What is Ugliest Piece of Furniture Norm Has Made?

[Jerry Olexa]

Agree: the cowboy piece and the last pic in Paul's thread. Tie. Still think he's contributed much to the WWing community (even though he uses his nail gun too much IMHO)..

[JayStPeter]

That is a pretty badly designed piece of furniture. But that's what happens when you have a carpenter try to be a cabinetmaker.

Happens every time.

That one was picked from the collection at Winterthur? in Deleware. It was picked to match another painted piece he built from there. The antique didn't look right either. If anything Norms is slightly better, but I suspect that's just the new paint. After 17+ years of NYW, I think Norm has progressed beyond carpenter trying to be cabinetmaker. I also think his own designs are usually pretty decent. This one even had some nice details that I like. It was a good show to watch ... just wouldn't build the piece as shown.

[Jim Becker]

There are lots of people who have their hands on the work during the course of taping and he's the frontman.

Not true. Norm does all the work himself for both the prototype and the actual project which is taped "live". You can even watch them create the shows via the NYW webcam.

[Cody Colston]

That is a pretty badly designed piece of furniture. But that's what happens when you have a carpenter try to be a cabinetmaker.

Happens every time.

I guess real cabinetmakers are born as such, huh?

Whatever, don't blame Norm since he did not design that particular cupboard. As with most of his projects, this one is a copy of an existing piece.

From the NYW web site:

Little is known about the handsome Painted Cupboard, which resides in one of the period rooms in the elegant country estate at the Winterthur Museum in Delaware. On a guided tour with Director of Conservation Gregory Landrey, Norm discovers the cupboard and is drawn to its scale, the unusual arched top door, and the “pinched” cornice that towers above the case. Norm will build his own version to the same dimensions back at The New Yankee Workshop and even matches the green blue paint on the exterior and the wine red color used for the interior

As for Norm's ugliest piece, I have to vote for the corner table that he made from the waterlogged Oak salvaged from a dam on Virginia's Rappahannock river. While the design and proportions of the table are fine, that black-colored Oak is just pure ugly to me.

[Paul Girouard]

That is a pretty badly designed piece of furniture. But that's what happens when you have a carpenter try to be a cabinetmaker.

Happens every time.

Yanno Norm sure can bring out the comments , remember when FWW put him on thier cover , that sure chaffed a few hides of those , mostly , who never made a living as either a WW cabinetmaker or carpenter

FWIW , from the site I snagged the photo's:

Little is known about the handsome Painted Cupboard, which resides in one of the period rooms in the elegant country estate at the Winterthur Museum in Delaware. On a guided tour with Director of Conservation Gregory Landrey, Norm discovers the cupboard and is drawn to its scale, the unusual arched top door, and the “pinched” cornice that towers above the case. Norm will build his own version to the same dimensions etc............

Link : http://www.newyankee.com/2007.shtml


So I guess bad design is nothing new eh He copied it in others words he did not design it and most of what he's build for the show he has NOT designed , he copied pieces he or the staff have liked.

But yes carpenters can muck up a cabinet design almost as well as cabinetmakers can screw up building a house.

Ditto eh Cody! Yer fast!

[Pat Germain]

How can anyone bust on Norm? After all, he's "The other Jewish carpenter".

Seriously, while I think many Norm criticisms are justified, I also think he's a very good woodworker. When the show first started, he used only a small set of power tools. Now things have become downright ridiculous with the giant drum sander and all. I still like to watch his show, when I can catch it.

I think we should consider how difficult it would be to come up with new, multiple projects every year; for seventeen years!

I caught part of a NYW last night and, I must admit, the cupboard he made was pretty heinous. The interior was painted mint green and outside was stained a very deep red. It may have been authhentic to the original, but "blech".

[John Lucas]

I'm not a big Norm fan.

There are lots of people who have their hands on the work during the course of taping and he's the frontman.

Show biz.

That 2nd statement sounds like you think he only has partial personal effort in the making of the piece? Have you not watched any of the webcam that shoots him at work live. One minute between exposures and you suggest a real master runs out and does 55 seconds of work. I think there may be a selection committee of what will be made (with Russell being the only voter) but after that, it is all Norm.

[Al Killian]

The cowboy thing would be nice if it did'nt have all those designs on it. I was thinking the basice design would make a exellent hall table. There are many things he makes that I personally care for, however I watch him more for techniqes then for designs.

[Ed Costello]

I would love to be able to make furniture for a living and not have to rely on selling it to put food on the table. I have made allot of ugly furniture and not made a dime on it. Norm makes money on every piece he makes!!!!! something to think about..regards

[nic obie]

Norm's alright.

There are other things on tv that are worse.

Flip this

[Paul Girouard]

I would love to be able to make furniture for a living and not have to rely on selling it to put food on the table.

I have made allot of ugly furniture and not made a dime on it.

Norm makes money on every piece he makes!!!!! something to think about..regards

Ed made make something that looks nice instead of ugly

But ya Norn's got"er' made eh No worries !

[Gregory Stahl]

I don't think I have seen anything I care for on his show, but I do learn from him, so the show does have value to me.

I prefer David Marks style and I have learned much more from his show, WoodWorks.

Also, I would like to see Norm come-up with something original. In every episode I have seen, Norm is copying some existing piece of furniture or idea. But I guess that is his style, old world colonial.

Greg

[Randal Stevenson]

When I watch his show I am always amazed at the tool resourses he has. I know sponsors load him down with tools. I mean seriously, is there anything his shop doesn't have?

I will admit as well, that cowboy peice is love it or hate it. I think it looks ok, as long as it's in someone elses home...

You just hit on my pet peeve about Norm. We have NEVER got to see HIS shop! Probably never will as longs as he is paid/sponsered with tools, as it would actually show his preferences.

I haven't watched enough of them the last few years to say what would be my idea of his worst project. To me it is more about seeing new skills/tools on the show (in the ugly cowboy furniture one, it would be combining woodwork, with my fathers leatherwork hobby).

[Paul Girouard]

You just hit on my pet peeve about Norm. We have NEVER got to see HIS shop! Probably never will as longs as he is paid/sponsered with tools, as it would actually show his preferences.

His own shop is shown in one of his books , about building his own house . But it's a photo before it was tooled up IIRC.

The un funding of PBS was really a boom for TOH and NYWS in many ways . They couldn't take any thing , tools , direct dollars etc , prefunding cut , and if you remember all the manf. tags where taped over , so you had to know what brand tool he was using. Which made it harder to get a like and kind tool unless you really knew tools well anyway.


It would be a show I'd watch IF they did a NYWS visit to Norm's personal shop. That would be interesting.

I watch pretty sporadically these days as his stuff is sort of the same old same old for me. But I do think he's done more for amateur wood working than most.

[Chris Barnett]

If the woodcrafters continue to fault the NYW, perhaps the folks who pay the bills could come up with another reality show, a whole lot cheaper . I believe both Norm and David do fabulous work, each in their own style; try to never miss a show [or forget to record ]. Consider the Egyptian dresser as one of David's best, and the tiger maple drawer night stand as prime by Norm. Worst...haven't a clue! My hat is off to both these guys.