Woodchat is a weekly online woodworking chat hosted by Matt Gradwohl (Upper Cut Woodworks), Dale Osowski (Timberwerks Studio), Dyami Plotke (Penultimate Workshop), Vic Hubbard (Tumblewood Creations), Tom Iovino (Tom’s Workbench) and others in the online woodworking community. Woodchat is affiliated with the Modern Woodworker’s Association, and the hosts maintain a Google+ page.
Getting Started
Woodchat is a welcoming and encouraging chat, and it’s very easy to get involved. Here’s what you need:
- Free time on Wednesdays at 6pm Pacific, 9pm Eastern
- A Twitter account
- An internet connection
To connect, you can use your favorite Twitter client and include the #woodchat hashtag in your tweets, but the easiest way is to use Tweetchat.
Transcripts
If you miss a woodchat, all chats are transcribed and posted here.
- Online Woodworking Thrives with 48 Woodworkers: Woodchat Transcript November 2, 2011
- 46 Woodworkers Chat About Tools: Woodchat Transcript November 9, 2011
- 48 Woodworkers Get Off Their Butts: Woodchat Transcript November 16, 2011
- Woodworkers Discuss Thanksgiving, Tools and Adaptable Woodshops: Woodchat Transcript November 23, 2011
- Woodworkers Discuss Starting a Business: Woodchat Transcript November 30, 2011
- Woodworkers Discuss Hardware Sources: Woodchat Transcript December 14, 2011
- Woodworkers Last Woodchat Before Christmas: Woodchat Transcript December 21, 2011
- Woodworkers Discuss Finishes: Woodchat Transcript December 28, 2011
- Woodworkers First Woodchat of 2012: Woodchat Transcript January 4, 2012
- Woodworkers Discuss Unique Materials: Woodchat Transcript January 11, 2012
- Woodworkers Discuss Wood with Shannon Rogers, The Renaissance Woodworker: Woodchat Transcript January 18, 2012
- Woodworkers Discuss WoodExpo 2012: Woodchat Transcript February 1, 2012 with Special Guest Eli Cleveland from Rough Cut Woodworking with Tommy Mac
- Woodworkers Discuss Get Woodworking Week: Woodchat Transcript February 8, 2012
Our First Four Woodchat Principles
1. Easy for People to Get Involved
There are lots of woodworkers already on twitter, and it’s easy to sign up, so continuing to use the #woodchat hashtag makes things very easy. No special download, no separate account. So we’ll start on twitter but may incorporate other technology as things progress. Right now, Tweetchat is the easiest way to participate.
2. Approachable for All Skill Levels
If you’re a beginner woodworker, you will be welcomed in to the chat and find people ready to help and encourage you. If you’re a skilled woodworker, you’ll also find encouragement and help, and be asked to share your experience and knowledge by welcoming and being helpful to new woodworkers.
3. Focused on Actual Woodworking
In the past #woodchat drifted off topic at times. We’ll focus on woodworking: inspiration, design, stock prep, joinery, finishing, tool selection, shop safety, or shop layout, for the beginner, part-time hobbiest or full-time woodworking business. No preference towards power tools or hand tools.
4. A Team to Make it Successful
To make sure that chats happen on Wednesdays without one person carrying the workload, we’re going to work together to ensure success. We all have busy schedules with our day jobs and families, but with five (or more) people committed to making this successful I’m sure we’ll establish a regular rhythm.
Woodchat Prime Directive: Woodchat is Yours
Ultimately though, woodchat is driven by those who participate, so we need to know what topics you’d like to discuss, what technology you might suggest that we incorporate, what days and times work best. Let us know on Twitter or leave a comment below. See you all Wednesday night.
To help the Woodchat hosts know what you’d like to discuss, answer the poll below: