ideas for PEP v2

maybe convert dimensional and roundwood to a points system
   - if so, maybe make some of the BBs in other badges (like greywater) dole out points in roundwood or dimensional

I think we could triple the amount of BBs in Dimensional Lumber Woodworking.

Earthworks and Toolcare are rather prescriptive.  They're great lists but if we added a few more BBs, allowed for a bit of duplication and did points it would allow for a bit of choice.

I do a moderate amount of small-scale woodworking projects, and feel that most of them don't fit into either roundwood or dimensional lumber or tool care as currently written. Neither do a lot of aspirational projects. For example, manufacturing a spinning wheel (a difficult task even for skilled woodworkers, no question) does not seem to fit in anywhere. Neither wood a wooden wheelbarrow, cart, rake, plough, barrel (for liquid or dry goods) or other useful farm implements.

Here's some examples from my work:
* Flax processing tools (breaker, scutching board, scutching knife)
* Wool combs
* Yarn swift
* Lucet
* Small storage chest (less than 40cm in largest dimension)
* Rolling pin
* Turned clothes pegs
* Pulley
* Spinning wheel bobbin
* Darning egg
* Wooden scoop
* Thread spools
* Barrel tap (working on getting this right so I can use it for dispensing greywater -- pretty important historically!)
* Quick unpick / seam ripper (turned handle/case and hand-forged cutting end)
* Handle for self-made shaving brush
* Making small tool handles for shears, chisels, files, oldschool knives etc. Most of these are friction fits with ferrules. The tools have a metal tang which is heated and driven hot into the wood--the cooling action makes the wood shrink tight around the tang
* Making a last for making leather shoes

I understand the logic to neatly compartmentalizing projects, but what about some degree of crossover?

Such as: sharpening a wood chisel is tool care, clearly. But a woodworker cannot reasonably work wood without the ability to sharpen a chisel. Many people may not see a benefit to being able to apply sharpening a wood chisel to either field (as they intend to pursue both, anyway), but for some it may get their foot in the door with an air badge in an area they may not find particularly appealing, and inspire them to go ahead and pursue other BBs in that area (since they've already gotten a start). Perhaps not the best example, but I think it shows the basic idea.

Good point.  We do have cross over at the higher levels.  It gets really confusing when you try to do too much cross over between badges.  So I'm all for it and also all against it...  

Can I suggest more wood and metal turning BBs?

I think welding is essential for Metalwork and forging is useful for simple tools but knowing how to machine metal is more important for fixing any complex tools like bicycles.

You can be great at welding or forging and still never be able to fix the backhoe because of a hydraulic fitting.

I'd also like to see some changes to the turning options for wood.
A honey dipper is far too simple for a wood badge, but the title says it's from a pole lathe, which requires building a pole lathe and the pole lathe is rightly a wood level BB.

The skills for turning on powered vs pedaled lathes are nearly identical and so maybe having some straw level, optional, points based turning projects might be useful.

For example at straw level, the honey dipper, candlesticks, handles for tools, etc.
And at wood level, inside out turning (vases), captured rings (baby rattles), etc.

Personally I wouldn't build a pole lathe, I go straight past that to a treadle lathe.

Good suggestions folks!  I've thought the dimensional woodworking badge was a big prescriptive and would be better as a points based badge with double the possibilities.  

It would be nice to fit pottery in somewhere.

When we take another swing at the badges, this will be one of the threads we harvest ideas from so keep it up

I wonder if the point based system could be used for some of the badges where people have felt it was too hard to do one or two of the required BBs? Points could give people 2 paths to earn those badges. One path would be as it is now where they complete the existing core/ideal BBs but the other path could require they complete a lot of small BBs that together add up to one of the core BBs. Might be a way to increase the flexibility on a few badges without undermining them. It could be something that is added to the existing badges as we have time without any big rush.

As an example the gardening straw badge could be modified in this way. People seem to be stuck on the hugelkultur bed BB but the other 2 are fairly easy to complete. What if we switched to a point based system like this where you needed at least 50 points:

- Build a hugelkultur 7 feet tall and 6 feet long - worth 30 points
- Chop and drop (50 square feet) - worth 10 points
- Ruth Stout style composting (2 spots) - worth 10 points

Then add say 6 new small BBs that are each worth 5 points or more that are worth 1 or 2 points each. The easy way would be to just build the hugel bed and get all those points but if someone really wanted to get this badge they could do all the smaller tasks and still get enough points. But it would take them longer and potentially more effort to go that route but it would at least be another option for people.

Just mentioning this particular badge because of the complaints it has gotten though I know the new permaculture for everyone program is supposed to address that too. But this might be a way to add options for people and let more people complete at least the straw level of this and other badges without undermining the credibility of the badge. The wood/iron badges could be left as they are but people would at least be able to get the straw badge to help them get pep1 certified. Are there other badges that have a similar level of complaints about a specific BB that people view as a roadblock?