Paul, his version of sharpening

[paulrbarnard]

I watch his videos from time to time. I’ve even made a couple of his desk tidy boxes. I find his techniques align fairly well with mine and a bit of positive reinforcement always feels good
I only have one issue with him and that I would call arrogance. There is no flexibility in his outlook and a definite “my way or the highway” tone to his forum.

Don’t knock CLS as a material for a bench. I made mine over 20 years ago and it is still doing its job perfectly.

 

[Adam W.]

I don't like his beard.

 

[tibi]

Jacob, you misunderstand that cheap tools and machine bashing is his shtick, fuelled by the desire to sell something (video, books, lessons, tools) for real money (hypocritical since he talks of cheap woodworking). His angle is aimed at maintaining an army of followers, and his Gospel of St Paul lyrics are a poorly disguised display of narcissism.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Let's find 3 recent videos, where Paul did not mention a single time that he has been woodworking for 50+ years.

But there are people, where it is even more obvious, e.g.:

 

[Jacob]

....

it's because he's selling dishonesty packed as down to earth. he's the maharishi of woodwork. pay me and I'll show you the true path. which we all know is my method of sharpening.

Can't say I know what you are on about. I bought one of his books which was OK, and sold it later. No prob.
It's not "his" method of sharpening, it was everybody's, more or less totally traditional, though oil stones are better value than his diamond plates IMHO.
Modern sharpening and a lot of other nonsense came along with the mags and the gadget sellers - not everybody realises this.

 

[Jacob]

Let's find 3 recent videos, where Paul did not mention a single time that he has been woodworking for 50+ years.

But there are people, where it is even more obvious, e.g.:

Brilliant - Sellers needs to take some lessons!

 

[Trafalgar]

Somewhere floating around on the internet is a photo of Paul Sellers, Frank Strazza, and another cabinetmaker who I cannot remember when they were working together several years ago on pieces for the permanent collection at The White House. Sellers and Strazza met when Sellers lived in Texas I think.

So, he doesn't appear to be a complete piker as some in this thread might have you believe.

Funituremakers' careers ebb and flow these days (unfortunately). One year you're working on pieces of breathtaking difficulty, the next painted Shaker stuff to pay bills, or as Sellers -- selling various forms of woodworking instruction. One's mortgage holder isn't particularly interested in one's internet "cred." Woodworking without regard to waste, when one can ruin as many workpieces as it takes on their way to a "masterpiece" of craftsmanship is quite a different sensation than working against the clock and on a material and tool budget, and on a reproduction or custom design a customer has agreed to, signed off on, and booked your shop to produce -- exactly as designed or as a faithful copy -- no design changes midstream when one discovers the design was poorly conceived or requires skills one doesn't yet possess and has no time to acquire.

 

[Pabs]

modern 'computing machine

he mentions facebook so there is some techno-jive happening

convex bevel.

yes. that's all it is really - i left a comment to this regard but it hasn't appeared... yet. this is a bit arrogant imho but i do find his videos very useful esp starting out

is this the chap referenced in this other thread or is this someone else:

I believe that there is more than one way to successfully plane a bit of wood.

I also believe that D. Charlesworth knew what he was talking about and was a knowledgable man who was not prone to being a bragard or an obnoxious big head, unlike a certain youtuber and candidate for the Dunning-Kruger award for services to shed work, who I care not to mention by name.

 

[Adam W.]

Someone else.

 

[Pabs]

why are there so many scantily clad ladies when I search for 'UK workshop shed'
give me a clue pls adam

 

[Adam W.]

I get sheds, but I don't visit dubious parts of the internet

 

[tibi]

Somewhere floating around on the internet is a photo of Paul Sellers, Frank Strazza, and another cabinetmaker who I cannot remember when they were working together several years ago on pieces for the permanent collection at The White House. Sellers and Strazza met when Sellers lived in Texas I think.

So, he doesn't appear to be a complete piker as some in this thread might have you believe.

Funituremakers' careers ebb and flow these days (unfortunately). One year you're working on pieces of breathtaking difficulty, the next painted Shaker stuff to pay bills, or as Sellers -- selling various forms of woodworking instruction. One's mortgage holder isn't particularly interested in one's internet "cred."

I have seen that picture in the past but cannot find it anywhere. It was probably on the site of the 3rd craftsman, whose name I do not remember.

Here is a link to an article about the furniture. When you read it, you get the impression that Paul made them alone (he did not write the article, but maybe provided the data for it - I am not sure). I have heard Frank Strazza mention the white house cabinets many times, and he always says I participated in making those cabinets along with other craftsmen.

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/1...man-welcomes-third-us-president-use-cabinets/No mention of other craftsmen that worked on them on his blog either
https://paulsellers.com/2020/11/a-white-house-design/

 

[Jacob]

Jacob, there are a lot of things about Sellers I like. I also think that he has generally been good for hobby woodworking. I do not criticise his woodworking methods, even his sharpening method. Even the misinformation he throws around a great deal (I know enough to know this). I just find him, as a person, to be someone you need to understand is not what he seems.

Just noticed the edit.

I might add that I think I know why you defend Sellers. On one hand you share a sharpening method, which you spent years defending here.

We don't "share a sharpening method" so much as not having been gulled into all the complexities of the recent invention of modern sharpening.
He's taken to diamond stones which is a step that way and a waste of money IMHO.
I've been on similar journey - fiddling about with jigs, obsessing about angles, flatness etc but have got back to basics - trad sharpening more or less as practiced since the stone age probably. Quick and easy.

You also seem to share a focus on keeping luxury out of the workshop,

Not really. Value for money yes. Fewer gadgets, no fashionable retro planes.

but I think that Sellers differs from you in that you use a wider range of power tools.

Probably so. He may have machines tucked away in another shed!

 

[Trafalgar]

I have seen that picture in the past but cannot find it anywhere. It was probably on the site of the 3rd craftsman, whose name I do not remember.

Here is a link to an article about the furniture. When you read it, you get the impression that Paul made them alone (he did not write the article, but maybe provided the data for it - I am not sure). I have heard Frank Strazza mention the white house cabinets many times, and he always says I participated in making those cabinets along with other craftsmen.

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/1...man-welcomes-third-us-president-use-cabinets/No mention of other craftsmen that worked on them on his blog either
https://paulsellers.com/2020/11/a-white-house-design/

Appreciate the links. He may very well have the most odious personality of any professional woodworker around, but he has done important work, for important clients, and that's the only point I was attempting to make.

As an aside, a lot of people aren't aware that Thomas Moser, along with Chris Becksvoort, produced several New England highboys early in the history of Moser's business (a U.S. firm). Pretty flawless reproductions at that. Now, they're typically tossed off as "Shaker guys" with accompanying disdain that this sort of work (the highboys) is well outside their skillset. They ended up specializing in what the market wanted, a price points it was willng to pay, and produced in a way to make money. Moser retired a multimillionaire. His son runs the business now.

 

[mudman]

Appreciate the links. He may very well have the most odious personality of any professional woodworker around, but he has done important work, for important clients, and that's the only point I was attempting to make.

As an aside, a lot of people aren't aware that Thomas Moser, along with Chris Becksvoort, produced several New England highboys early in the history of Moser's business (a U.S. firm). Pretty flawless reproductions at that. Now, they're typically tossed off as "Shaker guys" with accompanying disdain that this sort of work (the highboys) is well outside their skillset.

No, there's one woodworker with a personality that is far more odious than his.

 

[Trafalgar]

No, there's one woodworker with a personality that is far more odious than his.

Good one. Joke's on me.

 

[TRITON]

I feel people should just design and make and not become anal about how to sharpen a blooming chisel.

Top furniture makers of today use machinery, routers etc etc Chisels are used sometimes, planes lesser so. But the point is is to get the design from head to paper- even as a super rough sketch and then onto the finished piece. If you think honing a chisel or iron for 9 hours makes you a competent furniture maker. It doesn't.

 

[Adam W.]

I feel people should just design and make and not become anal about how to sharpen a blooming chisel.

Top furniture makers of today use machinery, routers etc etc Chisels are used sometimes, planes lesser so. But the point is is to get the design from head to paper- even as a super rough sketch and then onto the finished piece. If you think honing a chisel or iron for 9 hours makes you a competent furniture maker. It doesn't.

Maybe it's because some of the most vocal compulsive sharpeners might not be such fantastic woodworkers after all and are afraid that they might get caught out when it comes to a bit of show and tell.

 

[rogxwhit]

Maybe it's because some of the most vocal compulsive sharpeners might not be such fantastic woodworkers after all and are afraid that they might get caught out when it comes to a bit of show and tell.

I daresay this applies in a lot of fields ... ;-)

 

[shammc]

er, I don't know what that means.

 

[Jacob]

View attachment 155229

Thanks for that. It's an american idiom, as discussed.