I created a proposal for a new SE site on Woodworking. This new site may have some overlap with Home Improvement. Are there enough new topics to warrant a separate site?
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1A site could be more successful that created a larger umbrella that included machinists, metalworking, leatherworking, or anything that is usually done by a skilled artisan or craftsperson. It also allows cross-disciplinary questions, which is something I prefer. I find myself going elsewhere to find information that is buried in forum threads that Home Improvement cannot cover.– HemmJan 21, 2014 at 23:25
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@Hemm Can you give an example of a cross-disciplinary question among woodworking, machinists, metalworking, leatherworking, etc.?– drsJan 22, 2014 at 0:21
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@drs: machining (milling/turning/drilling) crosses the border between woodworking and metalworking. Saddlemaking has overlap with leatherworking. Making/choosing/applying metal fittings connects metalworking with the latter two.– SF.Feb 10, 2015 at 11:22
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3 Answers
The about page for the Home Improvement site states that:
The core of this site is around parts of your home that are typically included when you buy or sell it, the structure, utilities, and major appliances.
Based on this summary, questions about cabinetry, hardwood flooring, molding, doors, and some power tools would likely overlap with Home Improvement. However, there are many aspects of woodworking that would be off-topic in Home Improvement, such as:
- Selecting and identifying wood
- Crafting fine wooden objects like boxes, bowls, and game or cutting boards
- Furniture construction and design
- Wood turning tools and techniques
- Boat building
- Using hand tools
Many topics may fit in Home Improvement when applied to cabinetry or flooring, but could be answered better (or differently) by an audience experienced in other areas of woodworking. Some topics that come to mind would be:
- Finishing techniques (sanding, applying oils, varnishes, etc.)
- Use and maintenance of power tools
- Joinery
- Weather/moisture's long-term effects on wood
A dedicated woodworking site would attract woodworking experts that don't have experience with home- improvement-style projects, yet have expansive knowledge in the techniques and nuances of working with wood in other areas.
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3Furthermore, on the DIY on topic page: it specifically lists "Hobby projects" as being off topic. Many woodworkers are hobbyists and such projects would be completely off topic on DIY. The classic 'ball in cage' carving project would be off topic on DIY.– user6153Oct 20, 2014 at 16:19
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5We're tolerating some carpentry questions, but only because there isn't any other place for them right now. There's a whole lot of questions we'd love to migrate. So, no, I don't see Woodworking as any kind of threat to DIY, but rather a complementary site. Oct 21, 2014 at 15:36
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1I'd add that questions about cabinetry, hardwood flooring, doors, etc on DIY are about installing those items, whereas on Woodworking it would presumably be about creating them.– gregmacDec 1, 2014 at 21:05
Woodworking and Home Improvement are completely different disciplines.
The DIY site is flooded with questions which is mostly irrelevant to woodworking which is why I support this new site. Just because you can hang cabinets, doesn't mean you can build them too.
This DIY question asking should my first power saw be a circular or jig saw, would get a completely different answer, weeding out master carpenters from us mortals, as paprestreet states here:
True woodworking ... is the most involved, demanding, grueling, rewarding endeavor anyone can undertake. It would take a lifetime to learn everything there is to know about cabinetmaking and that's just one facet of a very broad field. Woodworking deserves to have it's own community.
If the site needs to be broadened, I agree with Hemm that "anything that is usually done by a skilled artisan or craftsperson" should be included.
How do I build a rocking horse? might also need the expertise of "machinists, metalworkers, and leatherworkers".
Woodworking and Smithing -The fine art of craftsmanship.
