April Wilkerson shop tour

[Jim Becker]

That's a good question. I don't watch either of them. But I'm thinking that they probably do more good than harm. I mean, Norm Abram still has a large fan base and many people have attributed their interest in woodworking to him. IIRC, he had a fair number of (sponsored) tools too.

And Norm also used some techniques that make experienced folks blink, too. That could be perceived as not good for woodworking, too. Then again, it made the work more approachable by folks new to woodworking and I'm one of those that was encouraged via watching NYW to take up the "sport" back in 1996 or so. Same for home improvement via TOH.

Honestly, the content providers on YouTube are filling the same entertainment space that folks like Norm filled "over the air" before something like YouTube was possible. Some of it is pure entertainment; some is very educational and clearly, there are the same kind of financial considerations now that there were "back in the day" of broadcast television as the primary source of video presentation. There are just more content providers now. I actually find myself watching more and more things these days. I learn a little. Scoff a bit. And sometimes find a gem.

[james manutes]

I'm in the "it's entertainment " camp , and don't have the venom I once did for the less skilled you tubers . Just don't watch it . Find what you do enjoy- go there . I avoid french cleat wall video's , most shop furniture builds , that sort of stuff . I do enjoy folk's who are good communicators . I'll start it and let it play while I work in the shop . Rob Cosman , Shannon Rodgers , and Mr. Spagnolo are just a few . The You Tube algarythm will learn what you watch , and "suggest" . For me it's just entertainment , nothing more .

[Mark Bolton]

Honestly, the content providers on YouTube are filling the same entertainment space that folks like Norm filled "over the air"

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I would argue that point a bit. The difference between youtube and the era of programming you reference is no one, from all the way back to the Bob Villa days, would ever be on the air in a "fake it til you make it" capacity. It would simpy never have happened. The mere widespread concept of "breadboard ends" and wood movement were instilled in you via that programming to do things properly. A massive percentage of the Youtube "creators" are clueless in that regard making catastrophically flawed work and "presenting it" on their channels as competent work.

As Ive said here before I will never forget an episode of "the woodwhisperer" (a title so audacious I throw up in my mouth every time I type it) where he espoused the virtues of making dovetail drawers, hand cut no less, surrounded by oceans of gold paint and lord knows how many other thousands of free geegaws and youtube cash rolling in, only to have it pointed out to him in the comments that he was so utterly clueless of the principals of dovetail construction that he had cut the pins and the tails on the wrong boards and had the drawer sliding sideways and in his oracle of wood wisdom had no clue.

And this is what leads to pinterest, etsy, youtube, and consumers, being fed miles and miles of work that will fall apart, self destruct, fail, green slabs encapsulated in epoxy because epoxy is a miracle material that halts all wood movement permanently and negates any need for drying.

You would never, ever, see shenanigans like that in the programming you mentioned. Now HGTV? of course, all bets are off. Thats the youtube horror show of cable tv.

[William Chain]

I’ve posted about this in the past, but I have little tolerance for the sponsored schlock. Sponsors screw everything up. Social media screws everything up. Just look at what PWW and WJ have become. YouTube and Instagram are a revolving door of sponsored bobble heads. And I’m sure manufactures are simply following the tide, it is what it is with print and traditional radio/tv media now.

If you get entertainment from these folks, great. I was done with AW way back when during the episode of making a tool wall with all my shiny triton tools to hold all my shiny triton tools (or perhaps using all those Rockler doodads to make a cart to hold all my Rockler doodads). I was done with WW after he posted his diatribe on Festool after the $ pipe dried up. They are transparent traveling salesman. Would WW be doing what he’s doing without the shed full of gold painted power tools? Would AW be doing what she’s doing without all the free orange and green tools? The whole botched dovetails thing with WW was just another data point on the familiar curve.

Say what you will about Norm Abram and TNYW, and yes some of the demonstrated techniques are cringe worthy, and yes he had tv sponsors. But did he ever stop to flog the brand of table saw or jointer or whatever? Nope. You could see what they were but at no point did he make a big deal of it. That’s a classy bit that’s just gone from the modern offerings.

[Frederick Skelly]

I’ve posted about this in the past, but I have little tolerance for the sponsored schlock. Sponsors screw everything up. Social media screws everything up. Just look at what PWW and WJ have become. YouTube and Instagram are a revolving door of sponsored bobble heads. And I’m sure manufactures are simply following the tide, it is what it is with print and traditional radio/tv media now.

If you get entertainment from these folks, great. I was done with AW way back when during the episode of making a tool wall with all my shiny triton tools to hold all my shiny triton tools (or perhaps using all those Rockler doodads to make a cart to hold all my Rockler doodads). I was done with WW after he posted his diatribe on Festool after the $ pipe dried up. They are transparent traveling salesman. Would WW be doing what he’s doing without the shed full of gold painted power tools? Would AW be doing what she’s doing without all the free orange and green tools? The whole botched dovetails thing with WW was just another data point on the familiar curve.

Say what you will about Norm Abram and TNYW, and yes some of the demonstrated techniques are cringe worthy, and yes he had tv sponsors. But did he ever stop to flog the brand of table saw or jointer or whatever? Nope. You could see what they were but at no point did he make a big deal of it. That’s a classy bit that’s just gone from the modern offerings.

The "fake it till you make it", "I make videos to get attention" and "social influencer" crowds turn me off. And if I watch a you-tube vid that turns out to be a glorified infomercial, I turn it off. But I enjoyed and learned from the small shop, regular guy who does "twisted workshop" as an input to building my moxon vise.

I never understood the hype with "Wood Whisperer." I bought a book of his once, before I even knew who he was. I thought he had some "pretty designs" but didnt get anything lasting or useful out of the book. I think I threw it out. With that said, I think the guy has probably brought some new people into the hobby - April too - if only by showing people that they didnt have to take 4 years of high school shop to learn to build something. And as long as they dont get hurt, I think that's a good thing.

YMMV.
Fred

[Andrew Seemann]

You can't really blame someone for accepting sponsorships. If one of us were doing videos, and Shiraz or Rob Lee or Tom Lie-Nielsen showed up with a truck in our driveway and started unloading tools and said, "Hi, free stuff for you; try to make it look good on camera," how many of us would tell them to stop?

Especially if it was the difference between being able to do it for a living or going back to sitting behind a desk all day.

[Ole Anderson]

Didn't we all have to fake it until we finally figured out how to make it? How many of us became a skilled woodworker overnight? We all learned from others and our own mistakes. How many of you at one time wondered if you could make it as a professional woodworker and decided not to pursue it? Times are changing, YouTube is here to stay as a way for folks to make a living doing what they love. Why so much hate? BTW, her latest video was a huge 3" thick slab/river table that had to be completed in 48 hours. IMO her best creation yet. No easy feat boys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEjp...AprilWilkerson

[Mark Bolton]

how many of us would tell them to stop?

A lot.....

[Mark Bolton]

Didn't we all have to fake it until we finally figured out how to make it?

Faking it til you make it is fine when you are not on someone elses dime. Working in your basement or garage wood shop making stuff for yourself, friends, family, that falls apart or is phenomenal is one thing. When you turn it into selling things for others (taking peoples money) and then when you find youve made a bunch of work that falls apart but your no longer "doing that" or have moved on to some other whimsy, its just shoddy. AW aside that happens more often than you can imagine. On many many forums (wildly on social media forums) its not uncommon for these "creators" to have spawned an industry of "makers" who either have a few tools, hate their day jobs, have a two car garage or a basement, and aftering making a few pieces for their own home or friends that get some oohs and ahhs, quickly begin making pinterest and other recreations to sell (for profit one would assume). Then at some point those flawed creations start to fail. And the posts soon begin stating "Please help.. I made 8 dinning room tables and sold them at a loss... they are all splitting and falling apart and all of the customers are wanting them remade, or want their money back, and a couple are threatening to sue me, what do I do?".

Thats the harsh reality many of us have read all too often. I dont think to many craftspeople simply puke a bunch of stuff out and then walk away. They would research, investigate, learn, and perhaps make several to feel it out, or make a few that youve never made before merely for the cost of materials stating to the customer you have no idea if this is going to work or not.

Its pretty simple stuff. Kinda like business 101 for the last 60 years.

Not the case with a lot in that crowd.

**edit** For poops and giggles, do me a favor in the morning. Call your attorney general and ask them about faking it til you make it...

[Mark Bolton]

YouTube is here to stay as a way for folks to make a living doing what they love. Why so much hate?

I am an utter addict. Like serious problem addict of Youtube. But are you telling me that your HVAC guy shows up and flubs your HVAC and you say "Oh well. just pay him.. we all fake it til we make it dont we?". Auto repair man? Your roofer? Appliance repair service? Plumber? Surveyor of your property? Realtor? Lawyer? Accountant? You just pay them all while they fake it til they make it?

Where does it end? Why do you extend a scammer acceptance from a "fake it til you make it" but you expect a full monetary refund from a retail store? Maybe they were just faking it til they made it? Or hedging their bets that you'd never try to return the junk they made for you?

[Ole Anderson]

I am talking about faking it on our own dime until we learn. Even craftsman have failures that they have to go back and fix.

[Prashun Patel]

Can’t speak about april, but about Spagnuolo: he is fantastic. He is relevant, educational, on point, and listenable.

He gives away a lot of free content. And it’s good content. He is honest when he has sponsors and is apologetic if he makes mistakes or misrepresents. He is savvy and a good educator.

Most of the good ones get sponsors because they are good and reputable and sponsors trust them not to be idiots.

About the only thing that bugs me about these guys is when they complain about negative feedback. But even that isn’t very often.

[Prashun Patel]

And about being shills for their sponsors, have you actually heard Woodtalk ? Spagnuolo almost makes fun of his sponsor. It’s clear he is uncomfortable about it and is afraid of being a hypocrite. His pieces are not mediocre but thought out well and relevant to what many might want to see.

I’m sure most of us would take a sponsorship if offered.

[Ben Rivel]

Can’t speak about april, but about Spagnuolo: he is fantastic. He is relevant, educational, on point, and listenable.

He gives away a lot of free content. And it’s good content. He is honest when he has sponsors and is apologetic if he makes mistakes or misrepresents. He is savvy and a good educator.

Most of the good ones get sponsors because they are good and reputable and sponsors trust them not to be idiots.

About the only thing that bugs me about these guys is when they complain about negative feedback. But even that isn’t very often.

Agreed! But IMO he is in an entirely different camp than content providers like April. Like to the degree of not even doing the same thing.

[Frederick Skelly]

It's fascinating to see the spectrum of opinions here. Lotta good people in both camps.