American Woodshop and WW shows in general

[Josh Rudolph]

I'm willing to bet that us serious woodworkers (that's why we are here on sawmill) are not the target audience for the show. They are after the weekend DYI'er.

Dave,

Unfortunately you are probably right. However I think they are really missing out. IMO...Catering to the DIY WW is a small market due to what is perceived as a high startup cost, I know people will disagree with that logic but I believe it to be correct. However the DIY home repair or renovation market is huge. If that is their target audience, I think they are missing that also. I think they are focusing on the retired tinkerer who wants to take up WW and make something that isn't going to invest too much time. They can crank out a project pretty quick and be gratified. They also tend to have a little more disposable income.

I guess my biggest gripe is that I am a visual learner and have to see it to understand it. Taking classes would be awesome, but that loops right back into the I can't afford that route but maybe once a year if I am lucky. Buying videos is an option, but there is no feedback from an instructor or easy correction of improper technique. This route can also get expensive. We get this perceived great potential source of info dangled in front of me for free (WW shows) and they turn out to be not so great. It is very frustrating.

Josh

[Jim Rimmer]

Try this link to reruns of Norm's show. http://www.newyankee.com/index.php
They usually do a new one each week.

[Steve Rowe]

We don't get American Woodshop in our area so cannot comment on your observation. While I always like to watch Woodright Shop, my all time favorite was Woodworks with David Marks followed by Norm both of which are no longer in production. I think the same thing has happened with woodworking magazines. They have all been dumbed down to the least common denominator to gain a wider audience. Unfortunately, by doing so, they lost me and likely a host of others as I have let all woodworking magazine subscriptions expire. I am always getting emails from FWW that they want me back with the offer of the 'free' $10 cabinet scraper. It is pretty pathetic when a mag has to resort to 'free' anything to get me to subscribe and indicates they really don't have a clue. It is content and not freebees that matter.

[Mark Conde]

I have a love/hate relationship with the TV ww shows. Here's my take on them:

NYW -- I really miss it. Norm was a big inspiration to me early on.

Wood Works with David Marks - This was a great show. David had a good balance of machine and hand tools. His projects were not simple nor complex..just right.

WoodTurning Workshop -- very good. Yoder does a super job.

WoodSmith -- I will pass on this one everytime. The show has so little substance, that watching is more like wasting time.

WoodWright Shop-- When Roy is not giggling or cutting himself, I can usually take a nugget or two away.

Rough Cut -- Tommy is OK but the editing makes me dizzy. They cut away and zoom in so quickly it is like being on rollercoaster. The projects are good. Oh, but he can leave out all the guest appearances. They suck up too much time.

I used to think that the TV shows provided better content than the podcasts on the internet. Now, I am a firm believer in The WoodWhisperer and the podcasts from FineWoodworking mag and Pop. Woodworking mag. Even Woodworking for mere mortals provides better value than say the Woodsmith show.

Gotta go now..I going to watch the Wood Whisperer now.

[Chris Tsutsui]

My DVR records pretty much all the episodes and every once in a while i will watch a few in this priority:

Woodturning Workshop (Great special guests on some episodes, and entertaining to watch. I'm also new to woodturning so I learn a lot still)
Rough Cut (I love his combination of festool, sawstop, and hand tools. Plus he's inspired by a lot of historical work and goes on field trips)
American Woodshop (Scott has upgraded tools and seems more pressed to demo tools and cram everything in a short period of time)
Woodsmithshop (I'd rather just skim through the magazine than watch an entire show... I find myself fast forwarding every once in a while)
Woodwrights shop (Too old school hand tool for me, he's also got mad skills with the hand tools I won't try myself)

My DVR used to record Woodworks with David Marks. This was probably my favorite show. Egyptian and asian style work using craigstlist machines with MDF jigs, etc... I loved his choices of wood and his artistic approach and work with textures / patination.
I also used to be entertained by Hammered Diresta on DIY network. He had craftsman power tools for a while making all sorts of functional and creative work pieces

[Phil Thien]

Just last week I was watching American Woodshop and he jointed the edge of the board, and then said, "Look at that BEAUTIFUL straight edge." I cringe when I hear stuff like that.

Nahm never pointed at something he had just done and complimented himself on it.

[Doug Morgan]

I agree Phil, Norm never patted himself on the back in the middle of the project. I don't believe he ever did that even at the end. His big thing was that you will have a beautiful project at the end. Even Tommy Mack did that today. "Look at what I'm doing and how great that is" Todays project on American Woodshop did some dove tails but then surged back to the ole pocket screws. While pocket screws are good for some projects I dont believe that they need to be over used. Every 2 inches on a 4 foot blanket chest???? That was his comment today...

[Curt Harms]

It helps to pay attention to who the sponsors are. Scott Phillips seems to have inherited Norm's Delta mantle. How many hand tools did Norm use? Tommy Mac's primary sponsor is Woodcraft. Woodcraft has a mix of hand and power tools. Tommy Mac uses a mix of hand and power tools. Although I'm sure he'd use the same mix with or without Woodcraft's sponsorship. WoodSmith seemed targeted toward the rank beginner. I was not a Tommy Mac fan at the beginning, too frenetic. Either the production/direction has changed or I've become accustomed.

[Doug Morgan]

It helps to pay attention to who the sponsors are. Scott Phillips seems to have inherited Norm's Delta mantle. How many hand tools did Norm use? Tommy Mac's primary sponsor is Woodcraft. Woodcraft has a mix of hand and power tools. Tommy Mac uses a mix of hand and power tools. Although I'm sure he'd use the same mix with or without Woodcraft's sponsorship. WoodSmith seemed targeted toward the rank beginner. I was not a Tommy Mac fan at the beginning, too frenetic. Either the production/direction has changed or I've become accustomed.

On my location, the same sponsors are for both. Porter-Cable, Delta, Woodcraft and Gorilla Glue. No different, they even are shown in the same order. We dont see woodsmith.

[Russell Tribby]

I'm willing to bet that us serious woodworkers (that's why we are here on sawmill) are not the target audience for the show. They are after the weekend DYI'er.

Dave, that's probably the case. With that in mind some of the stuff that gets done on that show, if that is the target audience, is almost unconscionable for most woodworkers. The last time I happened to watch the show he was slopping on stain over the top of hinges all for the sake of expediency I suppose.
I remember when Norm announced his retirement I emailed Mark S. and voiced my hope that someone would pick up his show and put him on the air. Obviously that didn't happen but I think Tommy Mac has been a relatively good replacement

[Jefferey Scott]

Not to take the thread off topic, but have you guys watched the DIY shows on HGTV or DIY network? I love the site built "furniture" they build with MDF and a nail gun. There is a girl on DIY that uses a Festool TS55, but without the dust extractor. I'd hate to have my house "crashed" by one of these folks!

[Jerome Hanby]

Just last week I was watching American Woodshop and he jointed the edge of the board, and then said, "Look at that BEAUTIFUL straight edge." I cringe when I hear stuff like that.

Nahm never pointed at something he had just done and complimented himself on it.

I saw that episode and I didn't take it as bragging on himself, I took it as wow what beautiful edge this machine produced. American Woodshop is definitely not my favorite show, but any woodworking programing is better than none. I do like the evidence that many of his projects are "honey do's" from his wife. I tried tracking down video files of older episodes, but can't find anything other that seasons 14, 15, and 16...

[Bud Millis]

I've watched these shows and other DIY shows for many years.

NYW -- Norm was a big inspiration to me early on. His projects did grow somewhat in complexity from season to season. Sorry to see Norm go.

Wood Works with David Marks - Very good show, although I find David to be "dry" personality wise. His projects were more artistic, he's very smart and talented.

WoodTurning Workshop -- I've only seen a few and our local guide always had the content screwed up on them. Yoder did a good job, although I kind of lost interest in him/the show.

WoodSmith -- If the people in white coats would just free one hand, I'd slit my wrists. Very basic, maybe for a newbie.

WoodWright Shop-- Roy is the guy who started it all. Very smart, easy to listen to, great guests and topics, field trips. great show.

Rough Cut -- I think this could and would be a much better show if they did 2 things at least. 1. Its like speed dating on crack. Slow it down. Look how WWS and NYWS did their shows. Its like there in a hurry for something? Given Tommy's back ground this could be a show more for advance woodworkers. Which leads me to #2. Get better quality projects - bread boxes and flag cases? Really??

I do understand marketing, and they do need to gear it towards the masses. They want to target 85% or so of the Handy Home Owners, the crafty person who wants to make a bread box and a trivet over the weekend. And this is how I feel about a lot of the wood rags on the market - they are not marketing towards the advance woodworkers. Stopping there. Don't get me going.

[Jerome Hanby]

Rough Cut -- I think this could and would be a much better show if they did 2 things at least. 1. Its like speed dating on crack. Slow it down. Look how WWS and NYWS did their shows. Its like there in a hurry for something? Given Tommy's back ground this could be a show more for advance woodworkers. Which leads me to #2. Get better quality projects - bread boxes and flag cases? Really??

I do understand marketing, and they do need to gear it towards the masses. They want to target 85% or so of the Handy Home Owners, the crafty person who wants to make a bread box and a trivet over the weekend. And this is how I feel about a lot of the wood rags on the market - they are not marketing towards the advance woodworkers. Stopping there. Don't get me going.

I agree about the pace of the show. Seems spastic to me. I'm sure it's a cultural thing but the manner of speech already has me at arms length and all the high energy spazzing finishes the job. Get rid of the road trip sections and smooth out the rest of the program. The road trip bit is a good gimmick if used occasionally, but every show and especially with such minor projects, it's just too much. Norm did them fairly often, but then he built an interesting piece.

But then again, any woodworking is better than none, so I haven't missed an episode...

[Phil Thien]

I saw that episode and I didn't take it as bragging on himself, I took it as wow what beautiful edge this machine produced.

I cringe at that, too!

My advice for these guys is get rid of words like beautiful, gorgeous, outstanding, awesome, fantastic, etc. Eliminate them from the show's vocabulary. Instead, demonstrate some modesty, be a little self-deprecating.

It worked for my shop teacher and Nahm, it will work for them, too.