Beginners ?
My guess.. when the majority of challenges are new…
Middling..equal proportion new/ seen before…

Experienced … most challenges seen before….

Now of course. .as ones memory starts to go……

Functionally this means that how long one is a beginner depends on the novelty of the challenges that come your way…or you seek out….

My first point was serious – as you progress, you tackle new challenges and you discover there is a lot more to things you thought you knew how to do. I've been 'modelling' for over 40 years and 'model engineering' for over fifteen. I'm much more aware of gaps in my knowledge and skills now than I was ten or twelve years ago. I know I learn things from every issue of MEW I edit, and also a lot from this forum.

I think you cease to be a 'beginner' when you start to learn your limitations. You know when you can just start up and do a competent job, and when you really need to check the details. It's also a balance of knowledge and skill. For example, I know many of the hows and whys of arc welding, but after about 5lbs of 3mm rods, I still have plenty of skill to develop!

Neil

I've been a beginner for 69 years, a standard which I will no doubt maintain for the rest of my life!

Edited By V8Eng on 09/09/2014 19:50:24

Bill

I've been interested for the past 55 years, had a workshop for maybe 35 years, worked ( and got paid!) at a retirement job in a mechanical workshop for five years – and I'm still a "beginner" ! I find the main attraction of the hobby is that there is always some thing new to learn.

As an approach to posting " advice" here my attitude is that if I have done it and it works I will say so, If I've not done it but I can see a way that I would do it I will say so, if I've not done it and I don't know how I would approach it I will watch with interest and assess other folks advice.

I'm not concerned with labels and have no desire to be an "expert" I fully expect to continue as a "beginner" all my life!

Just enjoy it.

Regards

Norman

The problem for this hobby is you know you're not going to live long enough to learn or do all the things you would like to do or achieve

So in some respects we will always be beginners

I always thought it was until you lost at least 3 fingernails ?

I'm still a beginner (4 & 1/2 years) but I knew I was getting somewhere when, at the Midlands ME show, I was talking to the guy behind a tool stall and saw he was trying to force an ER collet into the nut without giving it the little twist it needs. I took it from him, popped it in, and handed it back. Neither of us said anything, but I was conscious of a feeling of personal progress!

Regards,

John.

.

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

Mark Twain

Nick

> a lot of beginners know more than others, some less …

A beginner – someone who hasn't learnt bad habits yet.

Neil

I think one is always a beginner. And the most stupid questions are usually the most interesting.

JA

A week in the Dales, I am well envious!