Roughcut Woodworking Episode 802...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

One of our local PBS stations just televised the first episode over the air of Tom McLaughlin doing the new Roughcut Woodworking. He's different, interesting and I suspect will force me to improve my neander tool collection and skills. I liked it!

[Dave Richards]

Ken, are you going to build that little cabinet?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I am not planning on building that cabinet. I don't have the need or the vacuum press Dave.

[Dave Richards]

It would be a good excuse for a new tool. :D

[Dave Anderson NH]

I've known Tom personally for over 20 years. He is the real thing and trained under Pug Moore in NC years ago. He has been a member of the NH Furniture Masters Association since its inception and has volunteered in the prison outreach woodworking program for all that time. He also teaches for our NH guild and runs his own school. He is a true gentleman.

[Dave Richards]

Dave, that's nice to read. I've only had contact with him in the last few weeks as I work through creating plans for the projects featured on his show. I've found him to be very helpful andvery clear in his explanations when I have questions. I'd like to meet him in person.

[Rod Sheridan]

I've known Tom personally for over 20 years. He is the real thing and trained under Pug Moore in NC years ago. He has been a member of the NH Furniture Masters Association since its inception and has volunteered in the prison outreach woodworking program for all that time. He also teaches for our NH guild and runs his own school. He is a true gentleman.

Hi Dave, I really enjoyed the first 3 episodes, please pass my praise on to Tom the next time you see him.

If you're willing, I would also appreciate it if you could obtain some insight from him on the 2 aspects of the show that I wrote Fine Woodworking about.

1) The show uses a Felder sliding saw, yet Tom doesn't use it properly, he's using it with sleds. Why is he not operating the saw in the manner it's designed to be used? It looks very strange to not use the features of the slider, for example he was cross cutting with a sled on the slider, very odd as the slider does that by itself

2) Saw guard, why isn't it on the saw? I've had that issue with FWW often, as a premier publication I feel they should show equipment operated safely, wonder why Tom oerates the saw without the guard.

It's a great show, I enjoy his presentation much more than the previous host....................Regards, Rod.

[Dave Richards]

Rod, Felder is a sponsor of the show so the saw is product placement. I think they use a sled to make it more the way the majority of users will use a tablesaw. If he used the slider all the time some viewers would think you can't build those projects without an expensive saw with a slider.

[Rod Sheridan]

Rod, Felder is a sponsor of the show so the saw is product placement. I think they use a sled to make it more the way the majority of users will use a tablesaw. If he used the slider all the time some viewers would think you can't build those projects without an expensive saw with a slider.

Dave, thanks for the reply, that was my thought as well. I still think he should use the slider as designed to provide information to people who aren't familiar with sliders.....Rod.

[Izzy Camire]

I had never watched Rough Cut until I saw Tom was doing the show. I have enjoyed watching the show. What Dave Anderson said about Tom is true. I have met him a couple of times and thought he is a good guy. For that matter Dave is a good guy too.

[Dennis Peacock]

It would be a good excuse for a new tool. :D

Oh! I just KNEW that was coming! :D :D :D

[Rod Sheridan]

It would be a good excuse for a new tool. :D

Gee, I didn't know we needed excuses to buy a new tool.:D

regards, Rod.

[Tony Zaffuto]

The revised show is simply great! In its own way, I believe it is a worthy successor to Norm. The new Tom has a great manner of speaking, covering a great deal of infor, thoroughly, in a very limited amount of time!

[Rod Sheridan]

Rod, Felder is a sponsor of the show so the saw is product placement. I think they use a sled to make it more the way the majority of users will use a tablesaw. If he used the slider all the time some viewers would think you can't build those projects without an expensive saw with a slider.


Hi Dave, interestingly Felder have videos of Tom on their site making the same projects with their slider and shaper. It's not the entire show, just short sections.........Very odd..Rod.

[Dave Richards]

I don't see anything terribly odd about it. I imagine if they used the slider exclusively in the TV show, they would alienate some viewers because they'd think you have to have a slider to make the cuts. Using things like miter gauges and shopmade sleds makes it look much more accessible to the average woodworker.

[Simon MacGowen]

Hi Dave, interestingly Felder have videos of Tom on their site making the same projects with their slider and shaper. It's not the entire show, just short sections.........Very odd..Rod.

I am not a user of any slider, but I did find it odd for a slider used with a cross-cut sled in that episode. I had never seen a cross cut sled used on a sliding saw before.

It was like using a domino joiner as well as using a biscuit joiner to edge joint some boards, just because Festool was a sponsor and not every viewer had a dj. Or, cut a board to rough size with a Festool TS 55 and THEN trim it to final width on a tablesaw, because most viewers had a tablesaw but not a tracksaw. It was plain silly.

Simon

[Rick McQuay]

I really like the new format. They dropped the field trips at the beginning and the lumber is already milled and dressed ready to go. Big improvement. But I wish they would improve the quality of the web videos, the blurriness gives me a headache.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Since a majority of woodworkers don't use sliders, it would make sense to try to demonstrate how those woodworkers could do something on the standard table saw. Thus, a cross-cut sled on a slider.

Is it a big deal? I don't think so.

Sometimes people just want to be critical I'm thinking.

I enjoy the new show. 2 of the 3 PBS stations we get here finally are showing the new show. This week the project was made on a standard table saw.

[Rod Sheridan]

Ken, I view it as a lost learning opportunity.

it would be good if they had a 50/50 mix..............Regards, Rod.