I didn't expect this...


Llama

Recommended Posts

What I loved and love about Norm is how accessible he made it seem. He was the guy you watched before you went out to your shed or garage and not your production workshop. He was the intro, and he fit that model perfectly. As he went along you did see the more specialty items like a moulding cutter.

I still prefer to watch episodes I've seen hundreds of times over most of the current stuff. Tommy Mac has very little camera presence, and the Woodsmith guys rely too much on a script. Marc seems the best of the new bunch, but the content there is well above what a lot can duplicate in both material and tool.

A polished presenter that makes stuff the weekend hobby guy can do. I miss it.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

I so agree with this.  I for one miss Norm.  I don't get the Woodsmith show anymore, it was ok but not great.  I tried to watch Tommy Mac, and what a train wreck that show is.  He might be the most annoying person I have ever seen on TV, how did anyone think it was a good idea to give him a show!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

skip to 13:30 for some comic relief. I think norm was chuckling when he delivered this line: "this belt sander makes short work of these dowels". I do think he actually had a pretty good, dry sense of humor that might be lost on some.

My 3 month old decided it was time to get up and eat so he just got to watch his first episode of new Yankee workshop! I don't think he cared for the autumn rose color :D

I always enjoyed watching norms show, I watched it a lot when I was a kid with my dad. I know a lot of you guys make fine furniture and that's awesome, but I bet there's an equal number that make everything but furniture, and just because a technique is different doesn't mean it's any less than what you do. I for one have enjoyed making toys for my son, none of them will end up in a show room selling for a high price, but I enjoyed making them, and if my boy enjoys playing with them, then that's the best pay off of all. I also have respect for traditional joinery and "proper" technique, but like they say, there's more than one way to skin a cat, and if I skin said cat different than you do, it doesn't make my work any better or any worse than another's.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I so agree with this. I for one miss Norm. I don't get the Woodsmith show anymore, it was ok but not great. I tried to watch Tommy Mac, and what a train wreck that show is. He might be the most annoying person I have ever seen on TV, how did anyone think it was a good idea to give him a show!

the more I watch tommy, the more annoying he is, but its all I got for woodworking shows. I just wish they would get somebody to do a quality show that wasn't from Boston (no offense to anybody) American woodworker was ok, but it seemed like every episode was 15 minutes explaining how his dust collector worked, and as somebody said, the wood smith show is way to scripted for my taste.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mel, to your original point, I noticed the same thing about the workbench episode. He showed off a beautiful Shaker bench, admitting no one has the space or likely budget for that beast, and then built something with virtually no resemblance to a Shaker bench other than it had a top and some kind of vise. And I know you weren't trying to bash Norm. But I think when Norm comes up on a wood working forum, people tend to start to riff on what Norm means to them. At least, that's what I'm doing here.

 

I think Norm on TV was a force. I think he single-handedly created the biscuit joiner market, using the Lamello in the early days and then switching to the PC when it became available. And he turned a lot of DIY'ers into fledgling woodworkers. 

 

I agree that a lot of his building techniques weren't what one would consider 'fine woodworking,' but the format of how they filmed the show dictated that. He actually did build every project in 2 days. A few went over, but he told you when it did. He'd build a prototype in 2 days that you'd see on the show, and then build another one in 2 days. And he built everything himself, using helpers only for sanding and finishing. (And who wouldn't use a helper for sanding, if we had one.) I suspect a lot of his construction methods (like nailing on trim) were driven by the need to be able to build it in 2 days. 

 

When they were still filming the show, they had a webcam that would display another still every 30 seconds or so, and you could see him actually do the work. I remember years ago, on another forum, a woodworker with an elaborate conspiracy theory about how Norm was just the pretty face, and when you saw only hands doing the work, it was a real woodworker doing it. I think any conspiracy theory that relies on Norm to be the pretty face, doesn't have much to stand on. But I think if you can inspire that kind of animosity from someone because they can't believe you're doing what you do, then you're doing OK.

 

I always thought it was impressive that he could build a replica of a period piece in such a way that you thought you could actually build it yourself by following along. While I admit that David Marks was a far superior woodworker, his design and technique inspired, but usually inspired me to realize that it was way beyond what I could do. Never had that problem with Norm.

 

One of my favorite Norm episodes were the Garage Workshop episodes. I thought it was cool that he answered the critics and built a shop that most woodworkers could envision in their own garage. I always thought it would be cool if he had gone back at some point and built a regular NYW style project in that shop, just to continue to inspire people that they could do it too.

 

IMO, Marc is the Norm for this generation, as far as approach-ability and teaching skill goes. Marc has the soul of a teacher and I think would be the guy who could fill Norm's shoes. Do a little Googling, and you'll find he inspires some of the same criticisms. "Shop full of sponsor provided tools," and "I could do that if I had Marc's shop" being the most prevalent. Of course, I selfishly don't want him to fill Norm's shoes, because that would likely mean the end of the Guild, and that's just not acceptable! :)

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

the more I watch tommy, the more annoying he is, but its all I got for woodworking shows. I just wish they would get somebody to do a quality show that wasn't from Boston (no offense to anybody) American woodworker was ok, but it seemed like every episode was 15 minutes explaining how his dust collector worked, and as somebody said, the wood smith show is way to scripted for my taste.

i like Tommy. I like the fast pace. I don't watch these shows for step by step instructions, I warch for inspiration. By all accounts he is a genuinely nice guy and skilled woodworker. and i guess it depends on where you are from, but his boston accent doesn't bother me in the least bit. I don't know the inner workings of public television but it seems you need a major public network like WGBH (boston) to get shows like this going. Marc tries to do something entirely different, in my opinion. He is actually trying to teach you and provide detailed steps. i have built his projects just from watching the free videos. He does a great job but when you just want an "easy" 20 minutes of woodworking entertainment Tommy's show is great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You gotta give Tommy a break.  It's the producer's fault that they cram a week-long or longer project into fifteen minutes of footage.  People would think you were smoking meth too if you had to scramble like that.  He's way more laid back when he's not being forced to hit the PBS glass pipe.

 

And frankly, personality is pretty close to the bottom of my list of importance when it comes to woodworking on TV...I wanna see quality work and sound techniques taught by a knowledgeable instructor.  Tommy provides that...in the limited way he's capable of, given the flawed platform he was forced into.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Who's Online   1 Member, 0 Anonymous, 48 Guests (See full list)

  • Forum Statistics

    31.2k
    Total Topics
    421.7k
    Total Posts
  • Member Statistics

    23,756
    Total Members
    3,644
    Most Online
    FaithMoody
    Newest Member
    FaithMoody
    Joined