Norm

[Robatoy]

Does he mention the brand names of the finishes he uses?

[Patriarch]

Robatoy wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Minwhacks is a sponsor....

[Upscale]

Sure, I think Norm is great at what he does. I don't make fun of him, he's better at what he builds than I am. And I do record his shows every Saturday, but only for the purpose of giving me ideas for my own projects. If I was going to build something that Norm has built, I'd modify it for my use. As well, I've reached the point where I wouldn't need his plans, just the video would be sufficient for me to design for myself.

[Fly-by-Night CC]

What time crunch is he under? You really don't believe he completes his project in 27 minutes, do you? They could certainly allow the glue to dry the proper amount of time without the brad nailer - he often sets tabletop glue-ups on the floor leaning against his drill press until "tomorrow morning" - so brad-less gluing and editing the video ought to work just fine for other aspects of assembly as well.

[Matt Stachoni]

Mine too - plus, that stuff is damned hard to wipe off my furniture pieces.

- Matt

[Upscale]

I've tried repeatedly to use chocolate as a finish, but for some reason, it always disappears before I can get it to my furniture.

[kkfitzge]

Well, that all depends on what you've been led to believe.

If you believe Norm Abram is a hard-working, efficient woodworker with a knack for choosing appealing projects and a lot of good old carpentry know-how, you're right.

If you believe Norm is acknowledged as one of the woodworking greats of all time, wrong. He's not in the same league as Krenov, Maloof, Frid, et al., and he would probably be the first to admit it.

If you believe Norm has done a great deal to increase the popular appeal and accessibility of woodworking, right.

If you believe Norm is a flawless role model for woodworking craftsmanship, wrong.

If you believe that luck, connections, personality, and perseverance (not necessarily raw talent) are the secrets of Norm's success as a celebrity woodworker, right.

If you think that "Master Carpenter" is some kind of hard-earned, recognized distinction, wrong. (Russ Morash, the producer of TOH and NYW, made up the title).

JMHO, of course.

[dnoyeB]

But Norm probably has sponsors. You can't be showing finishing wood with anything too simple lets the folks dont line up to buy the fancy stuff. It could just be Norm's tongue in cheek way of protesting.

[Pete C.]

Don't forget the non shooting days related to a given project. The time spent developing the plan and building the prototype. The shooting days are just the time spent building it again on camera.

Pete C.

[GeeDubb]

Not if it's got poly on it first....

Gary

[GeeDubb]

I agree with most of what you wrote but I would also add that Krenov, Maloof, Frid, et al., may not be in the same league as Norm when it comes to standard carpentry. One has to remember Norm is a carpenter and can probably do things the "artist" would have trouble doing.

again...JMHO, of course

Gary

[Javier]

Who is a flawless role model for woodworking craftmanship?

Or anything else, for that matter.

-jav

[Javier]

One of the reasons I got into woodworking was watching Norm work on projects. I realized at the time that I'd never have all of the tools that appear on the shows, but I was OK with that.

I'm not sure if half the darts thrown in this group at him are just tool envy, but I suspect there's a bit of that. The underwriters have a showcase for their fancy tools, we get a woodworking show in return. No underwriters, no show. So what if he has a wide belt sander that's more expensive than many people's cars?

The other perennial targets are his use of the brad nailer, and the finishes. Apparently, he's unholy for not using clamps alone. Whatever works for him, I guess. And since I didn't buy the cherry or walnut he uses on his projects, I don't see it as a cardinal sin when he slathers some thick dark finish on them.

I guess the final conclusion is that I can't get too worked up about a TV show. I enjoy watching The New Yankee Workshop, I hope they continue shooting new episodes.

-jav

[2fatty]

Ah that really made me laugh... Thanks!

[Leon]

IIRC David Marks uses a disguised General Finishes can.

Norm, probably uses Miniwax which would explain a lot.

[Leon]

Considering that, The cutting scenes could easily be the ones of him when was building the prototype.

[Tim Daneliuk]

Q: How many WRECKers does it take to change a lightbulb? A: Eight -

1 to complain about Norm's lousy WWing skills 1 to complain that you're using the wrong tools 1 to make fun of anything Craftsman 1 to say "I could do it better/faster if I really wanted to" 1 to blame Bush because the bulb burned out in the first place 1 to argue that no external intelligence is necessary to change the bulb 1 to pine for Phully to come back and change the bulb for us 1 to curse anyone who dares to suggest the bulb actually needs replacing

In the end, someone else has to change the bulb.

I've watched Norm for years and even read one of his books. He is a master craftsman. This doesn't mean that I like everything he makes, it means he knows what he's doing. People confuse skill and style. The first is inarguable, the second is always a matter of opinion. Don't let the Nabobs Of Negativity influence your interest in his (or any other craftsman's) work.

[Robatoy]

Over the years, I have developed a love/hate relationship with Minwax products. Some of their stains I liked using, their standard poly is so-so..but I think their latex clear is every bit as nice as Benjamin Moore's..which is pretty darn good stuff.

I would think that as Minwax is a NYWS sponsor, they'd pay a lot more attention to the finishing aspect. After all, it is THE single deciding step whether you end up looking good or sucking big time. Maybe they are selling to the general public concentrating on How Fast This Shit Goes On?

There are no amateurs running Norm's show..there has to be a reason why they treat the finishing the way they do.

*shrugs* dunno...

[Robatoy]

Exactly. All the grunt work is done by staff. Norm is not in that shop for more than 4 hours per episode... he spends the rest of his time in first class lounges at airports. He's a star.

[Brian Henderson]

But you have to remember that all the tools on David Marks' show are his own, personal tools that he's aquired over a lifetime of woodworking, plus the fact that on his tool show, he pointed out all the things that he's gotten used, including his aircraft-carrier-jointer. Norm's tools are all advertiser supplied and any beginning woodworker isn't going to have access to $10,000 worth of tools. The two shows are really aimed at different audiences as well.