I've been working on building rough shelves out of 2x4s in our basement. Partly for storage, partly to get more of a feel for how to frame things with 2x4s. The big improvement on the second set was using 3" deck screws. The process made me think about learning and how it feels different to have solved a problem versus avoiding having a problem.

On the first set I had just got some long phillips head screws from the hardware store, but they kept stripping out. I had some idea that construction screws used other drive heads - and it became clear that this was probably the reason.

I switched to star head screws and those drove better, if still a little rough. Then I watched this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG6FJCWYeRU video and followed the advice to get 3" deck screws.

For the second set of shelves I used the deck screws, they drove easier, and the space at the top of the screw meant the two 2x4s pulled tight.

Thinking about learning: I could have got all this information at the start, but it feels so much more real to have gone through the process of encountering the problem - really felt that problem - and then the difference of the solution. I love that process.

I think that sort of feeling is a key part of building intuition.

Another interesting puzzle for me is why intuition is hard to pass on - having experienced this issue could I now tell someone else that the secret to building 2x4 shelves is to use deck screws? I would probably mention it. But I think the tricky part is there's lots of other parts to building shelves, which the person I'm talking to might know more or less about. It's a huge set of information. I (and I think a lot of people) need to be in the process and solving problems step-by-step versus being given a giant checklist at the start. At least that's how I enjoy doing it.