The Great British Woodshop

[newt]

I have just been watching the GBW and its ok but it is a direct copy of Norms programme NYW. I guess there is no copyright on NYW but I am amazed that the structure, the visit to an old house, the use of machines, pneumatic hammers, etc. The only difference I could see was that dado's are called trenches and the glue is white not Yellow.

 

[John McM]

You're right of course but I like it and it's a lot better than endless shows on dwarfs, fishing, plastic surgery and god knows what else Discovery has been screening lately.

 

[Calpol]

I quite like it as well but you're right, it is the same as Norm's prog. And as Mr McM says, much much better than Discovery's other kak. Except Tommy Walsh's new prog, that's good

 

[p111dom]

Personally I liked the 'Cutting Edge Woodworker'. At least that was semi realistic. One guy with a combination machine (all be it an expensive one), a band saw and little else, making furniture out of realistically priced materials like veneered MDF. Norm as good as he is IMHO only shows you what's achievable with a workshop bigger than the entire plot of my house, a heated floor and 200k worth of machines. Very nice for him but rather frustrating when you're following a build and he gets to the stage where he just pops the piece through his 60 inch wide roller sanding machine and straightens an edge on a jointer with beds that go on to infinity! :shock:

 

[chippy1970]

I quite like it as well but you're right, it is the same as Norm's prog. And as Mr McM says, much much better than Discovery's other kak. Except Tommy Walsh's new prog, that's good

Dont know if anyone else agrees with me but I cant stand Tommy Walsh.

He always has to pretend he knows everything and always has to put down whoever he is working with on his shows to make himself look good.

Shame he cant stick to bricklaying or paving which is his trade.

 

[Calpol]

I was thinking the same when I was watching it last night actually! But I'm quite into property related stuff and the program itself is pretty good I reckon.

As for the Cutting Edge Woodworker, I'm not sure that's even the guys workshop... If you've ever seen Barn Free the guy in it called Lester I think owns that one.

 

[Slim]

Dont know if anyone else agrees with me but I cant stand Tommy Walsh.

He always has to pretend he knows everything and always has to put down whoever he is working with on his shows to make himself look good.

Shame he cant stick to bricklaying or paving which is his trade.

I absolutely agree with you, apart from the paving bit. I am a landscaper by trade and I cringed everytime I saw Tommy Walsh laying paving. He used to level the stones with his boot! :shock:

I think he is one of those guys who says "that'll do" instead of doing things properly.

 

[wizer]

I guess there is no copyright on NYW

GBW &NYW were produced by the same people

 

[jonny boy]

I'm also with the Tommy Walsh hate club. Can't stand the bloke. Whenever a co-worker gives him any critisism, he likes to get on his high horse and you can tell that he's dying to say "i'm not playing anymore, it's my program"

cheers,
jon.

 

[Steve James]

Have to agree. As soon as the smug gits face is on, even the adverts, I have to switch channels!
Just a jobber who got lucky, right time, right place!

 

[newt]

Wizer, that explains why they are the same, just a different guy one with lots of hair and one with none.

 

[Argee]

I have just been watching the GBW and its ok but it is a direct copy of Norms programme NYW. I guess there is no copyright on NYW but I am amazed that the structure, the visit to an old house, the use of machines, pneumatic hammers, etc. The only difference I could see was that dado's are called trenches and the glue is white not Yellow.

The reason for the similarity might be that GBW was directed by one of the original directors of NYW. Here's what the site info says:

"The Director – JOHN PELRINE
In his long and successful career, John Pelrine has brought many great shows to American audiences. Perhaps best known is The Victory Garden, a classic that John produced for WGBH in Boston for nearly 15 years where he worked with the creators of "This Old House" and "The New Yankee Workshop". In 1995, after 18 years at WGBH, John started Port Productions. His recent shows/successes include the award-winning Great Gardeners series on Home & Garden Television, The Indoor Gardener, and At Home on Earth, an environmental special. He has also produced and directed programs for Animal Planet, Odyssey, Public Television, and commercial syndication."

Ray.

 

[andy king]

One thing that made me laugh with a show that had Tommy Walsh on was when they were renovating a sash window and he was changing the cords.
He put a spirit level on the meeting rail and said it was important to make sure they were level as they wouldn't operate properly!
Err... balanced weights, rope?
I've re-corded hundreds of windows and i've yet to put a level on one!
I've not seen that one repeated... :lol:

Andy

 

[Calpol]

He didn't like it t'other day when a guy said (as a joke) he had been practising on a bit of wall that was immensely naf. He went all serious with the guy who was his pal, I thought he was just going to laugh

 

[chippy1970]

Yeah I saw that Calpol he doesn't like anyone showing him up.

If you see any old Ground Force programs Titchmarsh does it to him so he must have learnt it from him.

When he works with that Alan ,sorry don't know his sir name, he has to try to look better than him but Alan is a very good woodworker as far as I have seen.

When he built that Ultimate Workshop what a load of rubbish, started out good then he put that stupid mezzanine up and down floor in and a plasma telly. Yeah i'm sure we would all like a plasma telly and a bar in the shed but most people would rather have more tools instead.

 

[TonyW]

Dont know if anyone else agrees with me but I cant stand Tommy Walsh.

He always has to pretend he knows everything and always has to put down whoever he is working with on his shows to make himself look good.

Shame he cant stick to bricklaying or paving which is his trade.

I absolutely agree with you, apart from the paving bit. I am a landscaper by trade and I cringed everytime I saw Tommy Walsh laying paving. He used to level the stones with his boot! :shock:

I think he is one of those guys who says "that'll do" instead of doing things properly.

Think you guys could be right. Although he may be looking to improve his knowledge. Did you see his build of the Ultimate Workshop? He had an electrically operated mezzanine floor and had equipped his workshop with a large plasma screen. Do you think he might be intending to buy some DVD's by the likes of David Charlesworh, Rob Cosman, Frank Klaus etc etc

Cheers
Tony

 

[newt]

I think its fair to say that in a woodworking shop there may just be some sawdust, I can only assume that there was some device that stopped it going up to that silly floor. Absolute joke, do they assume we are all thick as planks?

 

[Paul.J]

Yes i thought that show to be a big disappointment in the end.
Was it his workshop anyhow. :?:
I used to think he was alright but it seems he's got a bit too big for his boots.
Think the GBWS is good though
Paul.J.

 

[chippy1970]

Good to hear i'm not alone in the Tommy Walsh NON fan club.

Also did you see when he put the featheredge cladding on the workshop he secret nailed it so that there was only one nail right at the top of each plank cover by the bottom of the next plank up.

Problem with that method, yes it looks nice no visible nails but you will find the planks curl up to buggery if you don't fix the bottom edge too. I would love to see that workshop now bet it looks a right old mess.

PS yes I do still watch his programs but only because that seems all there is at the moment on Discovery as NORM seems to have gone for awhile.

 

[JPEC]

Yes, i only saw the feather edge one and i refused to watch it after that.
The boards were curling before the end of the program!
Unfortunately im sure a lot of people will watch and follow his methods, only to find later he doesn't have a clue what he is doing!

Julian