So it's back: Britain's Best Woodworker
- Thread starter seanf
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Tris
What am I doing here?
I will now, thanks for the heads up.
Quite enjoyed the last one, even if you could spot the winner a mile off.
Quite enjoyed the last one, even if you could spot the winner a mile off.
bourbon
Established Member
I watched it. Good product placement for companies. Proves the adage that if in doubt, bung more screws in it! (Works for me anyway)
I watched it last night. Still a lot of very basic errors, but they seem much more competent than last years entries. The guy who won the veneer-cutting exercise really dodged a bullet, imho - his table was a disaster and should have sent him home.
I didn't notice any, but funnily enough I'm now aware that you can Mak(ita)e any thing with the right (fes)tool.
I am very empathetic to them. Really it's a lesson in how not to do woodworking. Make over ambitious designs under time pressure with unfamiliar tools. What can possibly go wrong. ? 
thetyreman
Established Member
dunning kruger effect in full force on this show.
Watched this and all to often they overlook the time constraint and try to be over ambitious. There also seems to be a disconnect between design and actually making the item rather than approach it from designed to be manufactured so everything flows and you don't end up having to shove screws into joints to stop the wobble. What about that guy who actually drove screws from above through the table top, surely it is basic knowledge that you attach a table top from below so no holes in the top.
If they are all woodworkers then even if they dont own some of the tools they should at least know of them.
Didn't one lady say she never used a circular saw before ?
What strikes me is the lack of mentoring. Someone should have told the winner that you can't make a hairpin table with no rails and expect it to be sturdy. That grid table with loads of half lap joints requires great precision I'm not surprised he ran out off time.. I made one once and it was an absolute beggar to get the joints to close up. Was it even a ' dining table ' as we know it .?
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Yep, makes good TV but so often the woodworkers end up unhappy with their pieces due to the constraints of the show. Assuming it is made as it is shown to the viewers, it also seems pretty harsh to take them off the main project halfway through so they can do a second, unrelated task that requires quick thinking, design and precisionI am very empathetic to them. Really it's a lesson in how not to do woodworking. Make over ambitious designs under time pressure with unfamiliar tools. What can possibly go wrong. ?
She had never used a track saw. Hopefully the three tech assistants keep an eye on her! I'm very much a beginner, so would be concerned if I had to be learning on the go in such a quick paced environment
Sean
It would be interesting to put an experienced woodworker into the mix without the others knowing as a reference, this would produce something that is the best in the given available time allowed.
ajs
Established Member
When I saw the title in the schedule I assumed it was people who knew what they were doing, there's been plenty of series, pottery, stonemasonry etc like that. Didn't tune in because while I have the utmost respect for fine cabinet work I really don't have a lot of time for it. Ultimately what does a mitred dovetail have to do with the price of fish? If it's not like that I'll give it a go.
Personally I quite like that jewellery one with Katherine Ryan. It may be jewellery but it's resistant materials, precision work, and the contestants seem competent, even if at times they're asked to do something they've never done before, well, that's the life of any tradesman.
Personally I quite like that jewellery one with Katherine Ryan. It may be jewellery but it's resistant materials, precision work, and the contestants seem competent, even if at times they're asked to do something they've never done before, well, that's the life of any tradesman.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
The jewellery one is quite good, but it would be better without the irritating Katherine Ryan. If you google the contestants (and of the first series) you'll find they are all professional to a greater or lesser extent, some having had a lot of qualifications and experience. Being cynical I'd almost think some of their cockups were stage managed for the camera - they are often beginner's mistakes.
When you look at many of these programs they seem to include an ***** or oddball as part of the lineup, someone who really delivers nothing to the program except the odd stuupid comment or daft routine. Noel Fielding / Matt Lucas in the bakeoff, Joe Lycett in the sewing program and there must be others,
Nothing to stop someone doing it outside the program, and in parallel... could make an interesting youtube series of videos
Cooper
Established Member
I was surprised that nobody made a Shaker table, it seemed the obvious elegant and sturdy theme to choose.
I would have liked to see more of the laminated arch table. It would have been interesting how she joined the frames together and why someone obviously familiar with woodworking made such of horlicks of the top?
Sadly they are still more interested in the bizarre people than the interesting work.
However, I'm looking forward to future programmes.
I would have liked to see more of the laminated arch table. It would have been interesting how she joined the frames together and why someone obviously familiar with woodworking made such of horlicks of the top?
Sadly they are still more interested in the bizarre people than the interesting work.
However, I'm looking forward to future programmes.
Watched it last night and noticed the standard was slightly improved over last year’s atrocious.
One common theme is that they design stuff that’s either way outside their competency or needs more than two days to complete, or more usually both.
The only person I saw that handled tools like they’d done it before was the shopfitter, the rest didn’t.
Be nice to see a series with tradespersons competing, similar to Masterchef Professionals.
One common theme is that they design stuff that’s either way outside their competency or needs more than two days to complete, or more usually both.
The only person I saw that handled tools like they’d done it before was the shopfitter, the rest didn’t.
Be nice to see a series with tradespersons competing, similar to Masterchef Professionals.
Blackswanwood
Still Learning
I agree, or alternatively contestants made up from students going through the training of one of the makers/schools that teach cabinet making (Rowdean/Marc Fish/ Waters & Ackland etc)
Richard_C
Established Member
The problem is the title, "Britain's Best...". Things like Bake Off and Sewing Bee don't claim such nonsense. If any of the contestants really are Britain's best, then we are a nation of wobbly furniture, half finished jobs and dodgy design.
ajs
Established Member
Well I have to admit my "thing" is for redheads so I'm probably not best placed to comment on an objective sense.
They don't deny they are in the trade, but it is surely a broad area. They seem to come from the artisan end, I'm sure they can make a good living saying "I only work silver" or "I do necklaces and earrings".
Last episode I watched they were asked to cast work, I'm sure you can in practice go a whole career without even trying. But it wasn't just casting, it had to be either sand-cast or in a cuttlefish shell. If you know e.g. lost wax then you're plain out of luck.
