Britain's Best Woodworker

[robgul]

Radha was robbed again

Yebbut, why didn't he specify thicker timber and not have to waste all the time laminating stuff?

 

[robgul]

The series got slightly better as it progressed - the winner was worthy BUT it was really on design and creativity rather than woodworking skills (the judges were both design-led throughout the series) - the joinery skills shown by the two losers last night were pretty good, way better than Misti with pretty much just a saw, drill and screws.

IF it makes it to another series (anyone responded to the "take part" mention at the end????) then :
a) ditch the judges and find two that have a more balanced woodwork skills/design approach
b) think up more appropriate and realistic projects, perhaps with a tighter brief so that the contestants make similar items that can be judged by skill comparison rather than design,
c) ditch the "skills challenge" - that added nothing (especially the final one)
d) ditch the annoying Mel woman and find someone who still has the warmth and empathy to "look after" the consultants but doesn't spout all the stupid so-called jokes and humour.

 

[TRITON]

So who won. I missed the last prog.

 

[Lonsdale73]

So who won. I missed the last prog.

Who do you think?

 

[Chris152]

I'd say Misti's was by far the most interesting piece of woodwork in the final.

 

[akirk]

none of these programs are aimed only at the enthusiasts - they have to be of interest to the general public or they won't be made...
therefore, a focus on types of dovetails, etc. would switch people off if the actual item produced is not as good - so design has to be a big part of it and that is where Misti's skills lie... It is therefore more of an issue with the name of the programme than the content... If you looked at those three items they made and asked which would receive a commission to build one for someone's garden - it would probably be Misti's - finished / cohesive / funky / etc. rather than a wooden cube with a roof sitting on top of it - unfinished, or a wood wigwam...

 

[Lonsdale73]

Yebbut, why didn't he specify thicker timber and not have to waste all the time laminating stuff?

True, maybe he just got off on the idea of having 120 clamps at his disposal. Still robbed as even 'unfinished' his final build had far more to do with woodworking than something using half a ton of screws to stiffen it up.

 

[paulrbarnard]

True, maybe he just got off on the idea of having 120 clamps at his disposal. Still robbed as even 'unfinished' his final build had far more to do with woodworking than something using half a ton of screws to stiffen it up.

If he had finished the roof I think he would have won. Misti did have the most eye catching design though it would last no more than a few months actually outdoors.

 

[Lonsdale73]

If he had finished the roof I think he would have won. Misti did have the most eye catching design though it would last no more than a few months actually outdoors.

I did think it was going to look as hideous as his drinks cabinets and I'm never going to see daisy Dukes in the same way ever again however I concede it did look better than expected. But was it - what was her phrase? - "actual, proper jointing"? I'm not so sure it was. I don't think it was best on the night and Misti wasn't best throughout the series. In summing up at the end, I had to laugh at the bit about "winning despite being different" when I'd argue being different meant they were a shoe-in from the first program.

 

[Chris152]

Woodworking is not just joints - they're nothing more than a means to an end. It's like reducing writing to spelling and punctuation. Obviously, if they're bad things fall apart, but to reduce woodworking to that is very narrow and of little interest in the broader picture of woodworking. It's many things.
I also think the attention in some posts above to gender is silly.

 

[Lonsdale73]

Woodworking is not just joints

That's as maybe and to some extent was covered by some entrants and the skill challenges which included turning, carving and marquetry. However, to liken it to other series, e.g. Bake Off, for a final I would be expecting bit more of a showstopper, one that demonstrated 'actual proper' skills rather than driving in screws everywhere. To put it in some kind of perspective, when I got into woodworking, I watched a lot of videos by the likes of Steve Ramsey and April Wilkerson. A lot of April's stuff is clever, practical and it looks good - her output, that is. However, and I have to admot I've not watched any of her videos for a while now, everything was pocket-holed together. Pocket-holes are another means to an end, some like them, some don't and I found them a great help when I was getting started. But is it woodwork?

A lot of it comes down to perspective; if end product is all that matters then the process is incidental. For me, it served as that means to an end, it gave confidence to tackle more demanding projects and develope my woodworking skills. I no longer use pocket-holes. And ignoring the glaring misnomer, when I tune into a program labelled Britain's Best Woodworker then that's what I want to see. Gender/race/orientation entirely irrelevant.

 

[Spectric]

none of these programs are aimed only at the enthusiasts - they have to be of interest to the general public or they won't be made...

That is the problem, they need a dose of reality tv added to attract the general public who may have no interest in actual woodworking. I would think the application process filters out anyone who is too normal, potentially boring or lacks some weird traits so the likes of Mr Milliard and Mr Sefton need not apply.

Woodworking is not just joints - they're nothing more than a means to an end.

True and false, no point in having a load of perfect joints if nothing is actually made but how do you judge someones ability or skills, what are you accessing them on. If it is just a final product then you need to aim for simple joints so as to complete the task in the short period of time allocated, but if the emphasis is on skill then joints become important but you are not really given enough time so at the end of the day your main task is to entertain the audience. Perhaps during the application process you need to produce something you have made to show you have the skills given enough time.

 

[recipio]

The brief was a bit misleading. What is a 'Garden Shed' anyway ? I think Misti won because the judges liked the seating although it was not specified in the brief. She also kept the joinery under control by screwing things together. I think Radha came a cropper by trying to use proper joinery in a fairly large structure. ?

 

[Chris152]

True and false, no point in having a load of perfect joints if nothing is actually made but how do you judge someones ability or skills, what are you accessing them on.

I guess that's the key question - what are the criteria for judgment? I'd have thought there could be many, quite different, for assessing how good a woodworker is. It's not just the making, but also the thinking. They really don't spell out the criteria properly in the programme, and they're inconsistent, so viewers (us) start applying our own. Which is kind of interesting, we all have our own criteria/ emphasis and it gets us animated about what we're seeing.
ps That said, there is such a thing as fitness-for-purpose, and if you're building a stool that's going to collapse when you sit on it, you've got a problem...

 

[TRITON]

Who do you think?

I think Misti.

This has been an interesting thread, all full of replies that fail to understand design and make are two separate entities. And mainly coming from people who take 2 years to make a one drawer cabinet*

* I have to say i fall into this category too

 

[Stigmorgan]

I agree with the majority in that Radha probably should have won, had he ordered timbers to the size he wanted rather than laminating and having to wait for the glue to dry then he would have had time to do all the jointing he wanted to and get the roof finished and secured down, with a completed structure he may well have won, having said that though I actually really liked Misti's build and based solely on the final was a deserved win but I agree with a previous comment in that it won't last long in the garden, those plywood connectors for a start would be lucky to survive a single year in our wet climate

 

[MARK.B.]

Methinks there will be a considerable amount of slightly used clamps on sale very soon

 

[AJB Temple]

Can't see this series being recommissioned in this form.

 

[scooby]

It definitely needs an overhaul. Either less people (or get rid of more than one at a time) and allow more time for each project.

 

[Lonsdale73]

Methinks there will be a considerable amount of slightly used clamps on sale very soon

They've already been donated to some charity so not all bad.