Experiance Woodworker

[Plane (Guest)]

I have a question for all that has been bothering me for days. I would like to know when do you become an experience woodworker? My husband and I was at HD and met a friend. We were talking about a table top that was going to be inlayed with tile. I have been working on making fine furniture for over three years now and my husband said that I was not skilled enough to give out advise. I asked him the same question that I am asking today and his reply was you must be working in that area for 15yrs. or so. What I want to know is what do other people think? HELP!

Deanna

[pampine]

Was the friend male or female?

Is your husband a woodworker? Has been for 15 years? If not, according to his standards, he has no way of judging your expertise.

It's important to know what you don't know; but basically if you stick to giving advise based on your experience, there's no way to go wrong. Even if your experience didn't yield an optimal solution, it counts, provides information about how to do it better the next time.

Pam

[Plane (Guest)]

Pampine,

The friend was a male and we have known for years and my husband is a fireman and a part time house framer. We both work in wood but I just work in furiture and chairs making. I have been an artist for 15yrs. and work in all differant mediams from painting to scuplering. But now it seams that wood working is got my love and interest. I just can't seem to get it out of my blood. My dad was a 45yr. carpenter and at 80 something still hand carves. Thanks for the advise I knew this forum would help me.

Deanna

[barbsiddiqui]

Deanna- Welcome to the forum! As on most forums, we are a motley collection of many levels of experience. I agree with Pam; your experience counts, and if advice is offered based on "well, here's what worked for me..." instead of "this is the way it is..." then all shared experience is a good thing. I have been working wood for over 15 years, but not on fine furniture. And I've found so many new things to learn I still feel like a beginner. I've used my router table to advantage in many ways for many years, but when I started with my hand-held router, it was a whole new ball game, and I sought advice from those more experienced around me. Many areas of woodworking I have no experience in, but in those in which I do, I'm more than willing to pass on what I've learned. I hope you'll do the same, and share with us here some of the ideas and advice you've gained over the years. We all keep learninng, and these internet forums are one of the best ways to share that knowledge.
I guess the bottom line is, 'don't let it bug ya'...we should be curiuos and learning all through our lives. If you ever reached the 'end' of that road, life would be pretty boring, I think. Glad you found us! -Barb S.

[John Lucas]

Deanna,
That is a lousy bit of information from hubby. There is no such rule - ANYWHERE. You should feel free to give advise whenever you feel you have something to offer. If today you spent 1 hour doing hand dovetails for the first time, I would expect you could give some advice not from an "expert's" viewpoint but from one who has 1 hr's experience...and let me tell you, that 1 hr can contain a lot of information. For example you could comfortably say "it isn't as easy to make hand dovetails as the experts make it look." and "be sure to scribe the thickness line very well" and "have good lighting" and "I used a back saw but it will be easier if I get a finer tooth saw...maybe even the Dosuki" and "when I resharpened my chisel, I found that I was having less tearout" and "after doing four of them in pine, I tried poplar and it was even easier and the dovetail fit better."
Deanna, I wrote all those "possibles" just to say that those might be typical things you observed in that first hour and could feel good about sharing them.
By the way, if the 15 year rule applied, these forums wouldn't be as filled with good information and advise as they are. We are all learning. Conversely, I am "an experienced woodworker" based on the 15 year rule, but that sure doesn't make me an expert. I share what knowledge I have freely hoping that 1) I am not misleading anyone and 2) that it will help.

Deanna, enjoy woodworking and sharing your epxeriences.

PS - It doesnt take most men 15 years to be a chauvenist. It comes real natural to some.

[DB]

You are an experienced woodworker. If you have done that or something like that before then you you are experienced at that certian job. Experience is measured in knowledge not years, and you can always use more.

No one is smarter than you, just smarter in different ways.

I have a friend who has been working with wood for about 20 years but I would not even think of asking him what glue to use for outdoor projects, he chops firewood for a living.

There are three kinds of woodworker.
#1 Beginer- One who knows that s/he has a lot to learn.
#2 Intermediate- One who thinks s/he knows it all.
#3 Expert- One who realize that there is still a lot to learn.

The day I stop learning will be the day that I die.

Good bye and work safely

[donnagad]

This post really hit a nerve with me. Hmmm...so, women are put on this earth to have babies...so...to be an expert, I need to be pregnant each and every year for 15 years to be an expert at childbirth? I was hired as a journey level machinist, after a major layoff a few years later (I kept my job, no lay-off for me), I found out that from co-workers that at the time I was hired, some of the male employees questioned the shop foreman :
"How could you hire a woman? Don't you know you are taking away a job from a man who has to take care of his family?" OK..finished venting. All of the reply's have great responses. Wonderful people here.

[handi]

Deana,

I have been professionally working in wood and plastics shops for more than 15 years. I teach woodworking, and have articles published in Woodworker's Journal.

According to your husband, I can give advice. My advice to him is to knock off the attitude.

I learn every day by interacting with folks who are both more and less skilled than myself. If you look on this forum, you will notice that I very rarely give finishing advice. I'm no expert in this area.

Your husband's actions were simply rude. It is likely that he is a bit threatened by your skills. He may well feel that his "manhood" is threatened by not knowing more than you. This is, of course, silly but some guys feel that way. Try to be understanding and help him get over this fear.

Hope this helps,

Ralph

[Stephen Shepherd (Guest)]

I always listen to what others have to say about woodworking. Sometimes people come up with solutions not clouded by my 30 years of woodworking experience.

Stephen

[Plane (Guest)]

Thank You John, DB, Barbsiddiqui, Handi and Stephen I am glad to be part of this forum and take all advise that I can get. I tried out some of the suggestions that are on the forum and they seem to work out fine. I have learned that there is more than one way to skin a cat. The insight on my husband behavor was helpful and we talked. Come to find out he is jelous of my work. I am trying to now work with him and have him help me on every piece; that will be my goal. I was worried for a minute that he may have been right and now see after reading other's posted, that there is nothing to be worried about. People will always be jelous, prejudice, and self centering, even in your own home. I'll keep on learning and changing and hubby is always welcome. Thanks to all!!

Deanna