What makes a GOOD POST on Shop Talk - and general forum use.

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Since the subject has been brought up recently, I thought I would put up a thread about our Sub-Forum .....SHOP TALK.

To get things off on the right foot, all who post here should fill out their profile with the following info:
Real Bio info - Not your life story, but something that will tell others about you. Cute things like "Space Explorer" or "Lever six Dungeon Master" are of no help .
Real Location - Norfolk ,VA is real....Somewhere out in cyberspace isn't.
Real interests and occupation - If you make knives for a living, OK. If you are 16 and want to learn knifemaking, it isn't your OCCUPATION. Something you do for fun is an AVOCATION.
I personally think all should post their AGE. This helps a lot with answers.

I know someone will say, "I'm a special forces guy, and can't put up this info, but lets be real....not many of us on Shop Talk are those guys.
Those concerned with identity theft should be more worried about swiping your card at the gas pump than being on Shop Talk. We all put a lot more detailed personal info on many forms we fill out.

Post threads that will be of interest to the folks here. Your re-build of a classic motorcycle may be a lifetime goal, but it isn't a knife thread. Put that in Around the Grinder.
A question about knifemaking, suppliers , or procedures is what this sub-forum is about.

If you are making a post to show a knife that you will be selling, there are some considerations. Is the thread about "How you made the knife", or just a "Show and Sell" thread? There is nothing wrong with posting a new knife you are proud of, but in Shop Talk, it is about making the knife, more than the finished product. The Gallery and Custom & Handmade are better places for the sellers to show their wares.

Is the same subject being posted by another maker. I know we all like to hear our own voices, but if Hammerjohn1 has a thread that says, "Can I make a knife from a file", is it really necessary to start a new thread, "I'm Making a file knife,too."

On that subject, try and keep posts and replies on the subject of the original thread. Some side trivia, or minor humor is a good thing, but getting off to a new direction, or hijacking a thread with a project you are doing is to be avoided. If you have a different opinion, a different question, or a different problem...start a new thread.

Conduct and Etiquette are paramount for this place to be a good learning environment. Don't bring in outside situations that really don't affect Shop talk. If John rips off Bob at the Blade show, go to one of the other areas to discuss it.

Talk about HOW you made the knife, or how you PLAN on making the knife. Give steel types, sizes, materials, equipment and procedures you used or plan to use. You can't expect others to know what your equipment is without telling them.

OK, that should get this discussion started. Lets hear what your comments and suggestions are.

 

[ERIK KNIVES]

I think this is a good post, Stacy, with good advice. I think WIP's tend to be, "look what I did." The virtual hammer in you created is awesome. Nick's famous post was awesome. Many WIPs are awesome. Looking back, mine suck, with the exception of a few (footswitch, lanyard knot - holla!). I'm torn between reviving the others or letting them die. I have to show what's going on with my skinners, because it was a generous collaboration, especially from Rick M.. The others I may as well move or start in the gallery, because they are more about the destination, than the journey. I'm learning here.

You have always given me great advice and I thank you. I'm not sucking up, I'm just trying to suck less.

Erik

 

[Fletch Helical]

Good stuff Stacy. I will interject that I think, much like in the real world the "Golden Rule" is never a bad thing. Especially when it comes to responding to threads granted there are going to be plenty of times people will see similar threads over and over again with similar questions. Not necessarily in the same day (hopefully) but weekly or whatever but if responding with something blunt or even bordering on rude just sets a bad tone for the boards I think. If you're going to open up a post only to say something like "use the search noob", just skip the thread altogether. There is no obligation to open a thread you're only going to roll your eyes at and it doesn't really foster a learning environment. The vets are the teachers here, and look at a teacher in any field. Yearly (or whenever) they get new students and likely hear the same or similar questions on a given topic over and over and over with each wave of new students. They kind of have to explain it, if a seasoned maker doesn't want to chime in chances are someone who is moving up will hop in and fill the gaps.

Conversely I think that people looking for advice had best realize they were given two ears and one mouth for a reason. They should listen twice as much as they speak. No sense coming to a forum with an idea you HOPE will work just looking for some kind of validation. The people that are telling you are telling you for a reason, the most likely one being they tried it maybe repeatedly or had others mention they had the same idea and ALL of them came to the realization it didn't work. There is a reason the wheel is round, all the other shapes people tried just didn't work out, trust it. You're not going to be the new knife maker to suddenly find something people who have been doing it for a few years or the better part of their lives haven't been able to make work, They didn't miss something, you aren't smarter or better than them, it won't work accept it and move on. Take the knowledge and seek a path that will accomplish what you're trying to get done, people are willing to offer up a wealth of info FOR FREE take the advice and come up with a workaround or solution.

 

[Frank Niro]

Well, education is what it's all about and it can get terribly interesting. I don't, unfortunately perhaps,but not as I see it find it interesting or very educational to have newer members in here with a WIP on every knife they make. And I don't believe that just because it's a different style than the last one that changes the fact they are new makers. Certainly, new members should be encouraged to show what they can do. And to put up a WIP is a great way to get totaly involved. It will give them a feeling of acomplishment and confidence. They can learn by having members respond, but quite frankly negative answers are not appreciated, so why continue one WIP after another? Is this the way new people learn from other new people? The system is very well set up to take questions and to give answers. On the other hand when experienced people step in with a WIP of any sort about knives, a tremendous amount of interest is created and the education is huge. Is there really a need to let all the members see what you did yesterday? How about finishing the item be it a tool or a knife and then show it? Memberrs will then ask the questions if they feel they want to. Frank

 

[tryppyr]

I like the guidelines Stacy laid out. They make perfect sense to me, and I've always tried to follow something akin to that set of rules.

I will say, however, that we probably ought to be a little less worried about making sure the forum is precisely one thing or another. To suggest that WIPs ought to come from experienced makers only aligns with the educational desires of more experienced members, but might not align with the educational needs of less experienced members. Watching a Bruce Bump WIP on making the cancer knife was VERY interesting, but let's be honest, I could no more emulate his steps with my shop and tools than I could step in and be President of the United States. There's such a gulf between Bruce's abilities and mine that all I really do is look for some scant clues about what I might be able to accomplish some day when I grow up.

So I think the less experienced makers (myself included) ought to post WIPs in order to show how we solve problems and how we can accomplish things without a shop full of grinders, forges, power hammers and CNC mills. There are many different levels of people in these forums, and we should not cater to one small subset only.

 

[Fred.Rowe]

A WIP posted by a MS is not the same as one posted by a newer maker. [Sorry for stating the obvious] The level of work being shared by the MS is normally of a complexity that the majority of us can profit from it. I rarely see those threads posted in Shop Talk anymore. I find those threads posted on the Custom Forum more often than Shop Talk. I visit there often for this reason. Why this is the case I do not know.
I spend time on Shop Talk because I understand the feeling of being overwhelmed by the knowledge gap, when starting out. Its a bit intimidating.
If there is information I possess and feel is helpful, I'll post to help a new maker.

If I never see another thread with the word file in it, my life will be perfect.

Good thread Stacy!

 

[Mark Behnke]

What makes a GOOD POST on Shop Talk - and general forum use.


Good pictures really help speed up the understanding of a question or a procedure

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I had more, but started with the OP:

When making a post, the following is really important if you want good answers-
The Materials - type of steel and present condition. Sizes, and any pertinent info. If there is a handle in the question, wood type and method of attaching is needed.
The History - No, I don't mean, "Grandpap's old tire iron", I mean the steels history - Annealed at 1200F and cooled in ashes; Tossed in a camp fire and left till morning; HRA; etc..
Your procedures or planned procedures. - tell us what you did or plan on doing, and how you did it. One new person said he was going to temper his file knife. Everyone thought he was working a hard file. He replied that the file was already softened in a wood stove; then he was told to read up on heat treatment, and he replied that he already understood the process. The final result was a lot of posts to discover that he was a French speaking person, and thought the word temper was the same as harden. If he had said , "I, softened my knife in a wood stove, and am going to temper the blade at 1450F and quench in canola..." there would have been no confusion. beyond a mere word correction.
Equipment Restrictions - If you only have a file, say so. If you have a forge, or a grinder, or a full machine shop, say so. If cost is a major factor, it helps for us to know.
Clear Photos - use your cell phone for sending booty shots to your gal, use a better camera for posting attachments if possible. Crop the shots to show what you are talking about. The background with a Kawasaki Ninja with a hot babe sitting on it is nice, but it confuses the detail of the knife on the anvil.
Your Abilities. This goes along with why we want a real and informational profile. You may be a Newbie on your first knife, but if you are a machinist, and will be milling the knife on some sort of CNC Taig mill, it will prevent someone making a long post telling you how to forge your first blade.
I recall a post a while back where a new member ( with no profile info) who in his first post said he had always wanted to make a knife. I posted a lot of info, The Count posted his standard reply,others chimed in with the usual advise to a newbie, and I sent the fellow an email with additional info, and an offer of some starter steel. His reply let me know that he ran a metals fabrication shop with more equipment and HT abilities than probably anyone on Shop Talk. He had made things I couldn't ever dream of being able to make....... he had just never made a knife.