Buildalong threads

Hi all,

This is basically just to gauge interest in a page for buildalongs. By that I mean were some helpful chap or lass shows us what they are doing and how they are doing it.

I have been involved with several on other sites, some of the projects failed spectacularly, some were excellent.

I really like buildalong threads as it gives everyone a chance to learn (if they want to read it) and it gives the person writing the thread the chance for a bit of feedback.

As you can see, I am all in favour of them, but I would also like a separate board where they can all be collected.

Here are a few examples of my favourite buildalongs from this site and others:

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=16781

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthr...=&pagenumber=1

http://www.ozbow.net/phpbb2/viewtopi...er=asc&start=0

Cam

Ok, I'll start the ball rolling.

Get a piece of 90 x 45 radiata pine
measure in 45mm from the lefthand end.

NEXT POST PLEASE:)

I get the impression that you might be mocking me...:eek:

;)

I was more thinking that YOU would tell us what you might do with your lovely piece of scrap...

ie Someone might post an intarsia buildalong, someone might post a bowl turning buildalong, someone might post a box making buildalong.

Who knows, I might even post a buildalong on how to construct firewood from a perfectly good piece of timber... :p

Cam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by echnidna

Ok, I'll start the ball rolling.

Get a piece of 90 x 45 radiata pine
measure in 45mm from the lefthand end.

NEXT POST PLEASE:)

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Cut, then do this 120 times more. Assemble into frames, then put the pictures.......... oops.

Get a piece of 90 x 45 radiata pine
measure in 35mm from the lefthand end......

There you go Cam, now WE'RE mocking Echidna! :D :D :D

By the way, I think the idea has merit, I always enjoy watching the process, although it is a real pain to document all the way through. Some days I spent more time posting the story of the PDRacer than I did working on it!

I also think that while it doesn't look as good, posting pics by uploading attachments in this sort of story gives them some sort of longevity. Sadly some of Bob Smaltser's links have gone dead as they were linked to pictures on other sites and he has moved the original articles .
Cheers,

P
:cool: :cool:

Yeah, I did a bow buildalong on my first bow (which worked by the way of a fluke) and while it didn't look pretty as it was getting there, I think that a lot of people got something from it - even people who were experts as they saw either new ideas, or old blunders that they were reminded to avoid.

I have found from other sites that the buildalong threads are nearly always the most popular ones. I for one would love to watch someone put a dovetailed jewellery box together from scratch - and no, the person doesn't have to be an expert on what they are doing, just willing to share. If you checked out the link, you would notice that the top one is your thread on the laminated rolling pin design. :D

Cam

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=22564

Not the first time this has been discussed. Have a look at the responses there, some very interesting and valid points in there.

Thanks Mr Butcher, but it seems that vote was a pretty conclusive yes (75% to 25%).

The other post was essentially a very similar thing, but not quite the same. Work in progress is where you show WHAT you are doing, a buildalong you show HOW you are doing it.

I know that is just definitional, but it is an important difference. This board would be mainly of an instructional nature.

For instance, look at this thread (new one by Major Panic on hand planes): http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=29549

The arguments in the other thread seem to be based upon limiting the number of boards - but with the recent explosion of home reno boards, let's face it, we have a lot of boards! A buildalong board would in contrast actually be GOOD for a newbie. It would be a good place to start looking and a good place to start searching for a help thread.

I also haven't ever seen someone put WIP in their thread title (but maybe I haven't been around that long). Also, maybe it has fallen out of use.

A few people posted jokes about half finished stuff that would never get done, but the point is that since you are trying to explain how to do something, you would have more motivation to get it finished - and if it was a good thread, a lot of people nagging too!!:p

Cam

Where's "the idea ain't bad but I wouldn't bother contributing or reading?" button?

I like "buildalong" threads, especially when they honestly include the uhoh! moments and the solutions they used to fix 'em but I don't see much point in a new board; I'm already subscribed to more than I can keep up with. What's wrong with posting on this board and simply adding to the collective wisdom? :rolleyes: I'm not against the idea per se; I just don't have enough spare time on my hands to keep an eye on more boards...

Quote:

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I also haven't ever seen someone put WIP in their thread title (but maybe I haven't been around that long). Also, maybe it has fallen out of use.

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Maybe you ain't looking in the right areas? :p

I thought a build along was showing others step by step how you made something. Am I correct? reading the replies it looks like one person starts something and others add to it. Confused!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carry Pine

reading the replies it looks like one person starts something and others add to it. Confused!

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Well yes, you are correct in theory, but there is a bit of sorting the wheat from the chaff on this board! :rolleyes:

Cheers,

P (chaff cutter)
:D :D :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bitingmidge

P (chaff cutter)
:D :D :D

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Werent you in Mad Max??

Al :cool: :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CameronPotter

By that I mean were some helpful chap or lass shows us what they are doing and how they are doing it.


I really like buildalong threads as it gives everyone a chance to learn (if they want to read it) and it gives the person writing the thread the chance for a bit of feedback.

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The idea of more posts explaining in detail on say how to build a tool of jig or whatever is great but I don't think another forum is necessary. Way too many forums already.:(

What is the problem with posting these kind of threads in their appropriate forums like I have done in the past.

If these posts are of interest to other members they will be read and there willl be feedback. To find them later on all you need to do is to SEARCH for them.


Peter.

Sturdee, I understand that you might think that we have too many forums (and we may well do), but one more won't make a big difference to that.

The problem with posting these type of threads in their respective forums is that while I may not read the intarsia forum (for example) I would be interested in seeing an intarsia buildalong. The same goes for boats and boxes and most likely all kinds of things.

As for doing searches, how can you search for "An interesting buildalong that I haven't seen before"?

I am not talking about searching for a specific thing, but more general stuff. I mean there are some speaker builders out there, that might make an interesting buildalong - how about some musical instruments?

There is a lot you might be interested in without necessarily searching for it.

Skew, as for your point about posting on this board, I think you misunderstood what I meant. I meant on WWF, but a different page. Look how many people thought that the plane clean should go "straight to the pool room" without the thread even getting to MajorPanic's second post? This shows an interest in these type of threads that may justify their own special place. The idea of the thread is to show the exact working that you might do and YES, if there is a stuff up, let it out and talk about how it can be corrected - I love that kind of info.

As for not looking in the right places - what is the right place?

Carry Pine, your first idea of what a buildalong is is correct - it is just that some people felt the need to be silly and confuse the newer members! ;) :p

Cheers

Cam

I think that the idea of somehow separately identifying the "How I did this.." style of Thread has real merit, but I think that it is often a subsidiary point to the subject of what the contributor is doing. So Peter amd Mick's thread on building the PD Racers belongs where it is on the Forum to do with building and repairing Wooden Boats. But that thread has a lot of great thoughts of general application (as well as the interest in watching the things grow) which I take it is the main point of "Buildalong" threads.

Perhaps a solution is to ask the managers of the Forums to come up with a way of a contributor who is starting a thread identifying what the nature of the thread may be (Buildalong, Request for help, WIP, A new Technique etc) so that this is shown somehow in the title or the presentation of the title(eg different colours)(so that you don't have to open it to see what kind it is) and so you can search only within that Threads of that kind. That way we get the benefit of the identification and an ability to group for our own purposes without proliferating the number of Forums even more (this one could be the one that breaks the camel's back).

Now THAT is a good idea.

We have the ability to put smilie flags at the start of each message (see under the text box where it says: Post icons).

Generally, this is left as no icon, but we could use a certain icon to describe a certain kind of thread. However, this doesn't fix the search problem - ie you could only see ones from relatively recent past (unless you looked at EVERY post)! If there was a way to search on the post icon as well that would be extremely handy.

One of the things that I really enjoy is watching someone make something and explain the process. It might encourage me to have a go - even if I had never considered it in the past before. That was one of my motivating factors to this poll, but your solution may keep everyone happy... If it is possible of course.

Cam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CameronPotter

However, this doesn't fix the search problem - ie you could only see ones from relatively recent past (unless you looked at EVERY post)! If there was a way to search on the post icon as well that would be extremely handy.

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You can of course nominate this kind of post for inclusion to the best of the best under a buildalong heading.

Peter.

True, but then should every buildalong go to best of the best? Probably not would be my thoughts... :rolleyes:

Fixing a colossal stuff up may not be a good thread for best of the best, but might be very useful for the uninitiated.

Cam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CameronPotter

Skew, as for your point about posting on this board, I think you misunderstood what I meant. I meant on WWF, but a different page. Look how many people thought that the plane clean should go "straight to the pool room" without the thread even getting to MajorPanic's second post? This shows an interest in these type of threads that may justify their own special place. The idea of the thread is to show the exact working that you might do and YES, if there is a stuff up, let it out and talk about how it can be corrected - I love that kind of info.

As for not looking in the right places - what is the right place?

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Your right, I did. The original query was about a "buildalong board" not another forum, which is a different matter. Would I read/contribute? Possibly. [shrug] OK, so it changes my vote... :rolleyes:

Perhaps another sub-forum in the Photo Gallery forum? The main advantage I can see with putting 'em in a forum of their own is that slower modem users would know that there's probably a lot of pics (Xref. the thread on inserted img's instead of attachments) and long DL times... and can ignore the thread unless having a particular interest.

The woodwork threads in the photo galleries often still use 'WIP' in the titles. They're not all "buildalongs" by any stretch of the imagination, but the use of the acronym hasn't stopped.

Yeah, I just saw a new WIP box by Wongo...

Mind you, new members won't necessarily know this...

Good point about the download time as well!