RE: American Workshop Program

[Lew Hodgett]

Subject show on a PBS station here.

Much as I tried, couldn't make it past about half way.

That show makes you truly appreciate the first class writing and camera work found on NYW.

Lew

[CW]

Never heard of it. Neither has PBS according to their website.

[Lew Hodgett]

Was broadcast on one of the secondary digital channels.

Lew

[Lew Hodgett]

Correction:

Should read: American Woodshop with Scott Phillips.

Found in on WBGU which from the looks of it would be loacted at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green,Ohio.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Lew

[Puckdropper]

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:BRP4m.2812$9l4.1039 @nwrddc01.gnilink.net:

I've seen it a couple times. It's extremely easy to get lost attempting to follow the project. I wonder if he needs to take a modular approach, giving an overview of the project and then later on describing each section.

Puckdropper

[Lew Hodgett]

Maybe try watching how they do it on NYW.

Reminds me of an engineer trying to make a sales proposal.

Most of the time it is brutal to watch.

I can say that cause I R one

Lew

Lew

[joeljcarver]

I thought it was only me. I suppose Scott Phillips is a nice man and all that, but he tends to dumb down much of what he does. Also, his rhetoric is stilted and his tone is often patronizing. It seems the show is more about him than the project.

On the plus side, he does exude enthusiasm, and I guess he's popular enough to stay on the air.

[Leon]

I have to agree with you there Lew, Scott is way toooooooo touchy feely for me and his relatively brand new shop is a cluttered mess.

[l-lopez]

I agree with the above comments and need to add one more IMPORTANT one. I have seen him put a long piece of plywood (4 or 5 feet) on the table saw and push it through with the short end against the rip fence. And of course there are no anti kickback pawls or blade guard. That is a recipe for disaster that I don't think the uninitiated individuals who might be watching the show need to imitate. Of course, it may be a fast way to initiate them!

Len

[CW]

OK. That I have seen and agree with your take on the show.

[l-lopez]

I wonder if we should recomend it be discontinued on PBS. If possible I would like to see the shows by ?? Marks that used to be on HGTV in its place.

Len

[Jack]

I agree with the above comments and need to add one more IMPORTANT one. I have seen him put a long piece of plywood (4 or 5 feet) on the table saw and push it through with the short end against the rip fence. And of course there are no anti kickback pawls or blade guard. That is a recipe for disaster that I don't think the uninitiated individuals who might be watching the show need to imitate. Of course, it may be a fast way to initiate them!

Len

Same as Norm, Scott says you should use all of the guards, he has them removed for the TV only. Also says the most important piece of safet equipment is the safety glasses... brain is optional.

Jack

[Mark & Juanita]

He always drove me crazy with the "wait until the router bit stops spinning before removing the router" On a PLUNGE router. After it had been un-plunged.

[Jack Stein]

The American Woodshop is worse than NYW but I liked Woodsmith Magazine show the best. PBS took it off the air around here? It was really good, really good HD video, and the guys involved were all wood workers. I'd be surprised if Scott Phillips ever made anything respectable.

Really! He sucks. I know because I've built stuff using his lazy ass techniques and it always turns out bad. He also doesn't use good procedures and often I just shake my head. I truly think someone else builds his stuff for him, he is that bad. His finishes are almost as bad if not worse than Norms. I figure I'm the worlds 3rd worse finisher and my stuff if worlds ahead of both Norm and Scott, but then I'm not on TV.

He has little comfort level with his tools and it is obvious to me. When he uses the table saw, with all that safety crap and goofy push sticks he looks like an accident waiting to happen. Norm looks more like a normal craftsman, familiar with his tools, not perfectly safe, not perfectly scared.

Scott should get his hands on De Cristoforo's Complete Book Of Power Tools and learn how to use his tools before going on TV to try to entertain woodworkers.

I watch him out of boredom, but always after watching him work, wonder how bad his stuff looks in real life. I often see glimpses of his shoddy workmanship even on TV. I don't particularly like capping on a fellow woodworkers skill level, but hell, the guy is on TV?

[Lowell Holmes]

snip

Scott used to have shows with good content. Maybe this was 10 years back. He did some good shows with bandsaw work. I remember a trellis he built that I liked. I can remember a bible box he made that was good. I also remember some shows he did concerning renovating a timber framed bar that I enjoyed.

Where it fell apart for me was when he started building his house on a lake. I've only seen his show once or twice recently. I haven't cared for his content on those shows.

I guess his show will join the Router Workshop. I'm kind of sad about that.

[Lew Hodgett]

Show with good ideas but with doink meisters as instructors.

Lew

[Leon]

Yeah, Do you really have to show rounding over an edge on 57 pieces of wood? The first pass should be enough demonstration for just about every one except that guy the was on, ummmm, the WoodWork Show?, he commonly called his SCMS a Radial Arm Saw. NOT to be confused with David Marks on Woodworks.

[Dave Balderstone]

I was continually disappointed with how little TRW actually demonstrated in half an hour.

[Lew Hodgett]

When you see the poor quality of many of the woodworking programs out there, you begin to realize the talent Morash brings to the table with a program like NYW.

Lew

[Leon]

And he has had about 30 yers to perfect the process.