Craft it yourself C4 8pm tonight

[ColeyS1]

Could be worth a watch

Coley

 

[Marineboy]

While it's good to see new programmes that aren't Holby/Strictly/One Show/Golf/Wimbledon etc etc I found this disappointing. It contained the annoying camera, editing and music gimmicks that seem to blight some programmes and only reduce the time available to convey actual information. And the skills of the so called 'craftsmen', on last night's evidence at least, seem in short supply.

 

[AndyT]

At risk of sounding like a grumpy old man... I watched some of it, but didn't want to waste my time watching any more. What I did see (a beaded lamp and a bench with a woven seat) seemed to focus on the"humour" of clumsy presenters making mistakes and were projects where very little skill was needed. Maybe the session with the professional blacksmith was better - at least there's some effort and technique on display there.

This sort of programme always seems to be disappointing on mainstream TV. How fortunate we are to have YouTube!

 

[Racers]

They described hardening as tempering in the knife making bit and used a bit of green wood as the "handle" I use that term loosely.

Pete

 

[ColeyS1]

Oh no ! [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH] sounds like it could be wasting space on my hardrive.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[ED65]

They described hardening as tempering in the knife making bit ...

Not to defend the programme but tempering being a catch-all for the hardening process is actually very common. Obviously we know it should be "hardened and tempered" but "tempered steel" was often used as a shorthand, I think going back a great many years but don't quote me on that.

 

[hawkeyefxr]

I got all excited and made a seies link for this only to read that you panned it. Will have to go beck in and cancel it now, oh well.

 

[Jasper42]

I was not in last night had planned to watch it tonight.... may go and sit in the shed for a while. I think the problem is most people just cannot make anything, I would not say I'm anywhere near a gifted woodworker but can produce some what I would can OK items ( always room for improvement) people see what you do make and are amazed. That is not down to the quality (maybe one day) of my work but their lack of willing to think a project through and give it a go. I always get a sense of achievement of doing something new, tempered by the knowledge I can do better next time.

Austin

 

[custard]

I think the problem is most people just cannot make anything

I agree.

But it's inevitable when people have little free time and so many manufactured items are the product of such complex processes that any connection to the average DIY-er is now pretty much severed. Who can tinker with a modern car, or disassemble and fix an iPhone, or find time to run up a dress on a sewing machine?

I think a lot of people still crave the satisfaction of craftwork. But today's world provides such a poor grounding in hand skills that, even if they're motivated to try to make stuff for themselves, all most can manage is the pitiful tat that litters these programmes.

I sometimes wonder if that's what's behind the explosion in cookery programmes? The only practical opportunity most people have to actually make something with their own hands is to cook a meal?

 

[andersonec]

Watched a few minutes of it myself, saw where it was heading and switched it off. Browsing the tv channels the other night I came across some 'crafting' channel selling cardboard cut-out stuff for making christmas cards. :ho2 nearly went and got some sloe gin to join in the fun but went and got a dagger and tried to stab myself in the head.

Andy

 

[heimlaga]

The modern urbanized consumer culture gives poor grounding for craft skills.
I think that's the main problem.

Fortunately I come from a family of makers. People building their own houses and boats and rebuilding all sort of things and logging their own timber. That's how we always have done it. If you want it make it. We always were surprisingly rich on a not very large income just because we made our money go further than others did.
I was also fortunate to grow up surrounded by craftspeope of various sorts. Most of them dead now.

However most people who have grown up in the last 40 years did not get that upbringing.
-In fact lots of parents strife to isolate their kids from the detrimental effects to the social development that a kid allegedly gets when taking part in productive activities around home instead of playing computer games or hanging with friends or going to one more of the plethora of organized kid's activities there are nowadays. Actually I have over and over again been told by parents in my generation that my parents screwed up my upbringing and that I mustn't bring it on to possible kids of my own in the future.
-Even when paren'ts don't actively discourage thir kids from doing things they are usually too busy to do anything themselves so the kids never get the idea. Simply because in order to finance keeping up the modern day norm for consumption of ready made stuff you need to work a great number of hours and when you come home you are too tired to make anything. Hence you must work even more hours for profit so you can buy even more ready made stuff. Until you are burned out and never ever are able to make anything anymore.
I am often told by people in my generation that I am a bad and improductive citizen becuse I am debth free (until I take the smallest possible loan for a small house) and because I don't consume enough. If that is the sort of ideas their children are taught by example no wonder then they focus on consuming instead of creating.

I rekon that we must turn society around before we are all turned into work-and-consumption robots worn out and discarded at age 30.
Start by thinking and discussing at home what we actually need and what we don't need. With smaller needs one isn't forced to work overtime constantly. With a smaller workload one can make such things that are made with fewer hours than it takes to pay somebody else to do it. Suddenly there is less needs for loans and suddenly a morth or two on the dole during slow season doesn't matter which in turn allows for living in a place with fewer jobs and cheap property.
I am not promoting any sort of self-reliance-hippieism.
I am just promoting a way of life where you can pay off your debths and live a healthy life and with some likelyhood work until you are 65. All while bringing up resourceful and resilient children who know that even if you don't have the perfect career and don't have plenty of money to start with there are still other routes open to you in life than turning into an apathic hempsmoker on eternal benefits.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

I think the problem is most people just cannot make anything

I agree.

But it's inevitable when people have little free time and so many manufactured items are the product of such complex processes that any connection to the average DIY-er is now pretty much severed. Who can tinker with a modern car, or disassemble and fix an iPhone, or find time to run up a dress on a sewing machine?

I think a lot of people still crave the satisfaction of craftwork. But today's world provides such a poor grounding in hand skills that, even if they're motivated to try to make stuff for themselves, all most can manage is the pitiful tat that litters these programmes.

I sometimes wonder if that's what's behind the explosion in cookery programmes? The only practical opportunity most people have to actually make something with their own hands is to cook a meal?

You might be onto something with the cooking and baking explosion. I always thought it was just post recession - now we have no more money to buy and transform houses = new tv crazing of cooking shows.