Changing nature of the turners forum?

[Roger Chandler]

Is it just me, or do others see a changing nature of the turners forum? I don't think there are near as many pics of latest turnings as there used to be. I am guilty! I have not turned as much in the last few months, and I also don't always post pics of many things I do turn, because they are similar to other things I posted before.

Seems the turners forum has most conversation about tools or technical "how-to" all of which I like, but I would like to see many post their work again! I guess, the next project I turn will have to be posted, no matter what it is! Can't post an observation like this and not post myself! :o;)

Is it just me, or does anyone else see the same?

[Thom Sturgill]

It has changed, and I was about to abandon SMC when I was asked to become a moderator and I changed my mind.

It has changed partly because many of the members from 3-4 years ago have moved on, either too busy with their art or production turning to spend nearly as much time on-line. Others perhaps with health issues have dropped by the wayside, we are an ageing group after all.

These members have been replaced with a new crop of new voices, some 'newbys', some experienced, many with repeats of questions asked and answered many times. but others with new issues, new insights. And partly its appearance to have changed is just a perception because some of us are not newbys any more and are answering more questions than we ask, and partly because some of us have become more comfortable with our skills and do not feel the need for the feedback.

This forum has helped produce several outstanding turners as both a source of constructive criticism and inspiration, and I hope it continues to do so. So yes Roger, post those pictures and I will try to post more also.

[John Beaver]

I for one find there are too many places to post. Sawmill, WoW, Woodturners Unlimited, AAW, Facebook etc. (I belong to 8 different groups). I think this is the best place for beginners, and to post technical questions; but as far as showing work, I think the feedback is stronger in other places.

[Stan Smith]

Hi Roger. I have seen pictures posted of some very beautiful projects. Some of us may be intimidated by those pictures and apprehensive about posting our own pics. I really do like the "how-to" and tool posts as well. I also like shop and jig pics. I've learned a lot via the creativity of other more talented turners. As to tools, reading posts about them has cost me some $$, but having good quality tools makes turning even more fun.

[Paul Williams]

I tend to agree with John about the feedback. Unless you specifically request critical feedback you are unlikely to get it. Also you will get several "that's nice" comments for each suggestion. That is both good and bad, but I do think constructive criticism was a good part of my learning curve and helped by this forum.

[Roger Chandler]

When I post pics here of something, and when I look at pics of others work here, it is not just to give or receive critique,.........that is okay, but I just like to see what others are doing on the lathe. If I want to really get my ears chewed, I agree with John also.......post on WOW! :D Back when I was a newbie, the best info I got was from a few seasoned turners here on SMC.

Maybe I am a bit different........I like the interaction we "creekers" have, and that is the main reason I go to this and other forums.......of course, that has its downsides once in a while as well, but for the most part, I realize that if it were not for these forums, that some turners who I may never meet and are from different parts of the country or world, for that matter, would be strangers to me and their fabulous work as well.

Folks like Terry Scott, Mike Foster, John Keeton, etc.......[I could insert hundreds of names here,] but I would not get to know the broad spectrum and body of wood turned art and even some personalities if it were not for the forums.

I think we should all try and post some work.......at least occasionally! I would also encourage anyone to not be intimidated........this is a supportive community that will help guide you to greater achievement in turning if you will participate! This is not a contest about who is the best, but a learning forum, so when we get attaboys, then super! When we get constructive criticism.......even better! My $.02! ;)

[Steve Schlumpf]

It wasn’t that long ago that I started turning (Oct 04) and I vividly remember the frustrations that went along with trying to figure things out for myself. At the time I had no one to turn to for assistance and just figured things out as I went along. I eventually bought a computer, found SMC and joined, although at the time I had no intention of posting anything. I read everything I could in the forum and got to know some of the main players through their posts. Until that point, I had never participated in anything online, had zero experience in emails, messaging, etc and felt extremely out of my element. I really wanted to improve my turning skills, so despite my nerves, decided to speed up the learning process by interacting, posting my work and eventually asking for critiques. It worked! :D

Participation on any forum fluctuates over time. Many of the skilled turners that were on the Creek when I first started have moved on to other hobbies, other sites or just stopped going online. The Creek has always helped the new turner, answered questions time and again and always tried to make the new guy feel welcome. I have seen a flow pattern within the forum where the new member asks all sorts of questions while learning how to turn. Within a few months, or a little longer, that same member is then answering those same questions for the ‘new’ members. Some folks stay here so they can help the new members. Many stay because of the friendships they have developed while participating here.

Thing is, you get out of the site exactly what you put into it. Want your work to be critiqued? Then learn what a good critique is and how to give one! (check out the Master Sticky for a great critique list) Believe me, it is not as easy as requesting one! Want the forum to be more active? Then you become more active! Wish others posted their work? Well, you get how this interaction thing works…

One other key thing – DO NOT be intimidated by what another turner has created! The turners here on Sawmill Creek cover all skill levels – from the beginning amateur to the professional – but we are all learning and it’s a lot more fun when we do it together!

[Roger Chandler]

Amen, Steve!

[Marc Tuunanen]

I for one am really shy and don't think my work worthy. I've been turning for a couple of years, off and on due to health issues. I take C&C well I just don't think I'm good enough to post my work. just me though.

Cheers,
Marc

[Steve Schlumpf]

Marc - I totally understand and is also why I posted about my experience. It does take a certain amount of nerve to start posting but once you realize that we all love woodturning - and share that enthusiasm - the nerves will go away. It is SO much faster to learn when you get real feedback on your questions, your turnings or when you help others. Give it a try... or if it would make you feel more comfortable - PM someone to ask questions of or to critique your work.

[Scott Hackler]

I, for one, just haven't spent much time at the lathe in the last 5 months. That is why I haven't posted pieces....anywhere, for that matter. My fun time was interrupted by a bunch of need to do stuff. That is dying down now and I will finally get back out there, but knowing what I have planned, the pieces won't be done for a little while!

I do, however, see the eb and flow of participation and not just here. I will always be checking out and helping on Sawmill Creek, because it is where I started in '09 and without the input, critiques and assistance....I would NOT be at my current level. I also owe my time here with the numerous friends that I have made in the turning world and kept even outside the realm of online woodturning.

[Allan Ferguson]

Roger and others, I to have noticed the change. I have missed the works and well thought out comments of many that have gone missing. I, myself have not post very much, work is often too like a previous turning. Health issues and other things interfere with getting pics and posting. I am doing a lot of turnings but don't know how many years are left for me. I appreciate the creek, may it keep turning along. Allan.

[Ralph Lindberg]

Roger
This falls right in with a thread I just started over on WoodNet... Where have all the... names gone.
As I noted there, a lot have moved over the Facebook, I've seen a lot (Glen Lucas, Richard Raffan, etc) on "Wood Turners around the Globe"
One thing I like about that group, is the number of posters from outside the US, I often have to use the "translation" software as the poster is Korean, Iraqi, eetc
Lots of photos and videos. Glen posted a video of him doing some turning this week and Bill Grumbine posted some photos of a massive table pedestal he just did.

[Roger Chandler]

Roger
This falls right in with a thread I just started over on WoodNet... Where have all the... names gone.
As I noted there, a lot have moved over the Facebook, I've seen a lot (Glen Lucas, Richard Raffan, etc) on "Wood Turners around the Globe"
One thing I like about that group, is the number of posters from outside the US, I often have to use the "translation" software as the poster is Korean, Iraqi, eetc
Lots of photos and videos. Glen posted a video of him doing some turning this week and Bill Grumbine posted some photos of a massive table pedestal he just did.

Ralph.......do you have a link? PM me if you do, please.....thanks!

[Robert McGowen]

I still visit almost every day, but the reason I post is to learn and improve. It got to the point where a post would get 2 or 3 atta boys instead of any requested feedback or critique. At the same time, for example, someone might get 25 responses to the standard "what is the best sandpaper" question that is usually asked every week. For me, the reward doesn't equal the effort any more.

[robert baccus]

I enjoy SMC and I'm glad its not only for "that's a great bowl" forum. I enjoy that also but a bit of argument and discussion on differences of opinion makes things interesting. Teasing and humor could add a bit of interest now and then.--this is not a Nasa site last time I looked. I am amazed how often a new procedure or tool is met with complete silence. Let's talk about it. After all new stuff is what this forum is really for.

[Keith Outten]

The tale of the tape, metrics anyway.

Pictures in the Turners Forum:

2003 = 4
2004 = 250
2005 = 2,272
2006 = 6,386
2007 = 5,454
2008 = 5,346
2009 = 2,772
2010 = 14,648
2011 = 11,749
2012 = 8,229
2013 = 4,521
Total = 61,631 Picture Attachments
2014 = We have not run the pictures for 2014 yet.

If you were to view each picture for 6 seconds it would take over 102 hours. I might be the only person who has seen every picture from every forum in our archives. Over the years I expect I have spent many months reviewing file attachments when we extract them for the DVD's.

The collective works from thousands of Turners is amazing.
.

[John Keeton]

Forums evolve, folks come and go, and the energy of a forum ebbs and flows in relation to the participants at any given time. But, for those folks that presently comprise the active membership of the Turner's Forum, as Steve commented, "you get out of the site exactly what you put into it."

In 2010, the image stats peaked. That was the year we had both an "art challenge" and a "Fall Turning Contest." It took a lot of work from the mods and a lot of participation from the SMC members. There were prizes donated by the many vendors that produce turning tools, etc. I can't tell you how many hours Steve and I worked together on those contests, but the result for us was a life long friendship. Steve and Colleen have visited with us in KY, and Ms. Keeton and I have visited with them in the UP. We still email several times a week.

Many of the folks that participated in those events are no longer active on this site. For a variety of reasons, I rarely post anymore, nor do I actually spend much time online. SMC is the only forum I frequent. For one thing, a serious heart attack in late 2011 dramatically changed my priorities. I am now vividly aware of the unpredictability of life, and the realization what is most important to me. My time has become increasingly valuable to me and I am choosing to spend it in ways different than I once did.

I began turning in September/October 2009, as I recall, and soon became interested in the art side of turning. Things evolved quickly, and I spent hours and hours online. The folks on this forum were instrumental in my development as a turner, and much of my inspiration was drawn from the work I saw exhibited here. I can't say enough about the support I experienced.

In the years that followed, I have tried to be supportive of others - both publicly with my posts and privately with PMs and emails. The time invested was significant, but I feel well spent. I still remain willing to offer whatever help I can when asked.

As my skill level increased, I realized much of what I turned was what I was seeing from others. I am not denouncing that result, as that is really how any art or craft endeavor finds it start and is carried on through generations. But, at some point, I realized that I needed to find myself in my work, and constantly viewing the work of others was not expanding my own artistic creation. This was a need that I had personally, so please do not take from this that I "got above my raisin' "as my Mom used to say. It was simply a need that came about from a variety of factors - the heart attack, my age, my retirement, and eventually, the active sale of my art and my need to produce art different from what I had seen from others. I don't hide my work - my website is updated periodically, and should anyone have an interest, my work can be seen there. I just don't seem to have the time, or desire, to post each piece as I once did.

It is my hope that the SMC community will step up the energy level, and perhaps some will take the lead and create a level of new excitement. There are always contests, challenges, etc., that can be done. Yes - they involve a lot of work, but the end result will be a closer and more active community, with a new crop of turners that have ever increasing skill levels. And, yes, eventually that group may move on, but as long as there are others to carry the banner, the vitality of SMC will continue. I recall that when I first began participating, there had been a similar situation with a significant group of turners that had faded from the scene. So, such is life.

All this to say - SMC really is about you. For all of you that are intimidated and won't post, you are only cheating yourself. And, for those that hesitate to truly offer critique and advise, you are cheating the community. Everyone has something to offer.

[Roland Martin]

I joined and started learning and meeting great people on SMC in 2010. As a new turner, immediately sucked into the vortex, my quest for learning everything about turning was met here with a group always completely willing to help and share, priceless! Looking at Keith's list, I apparently jumped in at the peak of SMC activity. I cannot thank this community enough for all you've taught me, shared without boundaries, the critiques that were needed to grow and learn, all the lessons of form, balance, texture, color, etc. that quenched my thirst. Through meeting you all, my belief that there are truly friendly strangers, willing to help others achieve without reservation, proved to be alive and well.

As time went on, my postings and replies started to diminish. I certainly found that the amount of time spent on this forum was unquestionably fantastic, it took a lot of time out of my day. I think for most of us, life keeps changing and moving. We have family, careers, commitments and endless "stuff" in our lives that need and deserve attention. Though my personal input in this forum has diminished, a daily visit and reading of current posts in this forum is still a very important part of my life.

I will do my best to again participate in discussions in the future and am grateful to all who continue to be part of this community.

[Steve Huffman]

Well, I'd like to post a few pictures even though I'm new to turning. I would also like to hear opinions of what I can do or don't do to make the
my work pieces better. That's really the reason for I'm here, to learn and share ideas. I can sure use tips from the pro's.

[Curt Stivison]

SMC is an excellent place to learn and for the most part people are very willing to help with problems that I have encountered. I visit every day and every day I find something interesting. I also visit General Woodworking and the CNC forums. I recently upgraded my cnc and it is consuming alot of my time. I post when I have somthing to contribute to the conversation. As the old saying goes "We reap what we sow. Thanks to all of the folks here who have helped me along the way.

Go Bucks

Curt

[Tim Passmore]

Oaky, I'm going to prove my technological ignorance. I only have an iPad and I'm unsure how to post my pictures. When you stop laughing if you could provide me with the steps it would be appreciated. There might even be other "newbies" out there with the same issue----if not, I'm unique! Go Colts!

[Rik Rickerson]

Don't forget YouTube. Many questions turners have new and old are covered by excellent videos as well as the comments that follow. I personally enjoy watching the entire process before I attempt something new.

[Sid Matheny]

I never posted a lot but have had several health problems the last year and have not turned much of anything. I do check the forum a couple of times daily.

Sid

[john snowdon]

I have followed this forum since 2009, often checking in a couple times a day. Due to the time commitments of other parts of my life, I have really only recently started turning with any regularity and absolutely consider myself a newbie. I have learned so much from so many on this forum I would not know where to start thanking members. I NEVER buy a piece of equipment without first researching it thoroughly on this exact forum. It is only because of you folks that I learned of Doug Thompson and Dave at D-Way and what having quality tools really means. Yesterday I spent 2 enjoyable hours looking at posts about hollow turning systems trying to determine whether Monster, Kobra, Alan Trout's or another system was going to be best to purchase.

As a newbie, seeing the phenomenal work done by others is both inspirational as well as intimidating. What I produce is embarrassing in comparison. Now reading posts by Steve, John, Scott, Thom, etc I realize that I have to take the next step and post so that I can improve my skills with the help of my online friends.

So first, thank you for all of the inspiration and all of the knowledge you have shared here. As for the ugly pictures that are coming, just remember...you asked for it!
Cheers!
John

[David Hill]

I'm a newby--to this forum--but not to forums in general. I "lurked" here for a little while, but liked what I saw and signed up.
I like to post turnings since it's in avenues like this where I can get interaction/feedback from others that know the processes involved-- as opposed to the general public. Doesn't matter if it's an atta'boy or questions about technique/finishes/etc. Plus I LIKE to see others turnings and descriptions; a great help to see what they look like and pick up pointers and learn along the way.
Some of the forums I've been on are basically dead--no active postings and some others are just for lack of a better word, "stuffy". I could really care less about pedigrees, all I want is valid discussion/feedback without unneeded rhetoric. I don't regard myself as a novice/beginner, nor am I good enough to be a "pro" so there's lots of room to grow into this activity which is my primary stress relief, outside of fishing that is. I do this for fun and have discovered that I can supplement my tool fund in the process.
It's good to be a "Creeker"

[Steven Green]

I'm guiltly of lurking a lot more than I used to. I still visit at least once a day but haven't posted nearly as often as I have in the past. A new knee, cataract surgery, a 63 yr old bride put out to pasture two years early have really slowed me down. SMC is the best on the web for my money and I imagine if we all just lean in a little things will pick back up. I'm back to turning again but still have a full plate in front of me. Hopefully this year will be a bit better. I didn't want to post and whine about the way things were going and now that they have steadied back down I can start having more time to turn.

[John Sincerbeaux]

I will be posting some topics for fun here soon. Only been turning a little less than a year.
For now, here are a few pics of my VB36 which I will write a review on soon. 304645304646304647304648304649
My Hollowing rig which is still evolving.
My first hollow form which is the third item I have turned.
Some recent koa HF's which are currently drying.

[Wes Ramsey]

I joined SMC several years ago when I got the flat wood bug, but in a brief moment of stupidity sold my tools. I acquired a lathe a little more than a year ago and lurked for a long time, then decided to reset my password and participate simply because I couldn't see the pictures without signing in. I don't know any of you personally other than Dennis Peacock, and I hope that changes. Dennis sold me on SMC as 'the www's biggest source for woodworking expertise', and I've come to count on that. It is nearly impossible to develop a skill without mentors and peers to bounce ideas off of and I am truly thankful that this place exists with the personalities it has. I try to limit myself to one forum at a time so I can invest myself more completely and personally. As my skill increases I will be posting more.

[Marty Tippin]

John, I love the finial on that bowl -- but the bigger question is how did you get it to hang from the ceiling like that?? :D

[Dwight Rutherford]

Marty,
He says it's Koa, maybe he's from down under.:)

[Doug Herzberg]

I've been a member for just over 3 years now. Some of those who were my inspiration no longer post their work here. I'm seeing some of you posting in this thread for the first time in a long time. I had a chance to look at a really old thread that has been kept alive. It was a show me your lathe and introduce yourself type of thing. I noticed that many of the early posters were long gone from the forum and many of my role models had posted to the thread not that long ago.

Personally, I'm just not turning that much and I'm over the desire to post every single thing I do, especially if it's just another bowl. A couple things have gone out as gifts without even being photographed. I also won't sign things I'm not proud of, so won't post them either, unless I think there is something to be learned from my experience. I miss the truly inspirational pieces I used to see all the time here, but I still see some good stuff I really like and admire, so I keep looking.

I've looked at other forums, but haven't enjoyed the experience nearly as much as SMC.