Hidden beauty - you know you’ve done it too

[Shootinok]

Should a stiffener/repair plate be pretty, even if it’ll almost never be seen in an engine compartment on the boat?
I say - Yes.
The lift strut support connection was flexing after 17years on a wooden bulkhead so I added a plate to beef it up.
a little work on the drill press and Voila!
much better than an ugly old plate.

 

[thejimmy]

No one may see it but you'll know. Looks great!

 

[PCustoms]

It's off center....

 

[Merch1]

It doesn’t take much time to make a bracket or doodad burr free and pleasant to the eye.
Here is another example: we just moved into our retirement home. The seller had done alot of renos and improvements including building a big shop( woohoo!) But he was lazy or just cheap or dumb. I dunno. He put in two gates to the back yard and fastened the hinges with some 1/4 in aluminum strap. The bends are cockeyed and he left huge burrs on the edges. It would have taken 2 minutes to deburr them. I’ll fix them of course.

 

[Half-fast eddie]

It's off center....

The screws are not all turned so the slots are vertical.

 

[steaks&anvils]

Fit-n-finish is the sign of a craftsman. When you take the time to make it right.

Burrs on the back side can mar whatever it is attached to and are unsafe for the next guy.

The balance of weight vs materials. Color or shapes. Symmetry to the eye etc.

There is something to the feel and look of anything well made. When the viewer looks at it and can't quite tell why, but knows: "damn that's good".

EDIT: there is just that good feeling when you do it right.