YouTube crazies

[Edward Weber]

If it bothers you , move on. You’re not required to reply. I’m not gripping about a lot of YouTube but some of amateur woodworkers trying to tell others what they need and don’t.

you say I’m griping, . You make two

You try to help people by pointing out things like, there's no need to purchase over priced tools. You get, don't tell me what to do with my money.

People hear what they want to hear and their gut reaction is all too often to be defensive.
Trying to help people out by suggesting tools or methods that they could employ into their work in place of more expensive or elaborate ones usually falls flat on it's face.

Personally I don't need people with less experience to tell me I need this or that but those without knowledge or experience, tend to mimic from whom they learn from. This is how we end up where we are. If only you learn from YT or others that just jump on the latest thing out there, you're doing yourself a disservice and spending a lot of money.
Everyone needs, a track saw, everyone needs a domino, everyone needs red tools, everyone needs, an mft table, everyone needs K body clamps and on and on.

There is nothing wrong with any of the tools, and if you want them fine. In reality, very few actually need all of these tools for their projects. Though these tools and a long list of other premium and boutique tools, are so quickly recommended by others who are willing to spend your money.

[Cameron Wood]

Ah yes. Boomers united

That's Mister Boomer to you...

[Edward Weber]

I know it's trendy to blame the boomer generation for everything but at what point does it stop.

Trying to point out where someone might be going astray, offering help from our years of knowledge/experience and somehow that just makes us all crabby old know-it-alls.

You'll have to explain that to me

[Mark Hennebury]

We are crabby old know-it-all's, that is precisely what pisses off the think-they-know-it-all's.

[Monte Milanuk]

Honestly, I generally *don't* mind it - that's what I come on forums like this for.

Just when one particular crabby ol' cuss, sitting at home with nothing to do (for admittedly legit reasons) has been on somewhat of a bitchy bender lately... it gets old, pardon the pun

And when I point that out, *I'm* the a-hole. Go figure.

[Steve Demuth]

Now he went into belt sanders and suggested you never buy one and use a ROS, which is cheaper. So if you never use a belt sander and he was showing a cheap Craftsman belt sander for a $100+ dollars, you never learn to use one. So at this point I turned+it off and went onto high end woodworkers.

Now in 1983 I was given a belt sander and told to sand frames, no experience but learned quickly or I’d be looking for another job. I have several 4x24 belt sanders and have no problem.,

This is a basic woodworking tool you need to be able to use…

For someone who does woodworking as a hobby, I'd agree with the youtuber that a belt sander isn't very high on the list of tools you need. Mine is probably the least used handheld power tool in my shop. I wouldn't consider using it on face frames because 1) as someone who does wood working for enjoyment, not to make a living, I don't build THAT many face frames, and 2) when I do it's only one or two per project, and it's way faster and easier to take out any mismatches on the coped corners with a plane and scraper, than to wrestle with a belt sander - unless it's really "chippy" wood, in which case the scraper alone and hand sanding works fine.

Point being, a belt sander is not a tool every woodworker, and certainly not every amateur woodworker needs to own or master.

[jack duren]

For someone who does woodworking as a hobby, I'd agree with the youtuber that a belt sander isn't very high on the list of tools you need. Mine is probably the least used handheld power tool in my shop. I wouldn't consider using it on face frames because 1) as someone who does wood working for enjoyment, not to make a living, I don't build THAT many face frames, and 2) when I do it's only one or two per project, and it's way faster and easier to take out any mismatches on the coped corners with a plane and scraper, than to wrestle with a belt sander - unless it's really "chippy" wood, in which case the scraper alone and hand sanding works fine.

Point being, a belt sander is not a tool every woodworker, and certainly not every amateur woodworker needs to own or master.

You use a belt sander to flatten uneven surfaces. If you choose not to use one is totally up to you..

[jack duren]

Seems the point is missed.


He is saying to not to ever buy or learn a belt sander.



If you don’t learn, you don’t benefit. If you don’t learn to clamp , you don’t benefit. If you don’t buy a sprayer , you can’t benefit. Etc…


I’m not telling anyone how to spend their money, the YouTuber is. Keep that in mind.

[Steve Demuth]

I’m not telling anyone how to spend their money, the YouTuber is. Keep that in mind.

I think the point I, and probably some others as well, were reacting to is that you wrote "This is a basic woodworking tool you need to be able to use," which is pretty close to telling people how to spend their money. Had you said that you find a belt sander extremely useful, and a new woodworker might also, particularly if they plan to do a certain kind of projects, I would not have responded as I did.

My point being: most hobby woodworkers don't need a belt a sander, and certainly not in the first set of tools they buy for their shop.

[jack duren]

Pretty close isn’t close enough. You could borrow one from a friend to learn and use.

Hobby woodworkers don’t need to buy anything.

seems like the defensive people are trying to read into this like a shrink. There is nothing here that isn’t being created.Quit analyzing my posts.

The YouTuber says don’t buy one. Go post your comment on his video..

I bought a Leigh dovetail jig from an individual who said they just didn’t get it. You can see where he ran the router too deep and routed a finger. I read the instructions and was doing dovetails in 2 hours. So if he goes to YouTube and tells everyone NOT to buy a Leigh dovetail jig, it’s the same thing..

[Edward Weber]

I think the point I, and probably some others as well, were reacting to is that you wrote "This is a basic woodworking tool you need to be able to use," which is pretty close to telling people how to spend their money. Had you said that you find a belt sander extremely useful, and a new woodworker might also, particularly if they plan to do a certain kind of projects, I would not have responded as I did.

My point being: most hobby woodworkers don't need a belt a sander, and certainly not in the first set of tools they buy for their shop.

Accusing one person of telling people what they need, while at the same time, asserting that they don't?
How is your position different?


The YT content creators regularly assert buying one tool or another, this can be either passive or aggressive.
Many times, they, the CC's, don't have enough knowledge or experience to have a trusted opinion on the things they're pushing.
The problem lies in that many viewers of their videos don't know this, they trust the personality they see without much question and at times, unconsciously mimic them.
If they see someone using a Blue Spruce chisel, then they think they need a $100 chisel to make the same project.
If Lefty the three fingered woodworker says you don't need a belt sander, then they'll all be trashing belt sanders in short order.

Personally, I do consider a belt sander as a core handheld tool, you should have basic knowledge of it's use. I won't tell anyone to go buy one but you should be familiar with one and what it's common uses are.

[jack duren]

The topic wasn’t meant to be personal, nor should anybody take a defensive position on it.

If it helps you great, if not …..

[Pat Germain]

I think you made two very good points, Jack:

1. A belt sander is a very useful tool.

2. A lot of "woodworking" YouTubers are pretty clueless.

I watch too many YouTube videos. Like anything else, 90% are crap. But the other 10% can be really good. YouTube is all about metrics and algorithms. The videos that get the most views get promoted and, thus, get more views. So content creators focus on click-bait rather than sound advice from experience.

There's a young guy who has a channel called Lincoln Street Woodworks. I think he's another Jewish carpenter. His shop is small. He admits he is still learning and I like his deadpan, self depricating humor. Just an exampe of a young wookworker on YouTube whom I think gives good instruction and advice. He has some very popular segments where he brings in his older, next-door neighbor. They sometimes have competitions and, of course, almost everyone votes for the old guy. That old guy once demonstrated making a table in his back yard with handheld power tools and scrap lumber.

[Rod Sheridan]

True. The ones who give poor advice, annoy me. The ones who give dangerous advice or demonstrate operations in a dangerous way make me truly angry. You have a level of responsibility when you are conveying information regarding potentially dangerous activities.

Agreed Glenn, however promoting dangerous operations certainly isn’t unique to newer YouTube personalities, just read the forum consistently and you’ll find examples of a wide range of people from green newbie’s to grey haired professionals doing it.

Regards, Rod.

[jack duren]

I was on there last night. Skip, skip, skiip, this one looks interesting, boring, skip, skip, skip… Too many “What you need for your shop” or Tools you should not buy”….The same people making as many videos as they can get, to get subscribers. Many aren’t active on forums other than to put up links to get more subscribers, but won’t get into a long discussion about their YouTube…