in some wood (the details of which aren't given, sadly). This is something I would not have thought of doing. Could this be automated? I guess, once someone has thought of it. But could the thought of this be automated?
  - qbrass 10y ago
    >(the details of which aren't given, sadly) Looks like he's using an electric stick welder clipped to some nails driven into dampened wood.
- woliveirajr 10y ago
  And it'll be (or already is) easy to program some CNC router including a straightLine.addRandom();
_nalply 10y ago
We live already in that world. Hundred years ago the children got fine hand-made wooden toys. And today?

by swalsh 10y ago

Johnny555 10y ago

Well, no, the machine will make custom tables that look just like the "unique hand-made table" at a fraction of the price, with customization, so if you saw a table that you like but you wanted yours to seat 6 instead of 4, you upload a couple pictures of the table, and tell the machine to replicate it with a larger tabletop. Some people will still pay the artisan to create the table, but most will continue to take the cheaper route.

spc476 10y ago
There's still creativity though. In one video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc907FbLK4U&t=3m30s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc907FbLK4U&t=3m30s) the woodworker is using electricity to obtain a unique burn pattern in some wood (the details of which aren't given, sadly). This is something I would not have thought of doing. Could this be automated? I guess, once someone has thought of it. But could the thought of this be automated?
- qbrass 10y ago
  >(the details of which aren't given, sadly) Looks like he's using an electric stick welder clipped to some nails driven into dampened wood.
woliveirajr 10y ago
And it'll be (or already is) easy to program some CNC router including a straightLine.addRandom();

_nalply 10y ago

We live already in that world. Hundred years ago the children got fine hand-made wooden toys. And today?