The next Norm?

[Dan Karachio]

PBS hasn't forgotten about us!

Rough Cut with Tommy Mac will be coming to PBS.

thesawdustchronicles.com/2010/05/19/rough-cut-woodworking-with-tommy-mac/

charlesandhudson.com/archives/2010/06/rough_cut_woodworking_with_tommy_mac.htm

Has anyone looked over his podcasts and other materials? I have not, but plan to very soon. I know, I know, there will never be another Norm, David Marks..., but we have to move on people. It's just like a new girlfriend, job, house, car, dog or table saw! It hurts to let go and move on, it may feel like betrayal, but it's life. It's just life people.

[Neil Brooks]

In July, I spent an afternoon, with Tommy and Eli (his sidekick), in their Boston-area shop.

GREAT guys. GREAT talents. GREAT angle for a show.

If your local PBS station does NOT plan to carry their show ... lobby them. More exposure can only be a good thing, for our craft !

Knock 'em dead, Tommy and Eli !!!!

[Neil Brooks]

ByTheWay: their shop wasn't all TOO far from this place:

[Don Jarvie]

Did you get blindfolded and driven the "long way" to see the "Other" place?

[Dave MacArthur]

This looks like an interesting "inside joke" sort of post. I'm guessing that's NYW from the backside, and don't know anything about "the other place". I guess having every season of NYW on disc and watching them several times isn't enough to catch this, hopefully someone in the know will explain.

I watch a lot of online woodworking pod-casts, and browse around theWoodWhisperer network a lot also watching the linked videos there, but have never heard of Tommy MacDonald. For that matter, I'd never heard of The SawDust Chronicles either. I browsed around a bit there and only found 1 video link, but it wasn't actually a woodworking show, just guys chatting about this new venture.

For those of us who don't know of this guy, but would like to see his past shows, can anyone post a link to a working video archive for him?
Thanks!

[Peter Aeschliman]

I second that.

[Neil Brooks]

a) It IS the NYW;

b) Past podcasts, from Tommy's site:

http://www.thomasjmacdonald.com/wood...-podcasts.html

[george wilson]

I can't see the attraction.

[Paul Murphy]

I can't see the attraction.

He went to the North Bennet Street School, and so I'm hopeful the program contains that level of woodworking. I would be equally pleased to have a woodworking series featuring the fine craftsmen from Colonial Williamsburg, but I guess the Boston PBS producers were happy to find a local craftsman.

By the way I really enjoyed the veneering clip featuring the two gentlemen you work with. Wish I could see them do a complete project.

[Dave MacArthur]

Thanks for the link Neil, spent an enjoyable evening watching him work the sides of a bombe chest, planes, scrapers etc.

[Glenn Clabo]

He's a member here at SMC...
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=98265
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=98266
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=134090
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=98934
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=99275

[Brian D Anderson]

If you're into the Facebook thing, you can find his new show here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/RoughCutTv?ref=ts

He just posted a picture of all the projects he filmed for the first year.

He's quite a character. In my opinion, he looks more skilled than Norm, and more charismatic than David Marks.

I think it will be fun.

I'm actually in the middle of making the shaker step stool he built as a forum project. I think it's going to be in the first season too, though I don't see it in the picture.

Bottom line is you can't complain about more national woodworking TV shows.

-Brian

[Dave MacArthur]

I just read all Tommy's threads here at SMC. Sign me up, I'm a convert--wow did he put in some work to transcribe his works here to the forum, and there is an obvious and extremely strong theme of helping other woodworkers be better. At significant time cost to him.

I watched a lot of videos on his site and quite enjoyed them, the work is top notch, the techniques are from basic to advanced and he shows them real time without erasing the imperfections--I can totally relate and learn from watching him exactly because it's not ultra-speedy perfect 10th take video. But even more impressive is the clear desire to help others learn and encourage them that comes through strongly in his posts here.

Good luck to him, I'll for sure be watching and learning!

[george wilson]

Paul,there are several craft films available from Colonial Williamsburg,if you want to see complete projects. My musical instrument film covers the making of both a spinet harpsichord and a violin. There is a silversmith film,a blacksmith film,and some others. They were all made to be classroom time in length.

[Stephen Cherry]

If I ever get my television hooked up to something, maybe I will watch it. That's a big maybe though.

I used to like the router workshop though, the father and son team. That was a good show that wasn't trying to sell you something with each episode. (maybe they were, but I don't remember it.)