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The Builder · № 11

Built Something That Holds

Designed and built a physical structure that bears real load, a shelf, table, treehouse, bridge, frame, and has held up under use for 30+ days.

The idea

Test it by abusing it. Put a stack of bricks on the shelf. Stand on the table. Hang from the bar with both feet off the floor. The thing has to survive harder use than you expect. Stuff fails under real load, not under careful load. Sixty days under abuse tells you whether the build was actually built or just stood up briefly.

Steps
  1. Decide what load it must hold. Be specific: pounds, people, weather.
  2. Build joints stronger than you think you need. Joints fail first.
  3. Test by abusing it. Add more weight than expected. Stand on it.
  4. Use it for real for 30 days.
What counts

A structure that bears its intended load and has held up under real use for 30+ days. A photo with the load on it is plenty.