The Curious Engineer

All blogs / Essays / personal

Scope of Work

scopeofwork.net

Excellent writing about how things are made — and how it feels to live with them.

Essays / personalGeneral

’15’20’25
Posts
754 from 21 Nov 2013 to 30 Oct 2026
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weekly (27 in the last year)
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2026 21

  1. Postcards, Part 12
  2. Some updates
  3. Brian
  4. Katie
  5. Tuesday
  6. Samantha
  7. Scope Creep, 2026-07-14
  8. An Incomplete Accounting of What I’m Reading
  9. Scope Creep, 2026-06-25
  10. Cupcakes
  11. Red Rocks
  12. The Hoop
  13. Scope Creep, 2026-06-11
  14. Saturday
  15. We're Reading Tracy Kidder's *House*
  16. The Sofa
  17. What’s Really Been Happening With Me
  18. Sublime Capability
  19. Supersaturate, Recharge
  20. Notes, 2026-01-26
  21. Five Rides for 2025

2025 54

  1. Five Books for 2025
  2. Notes, 2025-12-15
  3. Scope Creep, 2025-12-08.
  4. The Fall
  5. Scope Creep, 2025-11-10.
  6. How to Sail a Building
  7. Scope Creep, 2025-10-27.
  8. Postcards, Part 11
  9. On Factory Tours.
  10. Notes, 2025-10-13.
  11. Notes, 2025-10-06.
  12. Notes, 2025-09-29
  13. Notes, 2025-09-22.
  14. Notes, 2025-09-15
  15. The Shore.
  16. Fake Instruments.
  17. Missing Industrial Arts.
  18. Notes, 2025-08-11.
  19. Settling Up
  20. Aquatic Achievements
  21. Scope Creep, 2025-07-14
  22. The Scope of My Work
  23. Notes, 2025-06-30
  24. Scope Creep, 2025-06-23
  25. The Coffee Warehouse
  26. Notes, 2025-06-11
  27. Progress Unraveled
  28. Notes, 2025-05-19
  29. Notes, 2025-05-12.
  30. Clean Living Under Planetary Circumstances
  31. Import, Immature.
  32. When A Business Outgrows Its Customers.
  33. Moving House.
  34. Notes on Silica Gel.
  35. How Silica Gel Took Over the World
  36. Scope Creep, 2025-03-18.
  37. Alexis, Oakland, and the Port
  38. Reliability Compounds
  39. Postcards, Part 10
  40. Notes, 2025-03-03
  41. Postcards, Part 9
  42. Postcards, Part 8
  43. Notes, 2025-02-16
  44. Postcards, Part 7
  45. Postcards, Part 6
  46. Scope Creep, 2025-02-03.
  47. Postcards, Part 5
  48. Postcards, Part 4
  49. Postcards, Part 3
  50. Notes, 2025-01-14.
  51. Postcards, Part 2
  52. We're reading Building SimCity
  53. The Honorable Parts.
  54. Postcards, Part 1

2024 90

  1. Trusses
  2. Notes, 2024-12-20.
  3. Notes, 2024-12-16.
  4. My Heat Pump.
  5. Notes, 2024-11-27.
  6. Proof
  7. Scope Creep, 2024-11-22.
  8. Notes, 2024-11-15.
  9. Notes, 2024-11-08.
  10. Scope Creep, 2024-11-04.
  11. Wine, Technology.
  12. Scope Creep, 2024-10-25.
  13. Isostatic Adjustment.
  14. Scope Creep, 2024-10-18.
  15. Sleeping Beauties
  16. Scope Creep, 2024-10-04.
  17. Anything that Lets Me See More of the World
  18. It's Temporary
  19. Scope Creep, 2024-09-20.
  20. Frostbitten
  21. Scope Creep, 2024-09-13.
  22. Selling Sunshine
  23. Scope Creep, 2024-09-06.
  24. Scope Creep, 2024-08-09.
  25. The Flamingoes
  26. Notes on Inflatable Amusements.
  27. The Height of Things
  28. Scope Creep, 2024-07-19.
  29. Small Agencies and their Accumulated Effects.
  30. Scope Creep, 2024-07-12
  31. Thirst made visible.
  32. 2024-07-01.
  33. Scope Creep, 2024-06-28.
  34. The Plumber
  35. The Winners of the 2024 Campionato Mondiale di Umari
  36. Nicola Looks at Refrigerators
  37. What you do when your basement floods
  38. A Music-Making Machine
  39. Scope Creep, 2024-06-14.
  40. The Hole
  41. Notes On Libraries
  42. Small Parts Memory Palace.
  43. Scope Creep, 2024-05-31.
  44. Don't Chop, Saw.
  45. Scope Creep, 2024-05-24.
  46. Notes, 2024-05-20.
  47. Scope Creep, 2024-05-17.
  48. Il Campionato Mondiale di Umari
  49. Scope Creep, 2024-05-09.
  50. Notes, 2024-05-08.
  51. On Guayule
  52. Scope Creep, 2024-04-19.
  53. Acts of Civic Pride
  54. Notes, 2024-04-15.
  55. Scope Creep, 2024-04-12.
  56. Umarelling.
  57. Scope Creep, 2024-04-05.
  58. Only as good as our references
  59. White Elephant.
  60. Scope Creep, 2024-03-29.
  61. A Bona Fide Serra
  62. Pant Paint
  63. Scope Creep, 2024-03-22.
  64. Scope Creep, Panama Edition.
  65. Whale On Toast
  66. Scope creep, 2024-03-15
  67. Notes, 2024-03-13
  68. Panamaximization
  69. Scope Creep, 2024-03-08.
  70. Cans
  71. The canal that is a lake (and also a reservoir).
  72. Scope Creep, 2024-03-01.
  73. Cabin masters.
  74. Noodling.
  75. Scope Creep, 2024-02-23.
  76. At your service.
  77. Steam district.
  78. Shoveling.
  79. Make Your Bed
  80. Notes, 2024-02-16.
  81. Notes, 2024-02-12.
  82. Notes, 2024-02-09.
  83. Notes, 2024-02-05.
  84. Notes, 2024-02-01.
  85. Notes, 2024-01-29.
  86. On Documentation
  87. Tallow to Margarine
  88. Bare Beauty, Beyond Euclid
  89. Strangers on boats.
  90. Notes, 2024-01-01

2023 78

  1. Polypropylene Christmas
  2. We're reading Dust
  3. How Slow Scan TV Shaped The Moon
  4. Notes, 2023-12-11
  5. Notes, 2023-12-04.
  6. Let a Hundred Mechanisms Bloom.
  7. Plastic Archeology.
  8. Ford and Macadam.
  9. Accord of the Rings
  10. Better Than Absolutely Required
  11. A Technological Shortcut
  12. 2023-Q3
  13. Byte-Sized History
  14. On Community.
  15. A More Fun Ride
  16. Cars
  17. We're reading Shape
  18. An Ode to Living on The Grid
  19. Notes, 2023-10-09
  20. On Pneumatic Tires.
  21. Notes, 2023-09-25
  22. Mechanical Imagineering with Colin Godby
  23. On Alchemy.
  24. On Gravel.
  25. Forming an Edge
  26. Extraterrestrial Cuisine AMA with Larissa Zhou
  27. Note, 2023-08-28
  28. We're reading The Apple II Age
  29. Notes, 2023-08-21
  30. Notes, 2023-08-14
  31. Notes, 2023-08-07
  32. Notes, 2023-07-31
  33. Notes, 2023-07-24
  34. Notes, 2023-07-17
  35. 2023-Q2 Report
  36. Notes, 2023-07-10
  37. On Niagara Falls
  38. Make Big Plans
  39. On Hevea.
  40. We're reading The Imagineering Story
  41. Notes, 2023-06-19.
  42. EV Battery AMA with Kenton Harris
  43. Notes, 2023-06-12
  44. On Naphtha
  45. On Vulcanization
  46. On Latex
  47. A Supply Chain in the Jungle
  48. How are EV battery packs made?
  49. Notes, 2023-05-15
  50. When the Chips are Down
  51. Notes, 2023-05-08
  52. We're reading How Big Things Get Done
  53. Notes, 2023-05-01
  54. 2023-Q1 Report
  55. Notes, 2023-04-24
  56. Notes, 2023-04-17
  57. Notes, 2023-04-10
  58. Bean to Bar Chocolate AMA with Samantha Luc
  59. Notes, 2023-04-03
  60. Notes, 2023-03-27
  61. Product Design AMA with Studio Neat’s Tom Gerhardt
  62. Notes, 2023-03-20
  63. Rummage Sale Planet
  64. Notes, 2023-03-13
  65. Notes, 2023-03-06
  66. Paved Paradises
  67. Notes, 2023-02-27
  68. We're reading Chip War
  69. Notes, 2023-02-20
  70. For Good Measure
  71. Notes, 2023-02-13
  72. Notes, 2023-02-06
  73. Notes, 2023-01-30
  74. 2023-01-23
  75. 2023-01-16
  76. 2023-01-09
  77. Secondhand
  78. 2023-01-02

2022 78

  1. The Prepared is now Scope of Work
  2. 2022-12-19
  3. On Chindogu
  4. 2022-12-12
  5. 2022-12-05
  6. States of Matter
  7. 2022-11-28
  8. Notes, 2022-11-21
  9. 2022-11-14
  10. Beyond Measure
  11. 2022-11-07
  12. 2022-10-31
  13. 2022-10-24
  14. 2022-10-17
  15. 2022-10-10
  16. 2022-10-03
  17. If you wish to make a toaster from scratch, you must first invent the universe.
  18. 2022-09-26
  19. Stuff Matters
  20. Local Neon
  21. 2022-09-19
  22. 2022-09-12
  23. On Baltic Birch
  24. 2022-09-05
  25. 2022-08-29
  26. 2022-08-22
  27. Singing Praise for the String Age
  28. 2022-08-15
  29. On Flight Decks
  30. 2022-08-08
  31. 2022-08-01
  32. Standard Issue Fun
  33. 2022-07-25
  34. The Toaster Project
  35. 2022-07-18
  36. NYC x MFG
  37. 2022-07-11
  38. Solarjunk
  39. 2022-07-04
  40. 2022-06-27
  41. Manufacturing an Ecosystem
  42. 2022-06-20
  43. 2022-06-13
  44. The Fabric of Civilization
  45. 2022-06-06
  46. 2022-05-30
  47. On Stretch Wrap
  48. 2022-05-23
  49. 2022-05-16
  50. Remittance by the Barrel
  51. 2022-05-09
  52. Made in the USA
  53. In Case of Emergency
  54. 2022-05-02
  55. The Future is Old News
  56. 2022-04-25
  57. 2022-04-18
  58. 2022-04-11
  59. 2022-04-04
  60. 2022-03-28
  61. 2022-03-21
  62. Space Forces
  63. 2022-03-14
  64. 2022-03-07
  65. Anyone Can Build a House
  66. 2022-02-28
  67. 2022-02-21
  68. Déneigement Montreal
  69. 2022-02-14
  70. A Never Ending Grind
  71. 2022-02-07
  72. Learning at Scale
  73. Electrify
  74. 2022-01-31
  75. 2022-01-24
  76. 2022-01-17
  77. 2022-01-10
  78. 2022-01-03

2021 69

  1. 2021-12-27
  2. 2021-12-20
  3. 2021-12-13
  4. Glass Act
  5. 2021-12-06
  6. 2021-11-29
  7. How Buildings Learn
  8. 2021-11-22
  9. Don't Kick the Robot
  10. 2021-11-15
  11. 2021-11-08
  12. Reinventing the Wheel
  13. 2021-11-01
  14. The Big Score Interview
  15. 2021-10-25
  16. 2021-10-18
  17. The New Breed
  18. 2021-10-11
  19. 2021-10-04
  20. 2021-09-27
  21. 2021-09-20
  22. 2021-09-13
  23. 2021-09-06
  24. 2021-08-30
  25. 2021-08-23
  26. The Big Score
  27. 2021-08-16
  28. Paper Trails
  29. 2021-08-09
  30. 2021-08-02
  31. On Geofoam
  32. 2021-07-26
  33. A Symbiotic Truce
  34. 2021-07-19
  35. Paper Trails
  36. 2021-07-12
  37. 2021-07-05
  38. Ise Jingu and the Pyramid of Enabling Technologies
  39. 2021-06-28
  40. 2021-06-21
  41. The New and Former Companies on Apple's FY2021 Supplier List
  42. 2021-06-14
  43. 2021-06-07
  44. Full Spectrum
  45. 2021-05-31
  46. 2021-05-24
  47. 2021-05-17
  48. 2021-05-10
  49. 2021-05-03
  50. 2021-04-26
  51. 2021-04-19
  52. Notes, 2021-04-15.
  53. 2021-04-12
  54. Notes, 2021-04-09.
  55. 2021-04-05
  56. 2021-03-29
  57. 2021-03-22
  58. 2021-03-15
  59. 2021-03-08
  60. 2021-03-01
  61. 2021-02-25
  62. 2021-02-22
  63. 2021-02-15
  64. 2021-02-08
  65. 2021-02-01
  66. 2021-01-25
  67. 2021-01-18
  68. 2021-01-11
  69. 2021-01-04

2020 53

  1. 2020-12-28
  2. 2020-12-21
  3. 2020-12-14
  4. 2020-12-07
  5. 2020-11-30
  6. 2020-11-23
  7. 2020-11-16
  8. 2020-11-09
  9. 2020-11-02
  10. 2020-10-26
  11. 2020-10-19
  12. 2020-10-12
  13. 2020-10-05
  14. 2020-09-28
  15. 2020-09-21
  16. 2020-09-14
  17. 2020-09-07
  18. 2020-08-31
  19. 2020-08-24
  20. 2020-08-17
  21. Production Marks
  22. 2020-08-10
  23. 2020-08-03
  24. 2020-07-27
  25. 2020-07-20
  26. 2020-07-13
  27. 2020-07-06
  28. 2020-06-29
  29. 2020-06-22
  30. 2020-06-15
  31. 2020-06-08
  32. 2020-06-01
  33. 2020-05-25
  34. 2020-05-18
  35. 2020-05-11
  36. 2020-05-04
  37. 2020-04-27
  38. 2020-04-20
  39. 2020-04-13
  40. 2020-04-06
  41. 2020-03-30
  42. 2020-03-23
  43. 2020-03-16
  44. 2020-03-09
  45. 2020-03-02
  46. 2020-02-24
  47. 2020-02-17
  48. 2020-02-10
  49. 2020-02-03
  50. 2020-01-27
  51. 2020-01-20
  52. 2020-01-13
  53. 2020-01-06

2019 55

  1. 2019-12-30
  2. 2019-12-23
  3. 2019-12-16
  4. 2019-12-09
  5. 2019-12-02
  6. 2019-11-25
  7. 2019-11-18
  8. 2019-11-11
  9. 2019-11-04
  10. 2019-10-28
  11. 2019-10-21
  12. 2019-10-14
  13. 2019-10-07
  14. 2019-09-30
  15. 2019-09-23
  16. 2019-09-16
  17. 2019-09-09
  18. 2019-09-02
  19. 2019-08-26
  20. 2019-08-19
  21. 2019-08-12
  22. 2019-08-05
  23. 2019-07-29
  24. 2019-07-22
  25. 2019-07-15
  26. 2019-07-08
  27. 2019-07-01
  28. 2019-06-24
  29. 2019-06-17
  30. 2019-06-10
  31. 2019-06-03
  32. 2019-05-27
  33. 2019-05-20
  34. 2019-05-13
  35. 2019-05-06
  36. 2019-04-29
  37. Building a Cathedral
  38. 2019-04-22
  39. 2019-04-15
  40. 2019-04-08
  41. 2019-04-01
  42. 2019-03-25
  43. 2019-03-18
  44. 2019-03-11
  45. Manufacturing's Giant Pool of Untapped Talent
  46. 2019-03-04
  47. 2019-02-25
  48. 2019-02-18
  49. 2019-02-11
  50. 2019-02-04
  51. 2019-01-28
  52. 2019-01-21
  53. 2019-01-14
  54. 2019-01-07
  55. 2018-12-31

2018 54

  1. 2018-12-24
  2. The Supply Chain Africa Needs
  3. 2018-12-17
  4. 2018-12-10
  5. 2018-12-03
  6. 2018-11-26
  7. 2018-11-19
  8. 2018-11-12
  9. 2018-11-05
  10. Apple is Using "100% Recycled" Aluminum.
  11. 2018-10-29
  12. 2018-10-22
  13. 2018-10-15
  14. 2018-10-08
  15. 2018-10-01
  16. 2018-09-24
  17. 2018-09-18
  18. 2018-09-10
  19. 2018-09-04
  20. 2018-08-27
  21. 2018-08-20
  22. 2018-08-10
  23. 2018-08-06
  24. 2018-07-30
  25. 2018-07-23
  26. 2018-07-16
  27. 2018-07-09
  28. 2018-07-02
  29. 2018-06-25
  30. 2018-06-18
  31. 2018-06-11
  32. 2018-06-04
  33. 2018-05-28
  34. 2018-05-21
  35. 2018-05-14
  36. 2018-05-07
  37. 2018-04-30
  38. 2018-04-23
  39. 2018-04-16
  40. 2018-04-09
  41. 2018-04-02
  42. 2018-03-26
  43. 2018-03-19
  44. 2018-03-12
  45. 2018-03-05
  46. 2018-02-26
  47. 2018-02-19
  48. 2018-02-12
  49. 2018-02-05
  50. 2018-01-29
  51. 2018-01-22
  52. 2018-01-14
  53. 2018-01-07
  54. 2018-01-03

2017 52

  1. 2017-12-24
  2. 2017-12-17
  3. 2017-12-11
  4. 2017-12-05
  5. 2017-11-27
  6. 2017-11-20
  7. 2017-11-14
  8. 2017-11-06
  9. 2017-10-31
  10. 2017-10-23
  11. 2017-10-17
  12. 2017-10-08
  13. 2017-10-02
  14. 2017-09-25
  15. 2017-09-18
  16. 2017-09-10
  17. 2017-09-05
  18. 2017-08-27
  19. 2017-08-21
  20. 2017-08-14
  21. 2017-08-06
  22. 2017-07-31
  23. 2017-07-24
  24. 2017-07-17
  25. 2017-07-10
  26. 2017-07-02
  27. 2017-06-26
  28. 2017-06-20
  29. 2017-06-11
  30. 2017-06-04
  31. 2017-05-30
  32. 2017-05-22
  33. 2017-05-15
  34. 2017-05-08
  35. 2017-04-30
  36. 2017-04-24
  37. 2017-04-17
  38. 2017-04-09
  39. 2017-04-03
  40. 2017-03-27
  41. 2017-03-19
  42. 2017-03-13
  43. 2017-03-05
  44. 2017-02-27
  45. 2017-02-19
  46. 2017-02-12
  47. 2017-02-06
  48. 2017-01-29
  49. 2017-01-22
  50. 2017-01-15
  51. 2017-01-09
  52. 2017-01-02

2016 52

  1. 2016-12-26
  2. 2016-12-19
  3. 2016-12-11
  4. 2016-12-04
  5. 2016-11-25
  6. 2016-11-20
  7. 2016-11-14
  8. 2016-11-06
  9. 2016-10-30
  10. 2016-10-23
  11. 2016-10-16
  12. 2016-10-09
  13. 2016-10-02
  14. 2016-09-25
  15. 2016-09-18
  16. 2016-09-11
  17. 2016-09-03
  18. 2016-08-29
  19. 2016-08-21
  20. 2016-08-14
  21. 2016-08-08
  22. 2016-07-31
  23. 2016-07-25
  24. 2016-07-18
  25. 2016-07-11
  26. 2016-07-03
  27. 2016-06-26
  28. 2016-06-19
  29. 2016-06-13
  30. 2016-06-06
  31. 2016-05-30
  32. 2016-05-22
  33. 2016-05-16
  34. 2016-05-08
  35. 2016-05-01
  36. 2016-04-24
  37. 2016-04-17
  38. 2016-04-10
  39. 2016-04-03
  40. 2016-03-27
  41. 2016-03-21
  42. 2016-03-13
  43. 2016-03-07
  44. 2016-02-29
  45. 2016-02-22
  46. 2016-02-15
  47. 2016-02-07
  48. 2016-01-31
  49. 2016-01-24
  50. 2016-01-17
  51. 2016-01-10
  52. 2016-01-04

2015 52

  1. 2015-12-27
  2. 2015-12-20
  3. 2015-12-13
  4. 2015-12-06
  5. 2015-11-28
  6. 2015-11-22
  7. 2015-11-15
  8. 2015-11-08
  9. 2015-11-01
  10. 2015-10-25
  11. 2015-10-17
  12. 2015-10-11
  13. 2015-10-04
  14. 2015-09-26
  15. 2015-09-20
  16. 2015-09-12
  17. 2015-09-05
  18. 2015-08-31
  19. 2015-08-24
  20. 2015-08-15
  21. 2015-08-10
  22. 2015-08-02
  23. 2015-07-24
  24. 2015-07-18
  25. 2015-07-11
  26. 2015-07-03
  27. 2015-06-28
  28. 2015-06-22
  29. 2015-06-14
  30. 2015-06-08
  31. 2015-05-31
  32. 2015-05-25
  33. 2015-05-15
  34. 2015-05-10
  35. 2015-05-03
  36. 2015-04-25
  37. 2015-04-19
  38. 2015-04-12
  39. 2015-04-05
  40. 2015-03-29
  41. 2015-03-22
  42. 2015-03-15
  43. 2015-03-08
  44. 2015-03-01
  45. 2015-02-22
  46. 2015-02-14
  47. 2015-02-07
  48. 2015-01-31
  49. 2015-01-23
  50. 2015-01-18
  51. 2015-01-10
  52. 2015-01-03

2014 44

  1. 2014-12-26
  2. 2014-12-21
  3. 2014-12-13
  4. 2014-12-06
  5. 2014-11-27
  6. 2014-11-22
  7. 2014-11-14
  8. 2014-11-07
  9. 2014-10-31
  10. 2014-10-24
  11. 2014-10-18
  12. 2014-10-10
  13. 2014-10-03
  14. 2014-09-26
  15. 2014-09-19
  16. 2014-09-12
  17. 2014-09-05
  18. 2014-08-29
  19. 2014-08-22
  20. 2014-08-16
  21. 2014-08-08
  22. 2014-08-01
  23. 2014-07-25
  24. 2014-07-18
  25. 2014-07-11
  26. 2014-07-04
  27. 2014-06-27
  28. 2014-06-20
  29. 2014-06-13
  30. 2014-06-06
  31. 2014-05-30
  32. 2014-05-23
  33. 2014-05-17
  34. 2014-05-09
  35. 2014-05-02
  36. 2014-04-26
  37. 2014-04-18
  38. 2014-04-12
  39. 2014-04-05
  40. 2014-03-30
  41. 2014-03-15
  42. 2014-02-20
  43. 2014-02-02
  44. 2014-01-10

2013 2

  1. 2013-12-26
  2. 2013-11-20