OT FIRST RUN WOODWORKS

[Mike Marlow]

First I'd heard of her. Had to do some google stuff. Hot. Very hot. Maybe I need to start watching a bit more cooking TV.

[Woodie]

She's pretty, but her head seems way too big for her body.

[Robatoy]

Meh.... pffff... I have been rejected by better looking women than that.

[Mike Marlow]

No Mike... don't go there. It's bait Mike - leave it alone...

[LRod]

[little snip]

[big snip]

It makes me sad to hear this story. Although I can't count him among those on my Christmas card list, I have met him and it is impossible for me to connect the experience I had with the one you described. Have to be two different people. I'm not arguing that it happened, it just doesn't jibe with mine.

Just for background, a bunch of locals (Central Florida) who are co-conspirators on some of the woodworking fora, were having a picnic get together three or four years ago and it happened to be on a day that Woodcraft had Marks in for some sessions. One of the locals got the bright idea to invite him to join us after the day's sessions were over, and he accepted (actually I think it was Victoria who accepted, but it doesn't matter, they both showed up).

It was just as if he'd been one of the forum regulars, himself. There wasn't a bit of pretense or arrogance. Just a regular guy. I'll bet he stayed there four or five hours. Naturally, he was the most experienced and professional guy there, not to mention celebrated, but we all talked, shared stories, asked him about the show, he passed around some pieces he had brought, but all in exactly the same way we all (well, most) would sit around a fire if we wreckers got together.

As you say, he could have had a bad day, but even at that, it seems so all out of proportion to the guy I sat and talked with all those hours. And one of the other guys and I made a Krenov style plane that afternoon before he arrived which we presented to him after dinner. It had no finish on it, but it was a nice chunk of wood and the iron was made out of an edger blade, but he acted as if Krenov himself had made it for him.

You weren't clear on whether you were actually there or not, but there is one other possibility (if you weren't) and that's that somehow someone got their nose out of joint, and that the real story isn't exactly the way it was told to you. Of course if you were there, I accept that it's an accurate rendition, if not even more puzzling.

Well, I still like the David Marks I met. I probably wouldn't have cared much for the one you described. It's too bad that stories like this get told (true or not). It only takes one aberrant encounter to seriously tarnish an image.

[Swingman]

"LRod" wrote

Based on both seeing, and listening briefly, to Mrs. Marks, I wouldn't hesitate to go out on a limb and congratulate David for his luck in SWMBO selection.

She comes across as a very classy lady.

[nailshooter41]

SNIP

Sounds like you had a fine experience with him. It sounds like a personally rewarding experience.

SNIP

To be fair, I was at the store when he was there, but not standing IN FRONT of him when he made his remarks. It was easy to catch the brusque attitude and some of the remarks. It was easier still for me to talk to the store manager whom was a good friend, known to me to be without exaggeration. To be blunt, he felt like they got screwed because he was expecting Marks to be as you portray him. Marks was still in the store when I started hearing how things went from the manager and some of the other guys I know and trust.

Your point about someone's nose being out of joint was well stated and pertinent. But to expand on that a bit, you can see the difference in how he treated a plane made from an edger blade in your experience to how things were handled when he was here. And again, I heard the same story from they guys that were standing there when it was said, the same exact remarks from 3 - 4 guys and the store manager. And it was told with no time to rehearse as Marks was still in the store.

I was not part of their meeting because at the time I had no earthly idea who Marks was. I don't have cable, and had never even seen him on television until about 6 months ago. To this day I have only seen about 10 of his shows, and I don't know that I have watched one from start to finish. I was not there at the store to see him and didn't know he was going to be there.

It was a rare trip to Woodcraft for some woodturning supplies and to gab a bit with the asst. manager that is one of the finest woodworkers I have ever met. Great guy, too.

So I had no feelings to get hurt, no star worship to crush, no ax to grind, not looking for bragging right due to meeting him, and wasn't looking for a new best friend.

I had no preconceived ideas of him (so no ulterior motives) and frankly couldn't have cared less about him or why he was there. When they told me Marks was coming I was interested due to the in store buzz, but since there was not to be a demo of any type I was uninterested to even find out who he was. When they told me he was there as a guest of WC, I surmised he was just another corporate shill. I caught small bits and pieces of his conversations, and I wasn't really sure why he was there.

Not really. I think that all remarks made here were made with respect for him and always regard the fact (Hey... I started it, too!) that he may have simply had a bad day. Really, you know we all have them. I didn't see anyone flame him, trash him, or belittle him in any way. Everyone here seemed pretty damn civil if you ask me.

And what side of Marks do you think will be seen the most? A small thread on a almost dead woodworking group that has had all of ten people participate in it? A thread where nothing terrible or horrifying has been exposed? No excitement here, that's for sure.

Or the side presented by him on that video that shows him as an easy going, easy to talk to guy that started out making redwood tables? A video that has no doubt been seen all over the world by who knows how many people since it was distributed?

I think Marks is unscathed. Personally, I think that folks that have fond memories of an encounter are unlikely to change their opinions of someone they know and respect due to a contemplative commentary posted on the internet.

Now the guy I would like to meet (as I have said here before) is Norm. He has been to the WC store a couple of time here and once to a woodworking show. But he is like a rock star, he has a lot of folks around him all the time. But I did get to talk to some guys that sat at the back of the store and had lunch with him, and they said he was the nicest, most unassuming guy you would ever meet.

Although it is quite fashionable now to sneer at him and his techniques, my opinion of him is undiminished. I don't care for his finishing techniques, but hey.. they're his projects. But in respect to him, regardless how many assistants he has, he has turned out some great projects, and more importantly, inspired folks to get out in the shop and do something for almost 20 years.

Now according to local lore, one of the things Norm mentioned when he was here was that in the early days, he had NO help. He even swept up at night. He did allow that he has help now as his schedule is so full.

But think about it. Norm can hang a passage door, and even make it for you. He can build kitchen cabinets, lawn furniture, different styles of house furniture, build handy jigs, repair structural framing, and build a blanket chest. That might be one season.

A park bench, a potting table, a grandfather clock, a baseball bat, you name it. He has done more than anyone I know to build confidence and inspire woodworkers to try just about anything.

Even though I have done all kinds of woodworking with my company (or as an employee for a few of them) over the last 35 years for a multitude of clients, I still watch Norm when I get a chance. I get a kick out of him.

And still, after 20 years, I have never heard one whisper of anything but great things about him.

My kinda guy.

Robert

Robert

[LRod]

[snip]

I didn't mean to intimate conspiracy. Same story from several people is more likely to reflect actual events than suggest collusion.

Yeah, we all were/are. I'm just saying it's too bad for him to have an off day (for whatever reason) and the report of it to be extant, however obsdure the forum might be. And, of course, it'll be available for a long time to come with any old search effort.

I'll second that!

That is the universal description of him I've heard/read everywhere.

I've heard that.

Yep.

[Frank Boettcher]

Hey now, the population we're restricted to here is celebrity female cooking show hosts. Your candidate is........? ;)

Frank

[Tom Watson]

nigella

Tom Watson tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet

[Robatoy]

Yowsa... I just ga-ga-ga-Googled her... My goodness....

I see, I see.. I BELIEVE!!!

[Swingman]

Like that type, eh? Brings to mind Daljit Dhaliwahl.

... so I married a blonde, go figure ...

[Tom Watson]

Gotta witness!

Tom Watson tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet

[Robatoy]

It was also an added attraction that she can cook.

That type can be sexy as ol' get-out. She's no Bebe Neuwirth or Jan Smithers, but nice.

So did I. We just celebrated her 41st. Angela certainly put a dead stop to any thoughts that blondes are dumb.

[B A R R Y]

I hear ya'!

At least he seems to have slowed down with dropping David Marks' name.

While WW (I can't remember his name...) does look like he has some skills, he does smack of a guy who couldn't make much money as a pro, designing and building things, so we went the media / instructing route. I think he actually has promise as a demonstrator, but without the portfolio of a DJM, Lonnie Bird, Frank Klaus, etc...

Did you ever notice how little WW does with hand tools?

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[Douglas Johnson]

I had the opportunity to spend a day (it turned out to be a long day) woodworking with him. He was as accessible and easy going as anybody could ask. He also has a wicked sense of humor. But he doesn't pass out compliments like gumdrops. -- Doug

[LRod]

Was WoodWorks ever on PBS? I thought that was a DIY original. I remember David mentioning as he was describing the production process the voiceover work he had to do in post including the extremely annoying "when we come back..." and "previously on our project..." segments bracketing the commercials.

I was also surprised at how pressing (and unrealistic) the production team could be regarding time and the processes to be demonstrated. He mentioned one segment in which he was to do a glueup which would take several minutes on a good day, but if pushed, he might be able to do in 50 seconds. They alloted 7 seconds. He argued, they insisted, he tried to explain, they insisted, he did it in 50 seconds, anyway, and let them "fix it in post."

Although it generally looked like he was enjoying the show, there was apparently a fair amount of behind the scenes frustration. Still, he was ready to do more when they pulled the plug on production. I don't remember (if I knew) whether that was a DIY decision or the productiont company.

[Swingman]

"LRod" wrote

You're right ... I've always used a DVR to record WoodWorks because I was usually gone on Saturday nights. I _thought_ I remembered the original shows without commercial interruption, which could only have happened on PBS.

I'm definitely making a conscious effort to do less thinking as time goes by, apparently for good reason ...

Currently recording the ones I lost and I certainly don't remember all the aggravating crap DIY flashes on the screen during the actual "re-run" content.

[LRod]

All of the stations are doing those now. It's the bane of modern TV watching. Where it really annoys me is when the original programming has its own chyron with either subtitling or some other descriptive material,. fairly important to the content, and it gets covered up in reruns by an invitation to watch next Tuesday's something or other.

[nailshooter41]

Man oh man, that's a pet peeve of mine. And something I saw starting last year was the animated ads featuring all the people in a cast that walk on the screen (all the way across) and pose while another graphic swims around on the right finally forming a time and a date for that show's cast to look at.

And I have no patience for the shows with commercials. If I can't see it without interrruption, 99% of the time I won't watch it. The shows aren't good enough to keep my attention. I will literally wander off during commercial and come back after the show is over. No, I don't have ADD, the shows just aren't good enough to keep my attention.

It started with the VCR, and auto-skip on commercials. I had been FF through commercials for years, doing it manually, but the auto-skip just made it too easy. And if a show doesn't grab me at the opening, it's gone. I have no idea how anyone sits down to "watch" as show as it is being broadcast anymore if it has commercials.

I have the finger on FF all the time on recorded shows, too. Much better use of time, and much less aggravating when viewing TV.

Robert