Why Is It? - Woodworking Talk

Waldo · 11-05-2009, 10:35 AM

Why is it that some questions get many responses and some questions have trouble getting any? Could it be the way the question was posted ( arragance,attitude or some other bad trait?)
I posted about drying small peices of log the other day and got 1 response. the question was about wood and woodworking. Did I do some thing in bad taste. If so,I would like to know as I would like to fit in and not be an oddball. I see a post about a guy wants to build a cnc router,which probably only a few % of the members really know much about. He got all kinds of responces.

I get confused and do not post a question at times because of it.
I don't post a question some times in fear of looking stupid.
Can anyone explain this to me?
Thank you much Waldo

**Daren** · 11-05-2009, 11:07 AM

Waldo, we typically don't "pile on" here. Your question was answered, correctly IMO, so everyone else left it alone. If someone has something to add or disagrees there will be more discussion. But you will not get too many "what he said" posts.

No questions are stupid, ask away. I answer many questions here, some times I am the first to answer and people will either add or refute what I am saying, or I see an answer I can add to or maybe have a different opinion that I express.

Your log drying question may still get more responses from people who do it often but may not be able to check the forum often. Don't feel left out or an oddball. I post things here to that may get 1-2 responses all the time, but know they are read by many and maybe some will learn from my post-the answers to it in the future without even replying.

I already said I am a blabbermouth (look at my post count) some of the members here rarely post, but they come out of the woodwork with pearls of wisdom.

firehawkmph · 11-05-2009, 11:15 AM

Waldo,
In addition to what Daren said:
There was nothing wrong with the way you asked your question. Certain people have areas of expertise that they feel confident in answering questions about. Certain questions bring more responses especially if there are more than one way to answer them, sometimes bringing contraversy. Mostly like Daren said, some people don't necessarily check the forum every day.
Your question about drying the logs was answered well. I would add to it by saying it is sometimes more helpful to cut the log into smaller usable sizes to speed the drying time up. If you know what you want to use the log for, you can do this. Cut it up with a chainsaw, bandsaw, or whatevery you have at your disposal. Seal the endgrain with something like anchorseal, and store it in a cool, dry place. I also recommend dating each one so you have an idea how long it's been sitting. If you decide you are going to make some bowls out of it, you can rough turn bowls from a fresh cut log. Just leave them about an inch thick and seal the endgrain on them. Put each one in a separate paper shopping bag and they will dry out in a matter of 4-6 months instead of a few years. Hope this helps,
Mike Hawkins

Gene Howe · 11-05-2009, 11:16 AM

Hey Waldo,

Never fear to post ANY woodworking question. As has often been said, there is no such thing as a stupid question...only stupid answers.

Sometimes folks don't answer because they don't know the answer. Other times.....especially on this forum......an answer may come from a very knowledgeable forum member and others see no need to offer any more advice. I suspect that the answer you got about drying is of this type. At least, I for one, couldn't offer any better advice than Frankp did. However, It's only been a day since you asked the question. Others may chime in later.

BTW, I've never seen anything approaching bad taste or oddballishness (strange word, I just made it up) in any of your posts.

Edit: I see you've already gotten some more answers.

mics_54 · 11-05-2009, 11:33 AM

Hmm could be the title your chose for the post or it could be the post got buried by another post. I sometimes don't read posts where the titles are such that don't interest me or have specific information in the title to draw my attention. I only checked this one because I'm bored right now. "Why is it" is a poor title for a thread.

I don;t recall seeing your thread on drying logs but..I KNOW there are threads with the information you seek already in the archives..did you bother to check?

Marv · 11-05-2009, 12:10 PM

I have not been on this forum long enough to notice however on other forums I've been on for a while I notice that if a question asks for an "opinion" the thread will get a lot of replies quickly. As mentioned above, if a question requires a "factual" answer and gets answered "correctly" others will not reply (unless they want to dispute the answer) causing the thread to quickly get buried.

garryswf · 11-05-2009, 02:02 PM

Waldo,
There is no such thing as a stupid question. I will also tell you this, you have access to some of the most knowledgeable people on the subject of woodworking you could ever find right here on this forum. You might not get a hundred replies to a post but more than likely you will get the answer you were looking for, and alot of the guys will go that extra yard to make sure you understand the answer. You won't regrett joining this forum.

Kenbo · 11-05-2009, 02:43 PM

Personally, I don't post if I don't have anything to say. The folks on this forum are a friendly bunch. We have our few "bad apples" but for the most part, they are kept at bay. Our moderators do a fantastic job of curbing any poor conduct. Putting someone down because their question is "stupid" is not tolerated.
Post away. Ask as many questions as possible. The only suggestion that I have is to keep it brief. I don't have a lot of time to sit and read at the computer, so short, and to the point questions and responses get my attention, whereas long winded ones (like the one I am typing now) usually get pushed aside by me. (bad habit I know, but I am usually checking the forum on the fly)
Ken

woodnthings · 11-05-2009, 02:47 PM

First, it has be something I feel I can help with. If I'm the first one to answer, I'll try to post links, photos, tips I made, etc. that answers the issue and a means of solving the problem that is appropriate to the person who posted. My friend garryswf above knows that first hand. We worked together on his project until he completed and was very grateful for the help.
That's all that matters to me.
WE recently went round and round about a suggestion to use CNC routers to make kitchen cabinets. Nothing wrong with that for a professional cabinet shop, but not within the means of an most individuals.
The answer/advice has to fit the situation.

Some posts have received answers that are so far into left field that they derserve no response, or sometimes I get irked and "call" them on their reply as you may have noticed. (PITAS)

Suggestion:
The answer to a well thought out question with details of construction and materials and tools on hand, including a photo or sketch will be much easier, than if we have to ask all sorts of those questions as a first response.

If the answer to the post is as I would personally answer, I don't see the point of "piling on" ...usually!

bill

frankp · 11-05-2009, 03:58 PM

Waldo, I haven't read the other responses yet, but I see who they're from so I suspect they're saying the same things I'm about to say:

We are all busy people, and we sometimes just miss posts that get "lost in the shuffle" so to speak. Other times we don't say anything because the answer's already been given, or we're just in a bad mood. Generally, I've been very successful at getting responses, though a couple of my threads have gone unnoticed and it can definitely be frustrating. My general attitude is try again, perhaps with a little different wording, and pictures always help, if you have any. People like pictures.

I think there are certain personalities here, such as Daren, woodnthings, kenbo and others that also bring more people into the conversation, for whatever reason. Charisma is a strange thing, especially over the internet. :)

Don't give up hope, and NEVER worry about looking stupid. We get the rare post that might make you feel stupid but those are few and far between and by far I've found the norm here to be supportive and helpful posts from some very knowledgeable people. We don't have very many "flame wars" here and that's the biggest reason it's now the only message board I frequent every chance I get. (The few we do have are generally cleared up very quickly by the people that start them as a minor misunderstanding.) I learn a lot and the people here are good.

Keep posting your questions, answer the questions you can, or give your opinions (politely) and I guarantee you'll find this a very hospitable place.

Chad · 11-05-2009, 04:54 PM

Pretty much same thing as all the aboves, unless I can contribute more I usually won't comment just to be the 10 person to say the same thing. Don't be afraid to post though, I learn alot just reading the posts even if I have nothing to contribute.

Waldo · 11-05-2009, 06:20 PM

Thank you all for the responses. I learned a lot here today and I am glad I asked the question Thank you all Waldo

Brian_Hinther · 11-05-2009, 10:37 PM

By the way, "Drying wood question" was a great title for a post. It said what the post was about and allowed me to realize that I had nothing to say on the subject (since I know nothing about it) without needing to read the post. So thanks for saving me some time, and I'm sure those who do know something about it will be along.

mics_54 · 11-05-2009, 11:05 PM

Waldo by the way I went back and read your question about the logs...I would think the log would dry faster sans the bark. Also bugs like to stay under the bark. Daren would know more about that. I usually saw logs rather than turn them.

Kenbo · 11-06-2009, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankp

I think there are certain personalities here, such as Daren, woodnthings, kenbo and others that also bring more people into the conversation, for whatever reason.

Awwww Frank. I didn't know you cared. I'm blushin' over here.

windstorm · 11-07-2009, 08:55 PM

Waldo, I've asked some pretty elementary questions on this site and what has impressed me most, and frankly has kept me coming back, is that there's no such thing as a stupid question with this group. In fact, sometimes the most simple question gets the most answers, because members here really want to help each other learn something new. Rarely do people post on this site just to post -- they usually have something legitimate to add to the discussion. Just keep asking and before you know it, you'll create a thread that gets everyone's attention and the answers will just keep coming.

jimc48 · 11-14-2009, 10:52 PM

As others have said - there is no stupid question. Think of it this way - if you don't know how to do something or why something is done in a particular way, then it would be "stupid" to not ask the question. We were all beginners at some time. I know there are things that come up that I should know the answer but if I don't, I don't hesitate to ask. Also, consider this from a safety standpoint - if you don't know how to do something, you could be injured if you just plod ahead on your own. If you incurred an injury because you DIDN'T ask a question, then THAT would be stupid, right?

Jim