Pop Wood article on Woodworker Guilds

[Charlie Kocourek]

Has anyone read the article in this month's Pop Wood Magazine about "The Boys in the Guild"?

It describes Woodworker Guild members as "a bunch of wackos" and then goes on to describe several people who they say you can expect to meet at your local Guild meeting.

They start the article with a few positive comments about how Guilds are a great place, but I found the bulk of their article really quite offensive.

I have found the people at my local guild to be friendly, educated, intelligent, hardworking, and very talented. Sure most Guilds are filled with hobbyists. But, who do they think buy all the woodworking magazines? Not to mention the fact that it is also the hobbyist who supports their advertisers, without which there would be no Pop Woodworking.

I know that they will say that it was not meant to offend and that I should understand bla bla bla. I don't care what they claim to have meant. The fact is that it was a slam on hobbyists and I am no longer interested in them or their magazine.

[Gary Keedwell]

Has anyone read the article in this month's Pop Wood Magazine about "The Boys in the Guild"?

It describes Woodworker Guild members as "a bunch of wackos" and then goes on to describe several people who they say you can expect to meet at your local Guild meeting.

They start the article with a few positive comments about how Guilds are a great place, but I found the bulk of their article really quite offensive.

I have found the people at my local guild to be friendly, educated, intelligent, hardworking, and very talented. Sure most Guilds are filled with hobbyists. But, who do they think buy all the woodworking magazines? Not to mention the fact that it is also the hobbyist who supports their advertisers, without which there would be no Pop Woodworking.

I know that they will say that it was not meant to offend and that I should understand bla bla bla. I don't care what they claim to have meant. The fact is that it was a slam on hobbyists and I am no longer interested in them or their magazine.
No offense...but I never heard of Pop Wood Magazine nor have I seen it on the newsstands.
Gary

[Charlie Kocourek]

Sorry Gary, I should have written it out.

[Gary Keedwell]

Sorry Gary, I should have written it out.
http://www.free-animations.co.uk/messages/miscellaneous/images/message_146.gif LOL I was going nuts google-ing Pop Wood. Now I feel stupid:p
Gary

[Gary Keedwell]

I remember reading that article a few weeks ago and thought it seemed odd and out of place. He made it seem like woodworkers are eccentric and oddballs out of some TV sit-com or something.
Most woodworkers that I have meet are down to earth and humble. Although I have to admit that since I started "talking" online a few short years ago, my perception of woodworkers has changed a little. :eek::D

Gary

[Don Stutsman]

Have you told Popular Woodworking how you feel? Magazines often use 'freelance' writers and may not have adequately proofed the article. I, for one, am quick to point out things I disagree with - my elected representatives would like my email access rendered mute. Send PW an email, yes maybe they will wiggle and weasel but at least you'll have had your say.

[Randy Klein]

I thought it was funny and didn't take it as a serious editorial.

[Mike Henderson]

That article is available here (http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articledisplay?id=14857). Maybe the writer was just trying to be funny.

Mike

[Don Stutsman]

Having just read the article, I also believe it to be an attempt at humor. Just think about it for a while and you will be able to place a face with each personality described. If we can't occasionally step back and laugh at ourselves - we may be taking things way to seriously.:D

[Dennis Peacock]

Funny or not, I still don't subscribe....even today. Now I have another reason why I should not be a subscriber. ;)

[Walt Nicholson]

I thought it was all written in fun. Just about any guild (or forum) has people just like he described (your's is nice but mine is nicer, my tools are more expensive", etc. as well as the regular guys. Somebody famous once said "If you are going to laugh at someone, laugh at yourself first, it's a lot more fun." I think that was what he was doing. Just my 2 cents worth again.

[Christopher Pine]

You probably won't find anybody with more of an attitude of "I will not subscribe to thet magaziine" than I. I think it was just a humorous article about guilds. I know being in a guild for a long time now (guessing 15 years) that the people metined in the article are certainly present in our guild.
I found this magazine to not be worth much honestly. There are probably exceptions from time to time but I stopped subscribign in the early ninties. The final straw was whe they had plans to build a ladder, A LADDER!
While some may find that interesting I found it ridiculous! SO to each his own.

[Randy Klein]

I found this magazine to not be worth much honestly. There are probably exceptions from time to time but I stopped subscribign in the early ninties.

I didn't read this mag in the early nineties, but I really like the direction Chris Schwarz has taken the mag in the past few years. It seems to be more of a blend of hand tool/power tool approach to woodworking that resonates with me. You may want to check them out again...

[Matt Meiser]

Gee, I just thought it was a humourous article. That column is almost always poking fun at someone--its kind of the point of the column. Have you honestly never met people like the ones "named" in the column?

And I agree with Randy that Chris Schwarz has really turned the magazine around from where it was say 5 years ago.

Now if he had mentioned the geeky programmer guy, THEN I'd be ticked. :rolleyes:

[Gary Keedwell]

I'll also agree that the magazine is alot better the last couple of years. I had stopped subscribing but have been on mailing lists again.
Gary

[Gregory Lyons]

Oh, it's not just WW guilds. I believe that you can find these types of people in every group or gathering. I may actually be several of them. FWIW, were I to be in a guild at this point, and only had the types outlined in the article, I'd most likely be the video guy.

~g

[Paul Geer]

I think it's tongue-n-cheek :) I' have met some of these guys ;) at the local meets.

I don't subscribe to Popular Woodworking either, but then I have dropped a lot of other magazines too! :rolleyes:

[Matt Bickford]

You must be the absolute epitome of one of these people. Which is it?

[Mike Henderson]

You must be the absolute epitome of one of these people. Which is it?
Being the engineer, I'm probably the guy who wants to tell you how to make a clock when you just asked me for the time.

Mike

[Rick Gifford]

Deffinately tongue in cheek article. :p I think this guy is me:

Each month “Pallet Wood Larry” provides another tale of his exploits of frugality. Two months ago he described a highboy made entirely of OSB cutoffs he got from the subdivision going in across town. Last month, he told the details of a tall clock made from pallets gleaned from the shipping dock behind TJ Maxx. Larry has spent his life creating unique furniture, and the only piece of lumber he ever actually paid for came from the Good Humor Man and had ice cream attached.

Ok that Good Humor line was down right funny!

[Matt Bickford]

I'm the one that has 0 vocabulary and is verbally unable to explain any type of processes I took as a result.

[Robert E Lee]

That write up was on the funny or as they call it the opp's page.
Bob

[Tyler Howell]

I got a good laugh out of it Charlie, You got to admit there are some that come pretty closse at MN.:D

[Michael Gibbons]

I work with a few guys like that at Ford Motor Company. Always going to ONE-UP you. They know everything from how to make better coffee to quantum physics. Gets old sometimes.

[Thomas Knighton]

I've known dozens of people who are always better/smarter/more accomplished than you, no matter what the subject. You rafter down the Amazon? They dog paddled the entire length. That kind of thing. For some reason, I seem to attract them :rolleyes:

Tom

[Charlie Kocourek]

It looks like most people really did see it as humorous. I guess it bothered me so much because I think the Guild is so great!

For $30/yr we get discounts all over town, educational speakers on a monthly basis, we get to rub elbows with some of the best woodworkers in the country, once a year they bring in a national speaker like Jeff Jewitt, or Frank Klauz, and if that is not all they even give tools away at the meetings! AND, I really like the people. These are my friends you're talking about.

Nuff said. I guess I'll just fold up my soapbox and get back in the shop.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! :)

[Jack Hogoboom]

I thought it was a hoot. Unfortunately, I am the guy who has all of the latest power tools, has read everything about how to make a mortise and tenon, but has actually never made one (seriously).:rolleyes:

Just don't tell my wife.....

Jack

[Pat Germain]

That article was absolutely intended to be harmless humor and I did indeed find it quite funny.

One all-too-common woodworker type not mentioned, and not very funny, is "Carl Crank". Carl Crank is so smitten with his woodworking superiority, he belittles and berates anyone who knows less than he; which is pretty much everyone.

Carl Crank often works at mom & pop lumber yards or woodworking supply stores because actual cabinet shops and furniture factories won't put up with him. He's the guy who yells at you if you dare to ask if it's OK to look through the stack of walnut with bark and beatles on top.

Carl will always ask you what kind of saw you have; even if you're just wanting to know where the Seal A Cell is located. No matter what your saw, be it a Black & Decker benchtop or a three phase Mini Max, Carl will roll his eyes and overtly wonder why such a hack would dare to waste his time. After all, even though Carl is employed to serve customers, he is doing you a great favor by climbing down from his ivory tower and doing his job.

My local Woodcraft used to employ Carl Crank. I encountered him during my very first visit and didn't go back; for five years! It was certainly Woodcraft's loss. When I finally did go back, I found the staff very nice. When I mentioned my initial experience, they knew exactly who I was talking about and assured he was no longer employed there. (And, I expect, not employed anywhere!)

A coworker of mine told me just last week that he never visits Woodcraft. Why? Sure enough, he also encountered Carl Crank on his first visit. I assured him Carl was gone and encouraged him to support our local Woodcraft.

Carl Crank was also my middle school woodshop teacher. We had a great shop with an awesome collection of shiny new hand tools and power tools. We had hardwood literally stacked to the ceiling. Everything was always just like that because nobody was allowed to touch anything. Our mission was to sit quietly while Mr. Crank pontificated about what idiots we, and everyone else in the world, were. Our projects for the year were a construction paper notebook and a 12" board which was "Square!". He made all the cuts, of course.

I'm sure glad there are people out there like Norm and David Marks, as well as the folks here on SMC, because Carl Crank was turning many a woodworker away from the hobby and trade. Oh no, I'm not bitter... :rolleyes:

[Michael Gibbons]

I thought it was a hoot. Unfortunately, I am the guy who has all of the latest power tools, has read everything about how to make a mortise and tenon, but has actually never made one (seriously).:rolleyes:

Just don't tell my wife.....

Jack Is there anything really wrong with spending money on tools just to spend money on tools? Sometimes I don't turn on a tool for a week or more.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hey Michael, there are also those of us who will put in 16 hours or more woodworking over a weekend for several weekeknds in a row and still won't "turn on" a tool.;):D The quiet side means the loudest noise in the shop is the CD player or the radio.