Ana White


Cliff

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7 hours ago, thewoodwhisperer said:

I saw it too and did a bit of a double-take. Thought it was pretty cool. But I also wondered how they are going to live in that tiny house and still do what they do for a living. I'm guessing that's just something they did for the show or maybe it's just a weekend getaway in a more remote location. They have quite a few kids and I can't imagine any sane person voluntarily moving into such a tiny space permanently, lol.

My understanding, after my wife explained what I missed - is that they will live there when they build houses out there. So, they have their regular house, but this is their "work house" of sorts. I hope so anyway, cause nothing else makes sense does it?

 

6 hours ago, Mike. said:

How small are the houses? Like 200 sq ft?   IT is amazing how quickly you can adapt to a smaller space, and vice versa.  My apartment in NYC was 700 sq ft, huge for NY standards.  We already had two kids.  When we moved there he had to send an entire moving van back to chicago with stuff that did not fit.  We did not feel cramped at all.  We just acclimated.  

The fact is most new american houses are still terribly inefficient with their use of space.  Pushing things to the extreme will foster innovation that can be used in a more realistic house.  

"The Not So Big House" is a great read. 

anywhere from 130sqft to 400ish. I think they are all nuts. I need 100 sqft just for my computers. 

 

As for Ana White, I think there are two downsides to her. 1 - she ignores potential wood movement and as a result, so do people who build her stuff. I got into an argument concerning this on reddit several months ago. People seem to think "hey... it's been 2 years and it's fine, everything she does will also be fine." This is sloppy and insane. 

2- She never stretches outside that role of "super cheap pocket screw project" which to me is silly. Why wouldn't she want to grow? Why wouldn't she want to help others grow? This is just a personal preference. 

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I think there are multiple factors going on here with Ana White that make her what she is.  She provides a source of encouragement for other women to get into woodworking, and this can only be a plus.  I've read through comments on her plans before and it's incredible how many of them were women taking interest.  Another thing is, not just for women, but beginner woodworkers- her projects are catered to them and it makes woodworking less daunting.  I think this is also a plus, but I really wish she would stop being so obsessed with the Kreg jig in all of everything she does.  If she would start introducing some other techniques alongside her use of the kreg jig, where other methods are better, it would help a lot of people out and encourage them to think of superior methods of work.  She may or may not have these insights, but I'm betting she's able to do more than kreg jig.  She must have some serious sponsorship for her name being so synonymous with the kreg system, and she may realize that making things complicated could turn her audience away.  As a high school woodworking teacher, I have seen many Ana White plans coming in from students and teachers alike, asking about building her projects.  She's clearly done something right with her website, plans and videos, marketing herself well.  

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2 hours ago, Cliff said:

 She never stretches outside that role of "super cheap pocket screw project" which to me is silly. Why wouldn't she want to grow? Why wouldn't she want to help others grow? This is just a personal preference. 

I don't assume that everyone "does their best work" for YouTube or TV shows. Take Tommy Mac as an example - the fine furniture in his portfolio is much much much nicer than anything he builds for TV, but his TV audience is not the demographic for fine furniture

http://tommymac.us/gallery/tommys-furniture-projects/

 

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4 minutes ago, Andy Wright said:

I don't assume that everyone "does their best work" for YouTube or TV shows. Take Tommy Mac as an example - the fine furniture in his portfolio is much much much nicer than anything he builds for TV, but his TV audience is not the demographic for fine furniture

http://tommymac.us/gallery/tommys-furniture-projects/

 

And I don't watch that either. 

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10 hours ago, GregWalker said:

I think there are multiple factors going on here with Ana White that make her what she is.  She provides a source of encouragement for other women to get into woodworking, and this can only be a plus.  I've read through comments on her plans before and it's incredible how many of them were women taking interest.  Another thing is, not just for women, but beginner woodworkers- her projects are catered to them and it makes woodworking less daunting.  I think this is also a plus, but I really wish she would stop being so obsessed with the Kreg jig in all of everything she does.  If she would start introducing some other techniques alongside her use of the kreg jig, where other methods are better, it would help a lot of people out and encourage them to think of superior methods of work.  She may or may not have these insights, but I'm betting she's able to do more than kreg jig.  She must have some serious sponsorship for her name being so synonymous with the kreg system, and she may realize that making things complicated could turn her audience away.  As a high school woodworking teacher, I have seen many Ana White plans coming in from students and teachers alike, asking about building her projects.  She's clearly done something right with her website, plans and videos, marketing herself well.  

I agree - I first stumbled across her a number of years ago, and it has been interesting to watch her transition.   She has changed a lot from her earliest efforts, which seemed to focus on her femininity and were geared towards men, to more of a "you-can-do-it" focus geared towards women.  Kudos to her for re-evaluating the marketplace and pivoting towards an untapped market.

This is what I am referring to about her earlier efforts:

I would love to see the demographics of her Youtube subscribers. 

As for the tiny house, those dwellings are essentially land-locked sailboats.  Same room and restrictions.

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My great-grandfather bought a one room schoolhouse from the county after they outgrew it in 1885 and ran a saw mill on that property.  There were six kids, including my grandmother.  My uncle now owns the property and the schoolhouse is still there.. It's about 20x25, so around 500 sq ft.  

Of course the difference in 1920 is the kid's played outside, using the iStick and iStones.

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I don't mean to give the impression that she is awful, but I think she should expand herself. Like I said, it's a personal preference. I think it's irresponsible to teach things that are bad for wood movement, but you'll learn that yourself sooner or later.

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9 hours ago, Cliff said:

I don't mean to give the impression that she is awful, but I think she should expand herself. Like I said, it's a personal preference. I think it's irresponsible to teach things that are bad for wood movement, but you'll learn that yourself sooner or later.

I'm not sure what is going through her head, but I would guess that she is going to stick with simple construction methods because that's what keeps her audience coming back to her Youtube channel.  As Marc has said, his business is producing videos; they just happen to be about woodworking.  If Ana White tried to head into the territory occupied by the 360 Woodworking guys (i.e., more historic or fine furniture), I think her audience would disappear.  I think Ana White is more about process than result - she appeals to the "look what I did" crowd.  Besides, if her projects fall apart after a year or two, her fans can simply rebuild them. 

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Ana White certainly was a good gateway drug for us:  I'd built some simple things with regular homeowner tools, and then my wife found Ana White and asked if we could make a few of the pieces with the tools I had.  So we built a table that is more or less held together by brad nails and kreg screws.  (It actually has held up well).  That we built that got her to ok purchasing a table saw to make more traditional furniture pieces and next thing you know I'd restored my grandfathers' hand planes and built a bench and made some Arts and Crafts style items.  The last baby doll crib I made for my younger daughter is all mortise and tenon with traditional glue and finish. 

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I dont have anything against Ana White per se. But this DIY and Pinterest uprising makes it difficult for woodworkers at times. I get asked to make this type of stuff all the time, and people think all i need is 2 days and a pallet to make them beautiful furniture. The line between cute diy crap and quality furniture has been blurred. I get tired of explaining the difference.

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10 minutes ago, sheperd80 said:

I dont have anything against Ana White per se. But this DIY and Pinterest uprising makes it difficult for woodworkers at times. I get asked to make this type of stuff all the time, and people think all i need is 2 days and a pallet to make them beautiful furniture. The line between cute diy crap and quality furniture has been blurred. I get tired of explaining the difference.

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I think there's many of us in that boat!

I have a neighbor who asks me all the time to build projects they'd seen on Pinterest.  I've had to explain to them several times that I won't build to those standards but, if they want to pay X and use real lumber, I'll build it right for them.  They've taken me up on one or 2 projects but, didn't want to spend the money on many more.

Fact is people want instant satisfaction on show quality pieces for about 10 bucks.  On TV (and YouTube) that's what these people appear to be offering.  Reality is that the stuff will never stand the test of time like the Morris chairs that Chet recently posted in another thread.

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I've found a solution to the build "how much would it cost to build me this pallet wood nightmare?" 

I've had a lot of people ask me to build pallet crap. I quote them a number that I know they aren't going to be comfortable with. You want a palletwood coffee table, it's gonna be $1400. "No way, pinterest said it can be made for under $20" OK, then go make it and have a good day. 

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On ‎8‎/‎23‎/‎2016 at 8:39 AM, Tom Cancelleri said:

I've found a solution to the build "how much would it cost to build me this pallet wood nightmare?" 

I've had a lot of people ask me to build pallet crap. I quote them a number that I know they aren't going to be comfortable with. You want a palletwood coffee table, it's gonna be $1400. "No way, pinterest said it can be made for under $20" OK, then go make it and have a good day. 

There is probably some truth to that, just the pinterest model probably uses exclusively butt joints, nails and possible screws to pull it all together, cut with the precision of a inexperienced handsaw user. Yours would like utilize trued up lumber, fine joinery, and all the trappings. Of course yours would also be of some reasonable quality and last for years, vs. their version that collapses the first time the dog chases the cat onto it and the thrust force causes the legs to fold like a house of cards..

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I guess I am lucky.  I have been building things for as long as I can remember.  Tree houses.  Bicycle ramps.  I built a deck on the back of my parents house when I was 20, with nothing but a blue print and a crappy Better Homes and Gardens book.  Stuff like that. My dads tools were never off-limits.  I was using his circular saw when I was 10 years old.  

I am a learn by doing kind of person.  I really don't have the patience for instructional videos.  I guess that is why I like books and magazines more.  I can look at the pictures and find a way to build it, just based on the photo and a little help from the forum.

 

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13 hours ago, Cliff said:

I don't mean to give the impression that she is awful, but I think she should expand herself. Like I said, it's a personal preference. I think it's irresponsible to teach things that are bad for wood movement, but you'll learn that yourself sooner or later.

She's locked in to her user base. It's why Paul Sellars can only use five or six tools in his YouTube videos. On the podcast I've heard Marc talk about the outrage he gets when he uses his domino. There was a decent thread on this a month or so ago. I'm too lazy to find it and link it ?

Although she is awful. She is a great boon to Ryobi and the Kreg jig. A small subset of people she attracts to woodworking will progress into finer woodworking. The majority subset is going around telling people not to pay for true craftsmanship, but build it yourself for $125. 

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On 8/23/2016 at 8:39 AM, Tom Cancelleri said:

I've found a solution to the build "how much would it cost to build me this pallet wood nightmare?" 

I've had a lot of people ask me to build pallet crap. I quote them a number that I know they aren't going to be comfortable with. You want a palletwood coffee table, it's gonna be $1400. "No way, pinterest said it can be made for under $20" OK, then go make it and have a good day. 

 

I think woodworkers should band together and start a lobbying group promoting PECO and CHEP rental pallets.

That'll reduce the supply of pallet wood. ;)

 

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Her website was a gateway for me, but I only built one project from her plans and then moved on. I'm still learning and acquiring the skill set needed to build better furniture. My wife, however, wants me to build a swing out of the pallet material my Sawstop came on. Sacrilege. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On ‎8‎/‎23‎/‎2016 at 7:20 AM, TIODS said:

I think there's many of us in that boat!

I have a neighbor who asks me all the time to build projects they'd seen on Pinterest.  I've had to explain to them several times that I won't build to those standards but, if they want to pay X and use real lumber, I'll build it right for them.  They've taken me up on one or 2 projects but, didn't want to spend the money on many more.

Fact is people want instant satisfaction on show quality pieces for about 10 bucks.  On TV (and YouTube) that's what these people appear to be offering.  Reality is that the stuff will never stand the test of time like the Morris chairs that Chet recently posted in another thread.

I concur as well on this.  Anna White was an entry point for me as my wife wanted me to build a rustic X coffee table, so I did that.  However have moved on since then and agree the explanation you have to give with clients.  I've actually stopped justifying, it's boils down to the art of sales.  You NEVER justify your price, it is what it is and if you have a gallery to showcase that speaks for it's self.  If someone doesn't want to pay for good quality craftsmanship then move on.  Someone will.   

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3 hours ago, Shaun Guthrie said:

I concur as well on this.  Anna White was an entry point for me as my wife wanted me to build a rustic X coffee table, so I did that.  However have moved on since then and agree the explanation you have to give with clients.  I've actually stopped justifying, it's boils down to the art of sales.  You NEVER justify your price, it is what it is and if you have a gallery to showcase that speaks for it's self.  If someone doesn't want to pay for good quality craftsmanship then move on.  Someone will. 

I am up against the same thing with my customers. It doesn't seem to do any good to explain what nice work is. I'm at the point where I'm just going to give them what they want.

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I actually like like Ana White's YouTube stuff pretty good.  But I like most of the woodworking related YouTube stuff pretty good.

I never thought she was trying to promote herself as a fine woodworking reference.  After watching her put together a few things I bought a Kreg K4 pocket hole jig for myself and I think it is great for some things.

I really don't understand why / how she gets under so many people's skin.  She has found a niche that was obviously in need and has capitalized on it.  

Woodworking supplies of all kinds are going the way of the dinosaurs, very few places sell tools anymore, wood sources are disappearing, we need more people to start creating demand for this stuff again.

If it takes an attractive young woman promoting entry level projects as inspiration to get more people involved in woodworking at any level I say you go girl.

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