Chris,
Going back to your original posting, - getting a meetup of woodworkers is difficult - because in general, you need to be meeting in a workshop - to provide a common interest in equipment or items on display.
E.g. From what I've seen of carvers groups - it's easy to fit several in a workshop and they can all watch and suggest ways to improve the work in progress. I can't even get a second person in my workshop!
In fact their is quite a few of us in the Sussex/Brighton area, but meeting in the pub seems a little odd - all wearing white carnations maybe! And talking about woodworking is not the interesting bit - it's poking around someones workshop and saying "Ooh thats a good idea" or "I'll copy that jig/storage arrangement and use that in my workshop" or "That finished piece is great I'd like to do something like that ...tell me, how exactly did you do that particular bit of it?".
Whilst many of us meet at my evening class - we come from quite a wide geographical area (in fact I travel the furthest), and also some people are just "having a go" at woodworking - they are doing it out of interests sake as an evening class rather than being particularly keen on woodworking as a hobby and wishing to improve. This is reflected in the reasonably high turnover of beginners each year. They are quite happy having made a single item of furniture they can have in their house.
So... niche woodworking hobbies seem easier to form into clubs than "general" furniture making. Carving you've mentioned already - but their are also quite a few turning clubs, and green woodworking clubs. In all cases they are able to "meet" and stand around and watch someone make an item.
I'm with Aragron on the number of posts - it's just the right level per day for me. On another forum I moderate its now split into hundreds of sections (well OK not quite hundreds) and I simply ignore all postings which aren't in my areas of interest. Thats a shame as you miss things which are relevant as you simply don't have time to wade through.
Finally, people have very different expectations on what they want out of a club - in turning or carving it's more straightforward. In a general woodworking/furniture making club - some people are looking for training or mentors, some people are looking for club together for discounts, some people want to try out equipment, or find like minded people nearby they can share equipment with perhaps. All in all, it requires lots of organisation.
Dunno - just my thoughts!
Adam
Going back to your original posting, - getting a meetup of woodworkers is difficult - because in general, you need to be meeting in a workshop - to provide a common interest in equipment or items on display.
E.g. From what I've seen of carvers groups - it's easy to fit several in a workshop and they can all watch and suggest ways to improve the work in progress. I can't even get a second person in my workshop!
In fact their is quite a few of us in the Sussex/Brighton area, but meeting in the pub seems a little odd - all wearing white carnations maybe! And talking about woodworking is not the interesting bit - it's poking around someones workshop and saying "Ooh thats a good idea" or "I'll copy that jig/storage arrangement and use that in my workshop" or "That finished piece is great I'd like to do something like that ...tell me, how exactly did you do that particular bit of it?".
Whilst many of us meet at my evening class - we come from quite a wide geographical area (in fact I travel the furthest), and also some people are just "having a go" at woodworking - they are doing it out of interests sake as an evening class rather than being particularly keen on woodworking as a hobby and wishing to improve. This is reflected in the reasonably high turnover of beginners each year. They are quite happy having made a single item of furniture they can have in their house.
So... niche woodworking hobbies seem easier to form into clubs than "general" furniture making. Carving you've mentioned already - but their are also quite a few turning clubs, and green woodworking clubs. In all cases they are able to "meet" and stand around and watch someone make an item.
I'm with Aragron on the number of posts - it's just the right level per day for me. On another forum I moderate its now split into hundreds of sections (well OK not quite hundreds) and I simply ignore all postings which aren't in my areas of interest. Thats a shame as you miss things which are relevant as you simply don't have time to wade through.
Finally, people have very different expectations on what they want out of a club - in turning or carving it's more straightforward. In a general woodworking/furniture making club - some people are looking for training or mentors, some people are looking for club together for discounts, some people want to try out equipment, or find like minded people nearby they can share equipment with perhaps. All in all, it requires lots of organisation.
Dunno - just my thoughts!
Adam
