Shop made tools forum - thoughts about moving the related threads from here?

[Daniel Rode]

I really like the Neanderthal forum as it is. The mix of hand tool woodworking projects, tool making and restoration as well as the related subjects like sharpening all fit together well. Being new and lacking much experience, I mostly read and ask questions. I don't really make tools per se but I have a few simple hand tools I'd like to try top make some day. Simple planes, marking tools, etc.

That said, I am a hybrid woodworker with interest in jigs, accessories and such for both hand tool and power tool work. So the new forum might be interesting to me. In fact, I might be better able to contribute content rather than only consume.

FWIW - I don't really spend time in other SMC forums at present. For what ever reason, the topics in the general woodworking forum don't often interest me. Maybe I'll just ignore the new forum too

If I had my choice I'd like to see a hybrid woodworking forum. At the higher end, the work I admire and aspire to, I think this is the norm rather than the exception. I'm not sure how that might overlap the Neanderthal forum.

[Keith Outten]

I decide when a new Forum is to be created or removed. I listen to Members of our Community when they offer recommendations or suggestions, whether it is one person or hundreds. Our Moderators often discuss proposed changes before I make the final decision.

I spent a few weeks considering the suggestion to create a new Shop Made Tools, Fixtures and jigs Forum. Honestly it made perfect sense and the decision was made to create the new Forum in a section that everyone could share. This particular topic can easily be buried in the more active Forums. In a few years the new Forum should become a real asset for every group here.

The decision to move threads on this topic to the new Forum is up to the Forum Moderator, I rarely override a Moderators decision.
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[David Weaver]

I have to imagine the forum moderator in this forum will remember the reaction here, and hopefully proceed accordingly. I understand the value of a list/forum of shop tools, etc, especially in the forums that have a lot higher traffic and tend to be a little less esoteric than this section, though.

it's not my forum and thus not my rules, but if a toolmaking thread of mine gets moved to a generalized list of shop tools, I won't make the mistake of investing the time to do it again after that.

[Matthew N. Masail]

I decide when a new Forum is to be created or removed. I listen to Members of our Community when they offer recommendations or suggestions, whether it is one person or hundreds. Our Moderators often discuss proposed changes before I make the final decision.

I spent a few weeks considering the suggestion to create a new Shop Made Tools, Fixtures and jigs Forum. Honestly it made perfect sense and the decision was made to create the new Forum in a section that everyone could share. This particular topic can easily be buried in the more active Forums. In a few years the new Forum should become a real asset for every group here.

The decision to move threads on this topic to the new Forum is up to the Forum Moderator, I rarely override a Moderators decision.
.

I agree it can become an asset. but I think it shuld be considered that shop made hand tools and power tool jig are a world apart, and not many will go through 100 special power tool jig threads to find a hand tool one. I'd like to suggest that hand tools and power tool be separated, to keep the forums relevant and easier to navigate.

I feel the same as David above about having a shop hand tool thread of mine (and many are planed) being placed in a list of random shop jig.

[Pat Barry]

I hope the shop made tools forum fills up with stuff that makes work for power toolers easier.

I also hope that all of the shop made hand tool stuff stays in this forum so that we can discuss the aspects of how mortises, abutments, mouths, etc are cut and how they impact the performance of a good working plane - which is something FAR beyond what most power toolers will be able to tolerate or contribute to. It would be like me (who views power tools as coarse work items) trying to go up and tell someone what to do with a multirouter. I have no idea. I think they're interesting machines, but that forum doesn't need me saying "that's great" or "really neat" pat on the back type posts on stuff I don't know much about.

If I make a mediocre tool, or even if I get lucky and make a good one, I would like the discussion to center around that tool and the very fine details about it - the things that actually make it worth making - and discuss and field questions and pose questions to others that are very on point.

I don't see how the same sort of discussions that Dave alludes to can't or won't happen if the tool was posted in the new forum as opposed to the Neander one, unless its just because the Neanders themselves will boycott the new forum. Ie: no need to look outside OUR forum to find things of interest to US. I for one would appreciate having the tools listed in a separate forum. I guess I tend to look at lots of different forum's here - I don't just confine my visits or comments to just the Neander forum. I thought this was a woodworking site and I hope to get good ideas and knowledge from power tool users, wood carvers, guitar makers and hand tool users as well. Others may be more narrow in the interests.

[Jim Koepke]

If I had my choice I'd like to see a hybrid woodworking forum.

In reality that is what we have right here. Sure there are some hand tool purist. On the other hand there are a lot of people here who use a bandsaw, table saw or other power tools to do some of their work.

An often asked question is what plane should be used to remove a particular power tool's marks.

Heck, my lathe is often used to make what are basically dowels.

If needed for shaping work my miniscule belt sander is put to work.

My feeling is Neanderthal Haven is a very special place and isn't currently in need of a tectonic shift.

With a new forum only for tool and fixture making, all the old threads would eventually disappear under multiple new pages becoming just as difficult to find.

My thought on doing this would be to start a thread like those listed in Neanderthal wisdom/FAQs with links to old tool making threads. It might be best if there were separate categories for fixtures, planes, saws, boring tools and such.

It would be a bit of work to go back to the beginning of (SMC) time to do all of this but it isn't impossible. It would require the help of a moderator to place a link in the tool making section already in Neanderthal wisdom/FAQs.

It would also require some coordination to avoid repeats and keep some semblance of usefulness.

Not sure if it would take a committee or if anyone would even want to volunteer for such an endeavor.

For now, the search function and personal tagging or cataloging of posts has been working for me.

jtk

[ray hampton]

what wrong with a poll asking for a vote about the home-made tools

[David Weaver]

I don't see how the same sort of discussions that Dave alludes to can't or won't happen if the tool was posted in the new forum as opposed to the Neander one,

If people have fairly limited time and don't wish to sort through material with M&T jigs, table saw sleds, stuff for sign making etc, how many other folks in those forums do you think will have enlightening discussion about the design elements on a coffin smoother, including things like the angle of the wear, the meeting of the wear, escapements and abutments, etc, to foster good feeding. It takes a certain amount of experience to even get to that point, not just theoretical forum reading.

There are certain things that may have wider appeal, like drawer grooving planes, but as the poster of the thread who spends the considerable time making content and taking time to make it something other people can use, I'd like to be able to determine where I'd put it to shape discussion (and it does take considerable time to stop and take pictures while you're working on something, and then come back here to a system that is not very user friendly to upload pictures two at a time and then go back and add commentary - it could be a cost of two hours when all is said and done for all of the pictures and adding commentary).

At this point in my hobby, I have already gone from the broad interest to the narrow, and as you say, I am one of the people with "more narrow interests". It's not specifically like I'd boycott any forums, that's an active avoidance. It would be more of a passive avoidance for me.

[Judson Green]

Curiously, I do not see the same discussion (adding a forum) happening in the general forum.

[Jim Koepke]

I don't see how the same sort of discussions that Dave alludes to can't or won't happen if the tool was posted in the new forum as opposed to the Neander one, unless its just because the Neanders themselves will boycott the new forum.

Most days the Neanderthal Haven forum is the only one I visit. Usually the only other one I visit is the Off Topic forum.

Most likely I would miss something of interest if it was posted in some other forum.

jtk

[David Weaver]

Yeah, as of this post, they literally do have 6 times as many people viewing the forum, and the recent ratio of posts there vs. here is probably at least that (this forum is a little slower than it was a couple of years ago, thus my initial comment about removing even more content not being necessarily a great thing for this sub-area of the creek).

[Jim Koepke]

what wrong with a poll asking for a vote about the home-made tools

Absolutely nothing.

The biggest problem is setting it up. The next problem would be making sure all the options are covered and the moderators and administrators would be willing to go along with outcome.

jtk

[Dave Anderson NH]

I am just now reading this thread for the first time. I have not even checked in to SMC since last Wednesday and let other moderators keep an eye on you folks. I was away at the SAPFM mid-year conference and with no apologies say I thoroughly enjoyed myself and didn't think of SM even once. I am going to finish reading all of the other threads from the last few days and then I will start thinking about this new shop made tools idea. So in the appropriate or inappropriate (depending on your viewpoint) standard method of managers and bureaucrats everywhere I will reserve judgment until "later."

[Daniel Rode]

In my experience, this forum is unique. The information here is exceptional and the folks who post the content are often pretty special and rare themselves. The community here is filled with highly skilled craftsman who are willing to discuss, in detail, woodcraft and all associated with it.

I've learned so much in in a few months here that I struggle to find the time to practice it all.

My feeling is Neanderthal Haven is a very special place and isn't currently in need of a tectonic shift.

[Judson Green]

Suppose it (this thread) might be more likely to get in the hottest threads if the discussion happens here though.

I, for one (though I'm sure others too) greatly appreciate your content.