Phil Addison wrote:

Bear in mind that the DIY FAQ is a stand-alone website and some visitors
(probably a majority) have never visited uk.d-i-y. I know this because
they email directly for assistance. Therefore I
think an introduction discussing uk.d-i-y is not appropriate; the main
FAQ has an intro covering that. Keep it to power tools.

Yup fair point, I was not considering the folks who arrive at the FAQ
directly.

I also support bigcat/NT's point about waffle, though that word is a bit
strong, and his severe snipping perhaps overstates it in relentlessly
hammering the point home. I would say the content is as John has it is
generally fine, but it needs precis-ing to make it more readable. It
reads like a bit like a learned paper; I previously called it 'too
formal'. Andy says it is a matter of style, which I don't argue with,
and I'll be happy to receive whatever style John as author finishes up
using. Comments are for him to act on as he sees fit.

I will rewrite some sections and see where I can go with them... I don't
fancy cutting it down to NT's suggested level of terseness since I don't
think that will serve the newbie that well

To help focus discussion, this section of the FAQ sets out some of the
various tool buying policies that are routinely suggested. If you use
this to identify which policy most closely resembles your favoured
approach, you should be able to solicit advice from the group that takes
this into consideration, and will save you needing to wade through too
many heated debates!


The main purpose of a FAQ is to impart the information directly.
Pointers about where to get more info (e.g. uk.d-i-y) should come nearer
the end.


What do *you* mean by DIY?


A reader first coming to a FAQ wants to know if it is relevant to him
(or her). He does not want to read 1/2 of it in order to find it is not.
So, is this FAQ going to be help a newbie to know in what areas he can
benefit from some power? Does it have some nitty-gritty advice for a
seasoned diy-er who knows he wants a certain tool and is it looking for
advice on what features to look for? Does it contain a run-down on
available makes and point out the good, bad and ugly? Of these, which
section carries the main emphasis?

Yup, I think I need to start working on the structure and organisation,
plus add an "executive summary" to direct readers to the relevant (to
them) sections.

All this should be answered in the first few paragraphs, otherwise many
will not progress further.

agreed

This is not as daft a questions as you may think! Since it will have a
big impact on the tools you will consider €œsuitable€?. DIY will mean
different things to different people. For some it will be about saving
money, for others it may be a relaxing hobby. It could be as simple as
occasionally erecting a shelf, or changing a tap washer. For others it
could be as elaborate as building their own house! For many today
(especially if you live in the south east) DIY is often the only option
because finding good trades people willing to actually quote or even
turn up for work on some jobs is getting increasingly difficult!


The reader knows what DIY is! He is reading this FAQ because he wants to
know about Power Tools, and is keen enough to have already found the DIY
FAQ, or perhaps googled on 'power tools'.

Does he know what DIY "is" though? He may need some info to put his own
vision of DIY into a larger perspective.

That reminds me, how about adding a keyword section to help google to
classify it properly?

yup can do...

Isn't this £5-£500 an exaggeration for 'similar looking' tools? I can
believe the range (I think) but I would expect them to look a lot

Depends on the tool I guess.... for a SDS drill then probably, for a
sliding mitre saw then no (not that you will get one for a fiver yet).

different, one end from the other. A £20 B&Q router looks a lot
different to a £300 one, and that's only 15:1.

Depends on what you know about routers I suppose.

Mains or Cordless


Quite a few pros will find the section below interesting and probably
useful too. But it might fit better under "All about Different Tools".

Yup, was not too sure as to the best place for that bit... there is also
lots more detail on batteries that could go in, (cell matching and
implications of etc) but I don't think it adds to the message

There are a few €œgivens€? with cordless tools: they cost more, and will


€œgivens€?, yeuch!! jargon.

;-) yup might lose that...

Which brand is which?


If there is a link to this point (and there will be) it is where I
reckon most will jump first. Is there any way it can be brought nearer
the top of the document, rather than the in last 1/4?

In a web format, yup easy - the class titles can be hot linked to the
descriptions etc, the brand groups could be boxed out from the main text
which flows round it etc.

The next draft I may do on the web anyway so as to play with some of
these dears

I am coming to the view that we really have two FAQs here, or at least 2
major sections. The first section is all about the market and (with the
exception of cordless) does not address any specific tool. It explains
what power-tools are in general and how they are graded across the
market.

The second section (below here) is where someone would head if they
actually want to buy a tool to get some specific job done, or to find
out if a tool exists which would make their life easier. I appreciate
that many blanks are yet to be filled in!

If the FAQ is divided into two sections like that, most of the comments
above would evaporate, because the reader would clearly see the
distinction and go to the part that addresses their immediate concern.

Yes good idea.

Budget brand tools:

NuTool, JCB, Many DIY shop €œown brand tools€?, Power Devil, Ferm


Links to manufacturers etc would be useful.

yup

Bosch (green bodied), Black & Decker, Skill, Wicks own brand (grey
bodied), Freud, PPPro (B&Q), Ryobi


Can you explain the body colour significance? Do they promote the colour
as a distinguishing mechanism, or is it just today's fashion colour?

I was thinking of the way that Bosch for example have DIY tools that are
green (and of variable quality), and a pro range which is blue and on
the whole pretty good, etc. Wicks do grey bodied stuff which tends to be
decent brands badged for them, while the other colours (black mostly)
can be any old tat.

It would be helpful to explain what this extra "range of things you
might do" is.

I did hint at that (i.e. cut smooth and fast and in straight line... I
was kind of leaving the factoring the imprecations of that new found
ability to the reader)

This will do all of the things the budget one will do. However it is a
far more general purpose tool. It cuts quickly and smoothly with little
or no vibration. It is much better at cutting straight lines, and can
often be used with a straight edge or rip fence without the blade
wandering to €œinteresting€? angles.


This doesn't seem to offer an extra "range of things you might do", just
more accuracy.

You more examples would be good. The basic answer is stuff you would not
do with a low end jigsaw because the quality of finish matters, you need
a straight cut, it would take too long etc.



Tool less blade change is a given, as


I suggest "Blades can be changed without the need for Allen keys", as

or screw driver



is a good speed controller. The base plate will be a solid cast metal
rather than a flexible pressed steel one. With a fine or medium blade it
will also give a very fine finish to a cut.


What is it about the high-end jigsaw that overcomes the deficiencies
listed for the low end one.

Rigidity of design, accuracy of alignment of parts, accurate blade
support, decent effort made with the counter balancing of the mechanism
to reduce vibration, attention to detail like blowers etc, soft start,
feedback speed control, soft shoe covers, rip fence or beam trammel
attachment bush, motor rated for endurance and continuous use, better
dust extraction capabilities (i.e. some!), balance

Tables for mounting saw, router.

Work Centres

We are presumably not trying to cover fixed workshop tools like
thicknessers, spindle cutters?

Not yet - another FAQ or section perhaps.... it is also not so much of a
newbie area.


--
Cheers,

John.

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