Not a fan of that show, havn't watched it for years.

Herb

 

More often than not they sort of put me to sleep with their delivery, but they occasionally come up with a neat trick or jig.

 

I've watched the show a few times - I only get it on cable but I watch satellite much more.

The problem I have with the show and the hosts is they are more of a show and tell rather than a show and teach.

The old Norm shows used to show you how to do things not just 'Look what we can do" which I find too self serving for my taste

 

I think they leave a lot of stuff out. As Gary I have built some things from the show with my own changes and methods. I find they have a tendency to over complicate some simple things and over simplify some more complex things. I'm not a huge fan of it.

 

I bought their first several seasons and really enjoyed them, but this last year and that crazy looking red table dragged on and on and on. I subscribed to their video channel online, but all they're doing is running 3-4 minute clips taken from last season's show. Their tips are, well, same old stuff. So I have unsubscribed while letting them know why. The most practical videos I have are Mark Sommerfeld's. You get to watch the entire process all the way through. Very few cuts so you see everything he does. Too bad Woodsmith bought Shop Notes, but at least you can get all the shopnotes issues on a CD from them. Too bad they're not doing all those Shop Notes projects which copyrights they own. I'd love to see that. They probably need a new editor.

 

I will email Bryan about these issues.

 

Follow-up


@Mike

Did you ever email Bryan Nelson?

What was his response to the feedback?

 

I've never heard of the show. Where can it be seen?

 

Me either Mike. We must have our head in the sand. :laugh2:

 

It is difficult to keep coming up with new ideas for projects that will appeal to everyone. I applaud the efforts of the entire Woodsmith Shop crew; trying a new show format is a bold move. I preferred the old format with a project completed each show and information on the web site to fill in the gaps they could not fit into the time allotted. The same holds true for the new Guild Edition of the magazine. They are trying very hard to provide more value in each issue.

Making all the past issues of Woodsmith and ShopNotes available is a great thing; I have built many of the projects and jigs and my first router table was based on the design from ShopNotes #1. New woodworkers will never know the frustration some of us went through trying to get specific single issue plans at Rockler, Woodcraft and other retail stores.(I have a bunch of them)

 

Pat, check your local PBS listings.

 

While I enjoy the show, it is; at times a bit slow, but I really enjoy their magazine! I love the fact that it's articles rather than repetitive advertisements.
Personally, I love it when a magazine article continues on a next page, as opposed to having to dig back 35-60 pages to locate the last few lines! Their illustrations are in my opinion "top notch" and as one who designs, illustrates, instructs and constructs - I can tell you that A LOT OF EFFORT GOES INTO PRODUCTION of that type of work! I read quite a few of the Wood Working Magazines, but Woodsmith is by far my favorite!

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia

 

I Wish Norm Was Back



I have to agree with Otis. Love the magazine, hate the show...especially the new format. I, also, have the video subscription and will not be renewing it.

Whenever I need to take a nap I just play one of the shows...that and Scott Philips (American Woodshop) are guaranteed to cause me to doze off.

 

American Woodshop would be a good show if it weren't for Scott. He is talented but boring as all get out.

 

+1 on that...!

 

Check createtv dot com for public tv listings. Agree that Woodsmith Shop is stale. If Don and his annoying chuckle would bow out, I think the other guys would have more to contribute.

American Woodshop would be a good show if it weren't for Scott. He is talented but boring as all get out.

I get really tired of seeing pocket screws as the answer to every problem (coincidence that Kreg is an underwriter? :surprise: ) Also, having his wife on so much is too much fluff.

 

I think I've seen two of their shows, way back when they started, I watched one early show and decided it was way too slow and lacked content, almost like going back to first grade after graduation. I watched it again about a year ago, and it was worse. I doubt that I'll bother again, unless they make some significant changes and I hear good things about these changes here and elsewhere.

Charley

 

What is PBS. oops, I don't get PBS on my satellite feed in the middle of Gods Country, WY.
CAD-Man

 

try this....
PBS: Public Broadcasting Service

 

Mike...

You are on point. I have watched Don & his crew now for a few years and I get ShopNotes. And I agree that the whole season being devoted to the one Greene & Greene table (which was not my style) was kinda getting old after a few shows.

What I did like was that they went into detail about how some of the parts and techniques were done. That was more Yankee-workshop-ish. If you've ever watched Tommy Mac on Rough-cut...he zoooms through a project in about 25 minutes and talks so fast you have to take a breathe for him. He says let's make this MT joint for the leg, then shows you another pre-cut leg and says..."see...just like this".

I think it's a tough job trying to produce a show that teaches us (at all levels) AND keeps the attention of us ALL. George Vondriska over at WWGOA.com does a great job at both, but he's not on tv with only 25 minutes to do his show and tell .

I guess the bottom line is...if they bore you...click the clicker and find someone (youtube or web) that meets your skill level and mentors you at your speed and style.

Johnnie D.

 

I thought I was the only one bothered by Don's annoying chuckle.

When I say "I'm going to have a nap" the wife says, "are you going to watch "Hi I'm Don".

We've had this discussion before, woodsmith shop is too slow. Tommy mac is too fast - if you can't stand Don's chuckle, how could you possibly watch Tommy. American woodshop is too homey.

Problem was - Norm set the bar, and it was pretty high. No one else has been able to match his talent, his technique and his TV presence. It was a sad day when NYW retired.

 

Problem was - Norm set the bar, and it was pretty high. No one else has been able to match his talent, his technique and his TV presence. It was a sad day when NYW retired.

Vince, just an FYI, Norm makes one of his shows available on the 'net every week. Check him out here: New Yankee Workshop

 

What??? nobody is gonna give Norm a call and ask him to come back?????

 

Bawahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!

 

Have not seen any comments on The Wood Wright Show. I watched it a few times . Got tired watching cranking brace and bits, treadle lathes and jig saws, hand planing etc. Brought black too many memories.

Herb

 

I watch the Wood Wright every chance I get. That guy is a hoot...not sure if he's gonna loob off a finger or puncture a vein. That guy is a wood worker on the edge....after watching him, you have got to have even more respect for the old, old, OLD school guys and some of the beautiful work that they managed to turn out

 

@Herb Stoops: I agree with bringing back the memories. That stuff was hard work when you had to do it that way. Did you have to build things with native oak that was hard as iron? To drive a nail in first you had to make a hole with a damned old brace and bit. Lots of other things from the "good ole days". I remember when we got our first chain saw. No more 2 man crosscut after that. WHOOPEE! Leave me out of that, don't want to do it anymore. But the good thing is we could if we absolutely had to. Or could teach some young guy how it was done way back then.

 

He had band-aids from the tip of his fingers to his elbows. LOL

Herb

 

Tommy Mac is moving forward, the pad is poured for his new shop. Plans are in the works for an episode dedicated to routers.(Most likely season 8)

 

AW was much better back in the early to mid 90s, Scott had a different approach his projects were more elaborate, and he chose materials other than Norm's pine preference. I never saw any of the shows as anything more than entertainment.

My thoughts were, if the viewer was a woodworker they would not require much if any of the talking heads information outside of the occasional tip or trick, no one knows everything. If the viewer was not a woodworker they would more likely than not not own or have access to any of the mostly expensive tools used in the shows let alone be familiar with the terminology used to explain the techniques used during the episode. I then lost touch with pretty much all the existing shows, (AW, NYW, Woodwright's shop) until maybe 2005.

I don't have a problem with pocket hole tech, it has it's uses and for the right projects a time and money saving solution. One of the reasons I liked AW was because it used to highlight many artisans from around the country and the techniques they perfected. Today it seems like he spends more time telling his wife what to do, how to so it and where to stand.

Occasionally Roy Underhill still has authoritative guests and he's still fun to listen to.

 

The Woodsmith show has two main problems: One is it's boring because the hosts are boring. I'm sure they are talented and good people but not everyone is meant to be in front of the camera. The show would be much improved if they would hire someone with a track record, maybe someone off YouTube, to be the host. (And anyone who thinks that's funny, there are a lot of talented people on YT.) Second problem is the same as most of the magazines, they are stuck in 1992. How many Shaker tables or Morris chairs do we need to see built. There are other styles. Even within Craftsman there are many things that I've never seen built like cube chairs. I brought this up with the Woodcraft Magazine guys and they got a little defensive and suggested some woodworker who makes intensely ornate furniture -- because apparently it's either Shaker or that; there is nothing in between. For someone like me who has been woodworking since the 80's, reading these magazines or watching Woodsmith is like being stuck in 2nd grade math class, as an adult. It was mentioned earlier they are trying to appeal to everyone, well that's the same as appealing to no one. And I think another part is they are not challenging themselves. Woodsmith uses the same joinery on every project. It's smart, it works, it's efficient, but it's boring as hell to watch.

 

Well I must be a 2nd grader because I was satisfied with wood smith show until they came up with new format that so slow and plodding .
I always learned some new as they would say there is a trick to simplify the project and was something that was so simple I wondered why I had not thought of that before.

 

It's a matter of experience. The 2nd grade comment was an analogy. I am not a super experienced woodworker but I've been involved with it a long time and over time you pick up a few things. When you've seen your 1500th shaker table or 450th Morris chair, it might get a little old to you too. When you've seen the identical joinery method used show after show, season after season, magazine after magazine, it might get a little old. Believe it or not, there are woodworking periodicals going back to the 18th century, and if you read them, some of it is novel and some of it is very familiar. 80% of my woodworking knowledge comes from the Tage Frid trilogy, because they are that good. Learn your foundations.

Here's the thing, I have tremendous respect for the amateurs on Youtube pumping out videos. Some are hobbyists, some are making a living. Those guys must produce interesting content video to video and ratings are instant. Television isn't like that. You sell a season, you get paid, it doesn't matter what you do as long as they can sell ads during your show. Here's another difference, some of the Youtube woodworkers are making 30, 50, 75 videos a year and doing most of that work by themselves. It has reached a point where (in my opinion) the amateurs are better at it than the professionals. Even Tommy Mac's show is starting to feel a bit old fashioned and poorly edited compared to what is becoming the norm. Don't get me wrong, there is a big difference in knowledge and experience between Tommy Mac or the Woodsmith guys and the average YT woodworker; but that knowledge and experience isn't being translated well.