You’ve probably been there. You spend hours designing, measuring, and building something from scratch. You finally mount it to the wall, step back, and feel that rush of pride. Then you post it online, and the comments roll in: “Nice, but you over-engineered this. You could have just used wood and glue for a fraction of the cost.”
It stings. But here is the hard truth: Unsolicited efficiency is just ego dressed up as advice.
Recently, a maker built a custom wall lamp using aluminium extrusions. The internet’s amateur woodworkers immediately descended. One commenter wrote, “Speaking as a reasonably successful amateur woodworker, this is very over-thought and over-engineered.” Another suggested ditching the expensive custom connectors for softwood and glue to save a few bucks.
They are completely missing the point.
The critics assume the goal was to produce a finished lamp as cheaply as possible. But when you are building from scratch, the physical object is just a byproduct. The real output is your ability to choose, justify, and iterate on materials.
A finished object is a tombstone. A modular build is a living conversation.
Let’s talk about the aluminium extrusions. Yes, they are more expensive than a block of softwood. Yes, they require custom connectors. But here is what glue and wood cannot do: they cannot be re-tapped, moved, or adjusted later. Glue is permanent. Wood is final. When you glue a project together, you are declaring that you have learned everything you need to know about it.
For a beginner, that is a trap. If you optimize for the immediate object—if you follow the “best practices” of the experts—you close off future changes. You build yourself into a corner.
As another commenter brilliantly pointed out: “Extrusions also let you re-tap and move standoffs later, glue doesn’t. Worth the premium imo.”
That is the paradox of making. The “inefficient” premium on modularity is actually an investment in future flexibility. The lamp isn’t supposed to be finished. It’s a vehicle for testing ideas. Those “wasteful” standoffs are the entire point.
If you’re building to learn, the mistakes and the extra costs aren’t waste—they’re the tuition.
So the next time someone tells you that your project is over-engineered, nod, smile, and leave the screws loose. You aren’t building a lamp. You’re building a builder. And the ability to change your mind is the most expensive tool in your shop.
FAQ
Q: Isn't it just wasteful to use expensive materials when cheaper ones work just as well?
A: Only if the final object is your sole goal. If you are building to learn, the premium you pay for modular parts buys you the ability to undo mistakes and iterate. Cheap and permanent locks you into your first attempt.
Q: Should beginners always default to modular components like aluminium extrusions?
A: Yes. Permanence is the enemy of learning. Glue and cheap wood optimize for the immediate object, but screws and extrusions optimize for exploration. You need parts you can tear apart when you inevitably change your mind.
Q: Are 'best practices' from experts actually bad for beginners?
A: Often, yes. Expert advice optimizes for a perfect, finished product. Beginners shouldn't optimize for perfection; they should optimize for flexibility. The 'waste' of over-engineering is the cost of buying future options.