Count Me Out

Why exactly do you think it’s not fair for you to be a contestant, cabinetman? Please specify.

-- Martin, http://lumberjocks.com | My Facebook: http://profile.to/msojka

why not fair?
if you’re a member – you can be a contestant. That’s my vote.
I am not aware that there are qualifiers re: being a member of LumberJocks, and so membership is membership!

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Couldn’t agree more, Debbie!

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hillsbiblechurch.org/

Do you take big sticks and make little sticks?
Do you take little sticks and make big sticks again?
Are you a member?
Have you submitted any projects?

Then fair schmair.

Lumberjock Up !

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

I just don’t think it’s right for a professional to participate. Besides, I have a weak heart and I can’t take the anxiety and stress. I’d be on the edge of my seat and I’d never get anything done. I’d probably skip meals, lose sleep, and forget to walk my dogs.

Well the professional point is not valid, but the health issues are. And the dogs … Man’s best friend is more important. Besides I don’t need any more competition. In fact I think that the Woodwhisperer’s wife is too cute for him to enter any of his work. And if i tried, I could probably figure out a way to eliminated everybody … except me. :D

Hey, I think everybody who has been doing this for more than a year should be eliminated. HAHAHAHA !!!

And since my first project was made in April, I’m still elligible

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

Speaking of stress… I’m bidding on some palm carving chisels on e-bay right now. Down to the last three minutes and I’m still winning bidder. Talk about nerve-wracking…

-- Ethan, http://thekiltedwoodworker.com

Good Luck

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

Ok, I won them. Really, it’s a bit of a rush, isn’t it? Is for me, anyway…

-- Ethan, http://thekiltedwoodworker.com

Didn’t we have the same conversation with Mark last contest… (even though he won?).
We appreciate the sentiment Cabinetman (us greenies that is) but if you and the other pros help us raise the bar, does that mean we’ll have to bow out of contests once our work reaches your level?

Not sure if I like this idea or not, but I’ll put it out there…. perhaps next time, more, or different categories for amateurs, and professionals (or perhaps based on number of years we’ve been woodworkers. 1-5 years, 6-10, 11-20, 20+?

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Van Gogh -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

Actually guys we have probably about 15% to 20% pros and the best work often comes from amateurs who do it out of love . Karson won first place last time. Not a pro. Heck I’d rather go against a pro in creativity that Rogers work. That mans work is awsome.

Even in Golf they have a Pro-Am Tournaments, So why can’t the woodworking amateurs take on the Pros’. Martin just has to change the title to, The Pro-Am Woodworking Awards

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Interesting discussion going on here. Let me share my short view on this with you. After some bad atmosphere caused by the voting process in the Summer contest I revised it completely and now I’m very confident that it is the most objective one we can have.

I don’t want to distinguish between the pros and amateurs in the awards. My reason is that if you’re The LumberJock you have the passion for woodworking. And if you have passion and desire to improve you can really create stunning and creative pieces. That’s also the reason for having one of the categories called Best Creativity. I don’t know about you but I think that even the “part-time” woodworker can make truly creative piece if he can think outside the box.

We can definitely discuss the addition of other categories in the future.. but right know I don’t think we would have too many entries in some very specialized ones. On th eother hand, creativity can be achieved in cabinets, tables, carvings etc. Hope you get my point – same with the Best Craftsmanship.

And bringing even more categories to separate pros and amateurs would just add to confusion. Plus how would we verify the status of each.. that can very easily lead to some arguments etc. I’d rather keep it simple and focused.

That’s my 3 cents ;)

-- Martin, http://lumberjocks.com | My Facebook: http://profile.to/msojka

clean and simple – just like this entire site!
Everyone is welcome and treated as an equal – just like this entire site! (I definitely feel it, anyway) -
I haven’t heard anyone say anything that makes them sound like they feel they are better than me – just more experience.
And, wouldn’t it be great if I planned on entering the next contest and put all of my efforts into a project to make it the absolute best thing that I could ever do.
You guys like competition (hmmm remembering a conversation about “word count”)—well, here’s the ultimate competition.

Stick to your beliefs, Martin.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Thanks Debbie. You nailed it.

-- Martin, http://lumberjocks.com | My Facebook: http://profile.to/msojka