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Does laser cutting count as woodworking?

2 points by Mimowork 6y ago

Mimowork 6y ago
More and more people are embracing productivity tools, but many people are still facing a dilemma: Does laser cutting count as woodworking? Is manual labor unnecessary now？Here are some thoughts I would want to share with you.
- detaro 6y ago
  Talking up the artist skill, but not even crediting the artist that made the pieces you decorated your post with?
  - Mimowork 6y ago
    Glad you notice that. Because we are optimizing our new website format, annotations can not be added at this time, but you can check our article on medium for all artists info: https://mimowork.medium.com/can-laser-cutting-be-considered-as-woodworking-30db95292f16 https://mimowork.medium.com/can-laser-cutting-be-considered-...
hilbert42 6y ago
I much prefer to use handtools wherever possible. One has much better control over what one is doing as there's tactile feedback from the tool's cutting edge and the wood's surface to one's hands. This allows one to achieve very fine control over one's work. One develops a feel for one's favorite tools and learns to use them with great ease and facility. One becomes to understand the feel of one's tools so well that one can change stock from say hardwood to softwood and do so automatically without ever having to think about the necessary differences in approach that's required between the different varieties. Handtools also offer more control by the fact that there are more sizes and varieties of them than there are of machine tools. Take the range of Stanley-type wood planes available for instance, the sheer range and number of sizes available is huge whereas there are comparatively very few sizes of electric planes available. That said, there's no sense in being a martyr. Electric saws, thicknesses and surface planes, etc. do the hard bulk work and using them is not inconsistent with what I've already said. Laser cutting is interesting from the perspective that it straddles the two concepts. Manually controlling laser cutters requires considerable skill, so does planning the G-code for an numerical controlled laser cutter require considerable skill, but it's a skill of a different kind. Planning the shapes and designs for the laser to cut is yet another quite different skill. Wood is a wonderful material to work with and I get considerable enjoyment working with it irrespective of what kind of tools I'm using at the time.
- Mimowork 6y ago
  Word. Laser cutting technology is not meant to replace manual labor, it's created to add more possibility, no matter to art or mass production. Nice share!
  - hilbert42 6y ago
    Right, sorry I didn't make that clear. My message is that the skill of the individual artisan is important and that he/she must be abke to select the most suitable tools to express them. (This doesn't exclude the use of any technology unless it's less effective than more basic approaches.)

2 points by Mimowork 6y ago

More and more people are embracing productivity tools, but many people are still facing a dilemma: Does laser cutting count as woodworking? Is manual labor unnecessary now？Here are some thoughts I would want to share with you.

detaro 6y ago
Talking up the artist skill, but not even crediting the artist that made the pieces you decorated your post with?
- Mimowork 6y ago
  Glad you notice that. Because we are optimizing our new website format, annotations can not be added at this time, but you can check our article on medium for all artists info: https://mimowork.medium.com/can-laser-cutting-be-considered-as-woodworking-30db95292f16 https://mimowork.medium.com/can-laser-cutting-be-considered-...

hilbert42 6y ago

I much prefer to use handtools wherever possible. One has much better control over what one is doing as there's tactile feedback from the tool's cutting edge and the wood's surface to one's hands. This allows one to achieve very fine control over one's work. One develops a feel for one's favorite tools and learns to use them with great ease and facility. One becomes to understand the feel of one's tools so well that one can change stock from say hardwood to softwood and do so automatically without ever having to think about the necessary differences in approach that's required between the different varieties. Handtools also offer more control by the fact that there are more sizes and varieties of them than there are of machine tools. Take the range of Stanley-type wood planes available for instance, the sheer range and number of sizes available is huge whereas there are comparatively very few sizes of electric planes available. That said, there's no sense in being a martyr. Electric saws, thicknesses and surface planes, etc. do the hard bulk work and using them is not inconsistent with what I've already said. Laser cutting is interesting from the perspective that it straddles the two concepts. Manually controlling laser cutters requires considerable skill, so does planning the G-code for an numerical controlled laser cutter require considerable skill, but it's a skill of a different kind. Planning the shapes and designs for the laser to cut is yet another quite different skill. Wood is a wonderful material to work with and I get considerable enjoyment working with it irrespective of what kind of tools I'm using at the time.

Mimowork 6y ago
Word. Laser cutting technology is not meant to replace manual labor, it's created to add more possibility, no matter to art or mass production. Nice share!
- hilbert42 6y ago
  Right, sorry I didn't make that clear. My message is that the skill of the individual artisan is important and that he/she must be abke to select the most suitable tools to express them. (This doesn't exclude the use of any technology unless it's less effective than more basic approaches.)