Separating craftsmen from hacks—it’s in the details

“It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” – John Wooden

If I had to pick one quality for someone to have that is vital to good work, it can be summed up in this phrase: attention to detail. And I find myself going back to that quality every time I see subpar craftsmanship.

The thing is, attention to detail is separate from talent, from experience and skill, and even from work ethic. It’s a concept that can overcome a myriad of shortcomings, yet it often gets glossed over or ignored completely in a fabricator’s early learning stages.

I’ve often heard, in regards to focusing on “the little things,” that fabricators either “have it or they don’t,” but my opinion is that it just isn’t emphasized enough.

Attention to detail can manifest itself in many ways. If a MIG welding machine isn’t running right, you don’t just keep plugging along in hopes that it’s good enough; you troubleshoot it.

Making sure that metal is cleaned properly before fabricating isn’t an extra step, it’s an integral part of the process to creating a good piece.

Cleaning welds might seem like a time waster to some, but in doing so you’re also inspecting the weld. And if you find undercut or porosity, you fix it.

Double-checking measurements post-weld to make sure the heat didn’t cause it to move, and then taking corrective measures if it did, is imperative to producing a quality product.

None of the above is dependent on skill or talent. Nor is any of it particularly difficult. They’re simply habits that should start from day one. There is no excuse that justifies glossing over the details, and in the end these details separate craftsmen from hacks.

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