Opinion Poll Results
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Opinion Poll Results
Hi everyone! I really feel like I need to apologize for not getting this episode out sooner. You are probably receiving this episode on or after Tuesday, August 5th 2008. I promised to have this episode to you a week ago, so I’m going to go ahead and combine it with the one I promised to have for you this week.
What I’m alluding to is the ‘Short Opinion Poll’ on which I had tried to get some blind discussion going. I got only a handful of responses, but they were pretty much on par for what I thought I’d read. To sum up the reason for the Poll, let me explain some things that led me to ask for the opinion survey.
I am a total beginner to woodworking. In fact in all of the social networks, the communities, podcast episodes, viewer/listener emails, it sounds like I may be the newest person, who is likely to share my inexperience, to the hobby. I only really have about 6 months under my belt. So all of those lessons you learned early on, I’m still learning.
I’ve shared, in my podcast, instances where I’ve experienced breeches in safety, projects that I have completed, and those I haven’t started. I’ve received more criticism privately than I have shared, about selecting an obviously advanced project as my very first ‘real’ woodworking project. My very honest responses have apparently been interpreted as arrogance, not ambition.
I have willingly and informed as well as unknowingly and accidentally put myself and others, in one instance, at risk for a shop-related injury. For this I have been criticized, and my judgment has been called into question.
I really wanted to hear from the community about how they feel that they have fulfilled some unwritten prerequisite in beginning to use a new tool or technique. So, what I really wanted was to know when woodworkers believe it’s ok to do something new in the craft.
Here are some examples of what I’m talking about. Now keep in mind, I am talking about a beginning woodworker that has had no formal instruction, no hands on tutelage, never watched a single retail woodworking video, but has access to the entire catalogs of all woodworking podcaster’s episodes – video and audio.
For instance, when I was making the cornhole boxes I went out and bout a router because I knew I wanted the top edges of the boxes to be rounded over. I had just started watching woodworking podcast videos and saw that the right tool for the job was a router. I did a little homework, found the one I wanted at the price I wanted to pay and bought it. I set right out to using the tool with only reading the instruction manual. Question: Should I have been ‘allowed’ to use the tool?
Another for instance: A couple of weekends ago I decided to cut a dovetail to join two boards together end-to-end. Again, I was using my router to do it, but by now I have plenty of experience with it and know what to expect. But, I don’t have much experience with any kind of joinery. Question: Should I have been ‘allowed’ to try to cut and fit a dovetail since it’s viewed by many to be in the advanced category of joinery solutions? (At least that’s how I see it.)
So how would you answer these types of questions? You say that your answer is specific to the technique or tool? Well, if you think that way, then I’d like to know why.
I’m not talking about industrial grade equipment or how to build a pyramid. I’m talking about home shop tools and techniques that wouldn’t be foreign to anyone listening to this podcast.
So, that’s the basis for this topic. I’ve gone ahead and re-posted all of the comments that people have not requested that I keep hidden. The comments that spurred me into action to question everyone were meant, not to be inflammatory, but were posted in concern for my safety and that of others.
Admittedly, I read these posts and understood them in a less than ideal tone and manner. It actually disturbed me that some of my listeners would think that I would willfully or unknowingly put own children at risk. Though I do subscribe to the thought that life wouldn’t be the same without a certain level of risk, but I do not generally subscribe to exposing children to risk when it is not in a controlled environment.
As far as the results from the poll go, well, it seems that everyone has subtle flavors of the same idea. Always try new things that you think you would like to learn, but go into the experience informed. Some of you stressed taking formal classes, others said that books and videos are their preference.
I’ve got to say that for me, every situation is different. Every tool, and every technique, for me, could possibly have a different optimal learning technique. I’ve been taught how to use different kinds of machines and tools in classroom settings before, and scored excellent on tests, but once faced with the tool or machine, I had no idea what I was doing.
Same goes for things to remember when wood working. I could read tons of info on how to, and not to, do something, but I’m not going to remember that well, unless I have experienced it.
Yeah, I was told repeatedly not to run end grain over the jointer blades. And yeah, that’s exactly why I did do it. I needed to know what to expect. I may have explained it a little differently on the podcast, but the actual situation was that I took a very thin 6”x6” board and built a jig for it to hold it in a ‘slot’ against the fence of the jointer. I was using a stick to push the board across the blades, and about 1” into the length of the board it shattered. I had my knee over the off switch and immediately shut off the machine and backed away.
The amount of wood that actually made it out of the jig was minimal, but would have been dangerous to anyone standing to the right side of the jointer. But it was only me in the shop and I planned it that way.
Other incidents, including multiple tablesaw kickbacks in a single day, are admittedly my fault and could have been prevented with adherence to basic shop safety guidelines, and more experience cutting sheet goods. Since then I’ve learned how to center and maintain my splitter and anti-kickback paws, and I’ve been making an effort to learn more about cutting plywood safely on the table saw. From these dangerous incidents came order and safety.
When I first let my kids into the shop while I was working, I had 2 pairs of goggles and a single pair of hearing protection. At times I would go without safety equipment so the children could use them. Now, my shop is equipped with enough safety equipment for the whole family.
As for introducing my children to power tools, that will take some time. So, with that in mind, please have no fear that I would allow any child under my supervision to engage a machine without proper safety training.
When I related to you that I was thinking about getting a mini-lathe for my youngest son’s 11th birthday, I had every intention of enrolling both of us in the Woodcraft lathe classes they have every month. When I told you that my oldest son helped me cut an angled tenon with chisels, he was fully aware of the dangers involved in handling sharp tools.
As far as having an inexperienced woodworker not be an adequate supervisor of his children in his own shop, I do not believe this concern has any weight. There is much more to the human element, that I cannot verbalize in a podcast, that governs a parent’s ability to safeguard their children. It does not take an expert in any field to identify the most obvious dangers of any given environment. From my online education in woodworking – from the podcasting community, I believe that I’ve received some of the best technique and safety training available.
I still haven’t fully answered the question of when to try something new. Daily. Always. Whenever you feel the itch. I completely subscribe to Neil Lamens’ sentiments when he says you should push the limits, try new ideas. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is really the only true test of your abilities.
While talking with Neil about this subject I related a story to him about when I was in Airborne school in the Army. I’ll give you the full story that Neil didn’t get:
While waiting to receive training the day before my first jump, I was in a building that had a ton of WWII paratrooper memorabilia. Among it all were a lot of comic strips drawn by the first paratroopers, and pictures of the first parachutes. The comics depicted paratroopers that didn’t make it, the pictures sometimes showed failed chutes. While the truth to these artifacts is gruesome, to a 19 year old private, it drove home a single fact that lasts with me to this day: Practice may make perfect, but if you are practicing what others continue to fail at, you will also fail. Try something new. Let your imagination go and you will fly.
Since then I’ve been a complete advocate of creativity and breaking out of taboo-restrained boxes. When I interview people at work, I force them to approach difficult situations from points of view that are completely out of the norm. Social norms be damned. I need creative thinkers at work, because they solve problems. In the shop, I need to cultivate creative use of the tools I have.
If I believe I can solve a problem by using a tool in a way that is not prescribed as its intended use, I believe that the manufactures may have left the list possible use cases unfinished – I do not automatically believe that the use is forbidden.
My actual analogy of parachuting was this:
As parachuting was invented and (nearly) perfected, a large percentage of the evolution of the technology and techniques associated with it were developed by trial and error. If no one had ever tried and erred, then there would be no parachutists today. I take that experience with me always and use it in my work daily. Though all of that experimentation slows my work down, I usually end up coming up with excellent results beyond that which people expected.
Many of the first parachuters died trying to develop a way to land safely. Though I don't want to imply that I don't mind dying in order to develop an understanding of woodworking techniques and tools, I do understand that there are safety issues that I don't already know about, haven't been identified yet, and have heard about and forgotten already.
So, I’ve gone in a lot of different direction in this episode. Let me wrap up my opinion for you. I probably will not stop pushing my own ambitious work. I will be working on the basics, but believe I can learn them while taking on more difficult projects and learning along the way. I understand the phrase ‘practice makes perfect’, but have yet to see perfection in anyone’s work – anywhere. I understand that safety is something that almost everyone is on board with. Even those that are the most safety conscious have accidents once in a while. As you may remember, I had an accident with the thickness planer at school. That was under the supervision of an experience professional who lives by the safety rules. No one is infallible.
Once again, the entirety of this podcast can be taken in the wrong tone. This is not a retaliation podcast. Please understand that I publish this content to document my experiences. Those of you that voice your concerns and criticism only serve to make my work better. There’s not much that could make it worse. So, thank you all for your support and sending me your concerns and criticisim. Again, I’m the type of person who sees criticism as an educational opportunity, not a stab in the back.
I know I didn’t quote anyone, as I said I might. Since the majority of the opinions were so similar, I felt that paraphrasing would be sufficient. As soon as this podcast is published the comments sections will all become immediately available again, so feel free to comment away.
Hey Rick --
I'm new to your podcast, and a little surprised with this episode. I have tried to bring myself up to speed by going back and reading the "Short Opinion Poll" and the comments as published, and all seemed very supportive of you and your podcast. I'm assuming that negative comments you received are not published. Of course, I'm now motivated to chime in after the fact...
I've been a woodworker since I was in school, and that's longer than I'm willing to admit to right now. I'm new to the podcasting experience, however, and have only owned an iPod since Christmas. By the yardstick of some, evidently, I should only listen to my iPod under close supervision, and not even dream of starting my own podcast which I have ambitions of doing...
I can't imagine anyone fussing at you for either being ambitious, a poor father, or for being creative. I've worked for civil engineers in the past, and had a major revelation one day: they pay lots of money to go to college to learn how to do this stuff, then they sit down and read their particular cities' rulebook, and then they seem to spend a good part of their careers trying to persuade the city to accept something that is against "code," which more often than not gets negotiated. And more often than not, the things work, too.
My point is that if you understand the theory behind something, your creativity should be your only rule book thereafter, or else we all might as well be producing RTA furniture and letting Walmart sell it. Safety is of paramount importance, yes, but common sense needs to prevail in that if you can figure out a way to rout a board in a new or unusual manner without removing parts of you that need to remain attached, I say, go for it!
I once took a music theory class, which of course had a whole bunch of composition rules to follow (all of which were based on empirical evidence of the "master's" compositions.) The one rule that stands out in my mind was this: You could do something in a composition and it would be graded as wrong. Beethoven could do something, and it was genius.
I guess you are going to have detractors no matter what you do. Maybe I should never buy a microphone and keep all my "wealth of knowledge" to myself for fear that the microphone might fall over and kill my dog.
Keep up the great work!
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Mack,
Welcome to the show! I hope you're enjoying it so far. Things are going to start picking up a little bit in the near future, so stick around
All of the comments that people have made that went into my decision for making that episode are actually published now. There weren't any negative comments, per se. It's all in how you interpret them. Criticism is not a bad thing, it should make us think (I believe so anyway). Even so, with my easy going attitude, it was a little hard for me to get over a few of them. In the end I understand where they were coming from and agree with them, to a point.
Listeners in this community really are concerned mostly with their safety and that of others, that those who are new to the craft are not discourages with early failures, and that proper training on technique and tools are acquired. While I commend the attitudes, I guess sometimes I feel like a teenager trying to be like the adults and where the adults think I don't know as much as I really do. Time is an ambiguous measuring stick. Training is testable but questionable. Experience can go either way since you can continually have bad experiences. The proof is in your product, whether that be a finished project, or an exhibition of who you've learned to act in a shop.
OK, off the soap box.
I'll be addressing this in my episode next week, but really, if you have something to add to the community; if there's something that you would like everyone to hear, then you should absolutely put it out there. You can use my podcast to do it, Matt Vanderlist (of the Matt's Basement Workshop podcast) has had guest podcasters before, or start your own podcast. We are all chomping at the bit every week for more content. There's just too few podcasters in the woodworking community. I for one would love to hear what more of the 'veteran woodworkers' have to share.
-Rick
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Well, I was still playing catchup on your podcasts, and didn't get to your Opinion Poll until after you had already done all the follow-up blog entries and podcasts. But here are my two cents:
Experimentation is good. It's good for you, as you realize things about working wood that maybe are fundamental to the craft. It's also good for others, as they are challenged by what may be unconvential methods.
My blog is all about my inexperience, to some degree, and the things that I try to do in the absence of power tools - and even in the absence of some hand tools! So far, I haven't felt any real disdain for my weird methods, although I don't think it would stop me anyway!
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Eric,
Out of every one of the woodworkers I've met online in the past several months, I'd have to say that you're the only one whose methods should never be scrutinized. I think you may be the only true 'pioneer' in the community (that I've heard of). You're doing all you can, for yourself and others, in foreign places where tools are scarce. I would think that your situation actually demands improvisation. Right?
Rick
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Well I don't know about that. I mean, I might be "pioneering" but it's only because of necessity! I welcome every single bit of scrutiny, though, because great ideas often come of it!
Thanks for the props, though. Appreciate your encouragement!
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Hi Rick.........don't know about others but I like that mix of somebody having to be the first parachuter and you learning the basics while tackling a bit more complex. Never sensed arrogance here, I thought you were somebody "getting into it".
So here's to your approach!!!, works for me.........GERONIMO!!
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