Who do you follow on YouTube?

[sammy.se]

Of the planes I own, 100% of plastic handled ones (which is two) are intact.
100% of the wooden handled ones I have (which is one) is broken.
100% of the metal handled planes (a block plane and router plane) are intact.

Hope that helps.

Let me know if you'd like me to start a blog. Don't forget to like and subscribe!

 

[Ttrees]

You'd think Rob would take things to the next level, but he has a business based on constant newcomers.

Still, at least one can see some good habits, enough to progress sensibly, compared to staying where one is and not learning anything at all.

Some of the Cosman haters seem to forget the part about learners not being able to decipher much more sensible work habits.
That may take some time for some to be convinced of, obviously many still in the woods yet.

Ya know, it's the things you wouldn't even think about, take the absence of the angle poise lamp in many woodworker guru videos,
That's something which will likely make one aware of who's talking out their back passage.

 

[Jacob]

You'd think Rob would take things to the next level, but he has a business based on constant newcomers.

Still, at least one can see some good habits, enough to progress sensibly, compared to staying where one is and not learning anything at all.

Some of the Cosman haters seem to forget the part about learners not being able to decipher much more sensible work habits.
That may take some time for some to be convinced of, obviously many still in the woods yet.

Ya know, it's the things you wouldn't even think about, take the absence of the angle poise lamp in many woodworker guru videos,
That's something which will likely make one aware of who's talking out their back passage.

Are you saying an angle poise lamp is a good or bad indicator? Is an angle poise lamp the answer to all my problems? Mounted in the back passage?
It makes sense come to think. I'll try anything once, er, perhaps.

 

[D_W]

It would be a fairly meaningless poll, as this forum is majority UK based, and the stuff I read was talking about the plastic becoming brittle at very low temperatures. The sample size would be miniscule, in my opinion.

I agree - to some extent. I've used a few planes with the plastic handles in the shop dead of winter (shop gets to about freezing point on days when it's below outside), no issues.

I've had not so great luck dropping a plane, even off of a saw bench where it was against smarter ideas "stored" while something big is on the bench, and having the handles not break when the plane hits the floor.

I sniff out in this case a desire to say something that didn't need to be made up, but it's part of the pattern. Just like the comment on the post about making tools that the tradesmen making irons were just downtrodden working on a shoestring and not interested quality so you can just get a torch, stick it on an iron and put the iron in the bottom of a soda can and one up them.

There is one thing that you can do to improve the plastic handles should you ever come across them - scrape the seam off. it's the one thing about them that you will notice even after you're working on something long enough to forget that they're plastic.

 

[D_W]

this whole thread poses an interesting opportunity. if you're not making things but you feel like you want to and are a little lost, how can we get you making things?

I'd love to be able to say that I can make people mad enough to make things to prove me wrong, but that's not the trigger for the prickliness, anyway.

this isn't unique to this forum - speaking from a hand tool background. The things made thread is a kind of wonderful display of work still being done, just not too much is hand tool stuff, which seems to have run its course other than being a curiosity that people will watch to imagine or criticize.

 

[D_W]

Of the planes I own, 100% of plastic handled ones (which is two) are intact.
100% of the wooden handled ones I have (which is one) is broken.
100% of the metal handled planes (a block plane and router plane) are intact.

Hope that helps.

Let me know if you'd like me to start a blog. Don't forget to like and subscribe!

that's five! i've got two belt sanders with handles that feel like something similar to bakelite. i've had both less than a year and now one is broken

The handle houses the trigger and the wiring, so it's kind of hard to work around. Not a tool that I need, but a bummer none the less.

it didn't break from holding it too hard, it broke because I knocked the sander off of something about 18 inches high and it landed on the handle.

I've broken the handles of five planes dropping them.

four of them, I made, which somehow results in not much care being given to keeping them in the center of the bench or somewhere safe. three beech, one rosewood. the last was a malleable iron plane - those planes hold up well when they fall, but the handles don't.

I used to worry about beech open handled jack planes, because when you're not used to them, you can feel the handle flex a little in use. but the only one that's broken was one that fell. that i made. It's the example of a plane that hit the floor on its side and landed flat like a book, and the handle still broke off.

 

[thetyreman]

the original poster of this thread hasn't posted a thing since 2017 by the way, so in a way all this is pointless, just saying.

 

[D_W]

the original poster of this thread hasn't posted a thing since 2017 by the way, so in a way all this is pointless, just saying.

if we can solve the mystery of why people drag their feet going to the shop and making things (me personally for the first five years in indecision about both failing and what to make and how) all will not be lost.

 

[D_W]

plus, raffo got to call me off putting

And he's actually seen offputting in person when i'm in the middle of a buzz trying to figure things out.

 

[Jameshow]

Those who can do ...do.

Those who can't ...teach...

Those who can't teach ....YouTube!

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I find this whole old revived thread fascinating. It's interesting to me primarily because this subject of YouTube woodworkers/'gurus' (whatever you want to call them), plus blogs on the topic is almost completely unseen by me, yet it discusses in a one-step removed way the subject that has been my way of making a living for many years one way or another, as a designer, maker and educator. I think it is probably an exaggeration to say I've watched as many as ten to twenty woodworking videos on YouTube in the site's lifetime of about sixteen years. Before that you had to get videos on disk or tape, and I seldom watched any of those offerings either.

Yet such videos seem to be of great interest and perhaps learning to many people, as evidenced by the discussion in this thread, and also it seems certain presenters (gurus?) evoke a great deal of passion. In truth, I've never really felt an interest or need to seek skills or inspiration from such videos. It's always seemed to be the case that I'd got other things I'd rather do than spend my spare time watching other people either working with tools or making stuff. Maybe that's because so much of my working time has involved doing pretty much the same thing that I imagined the presenters were likely to be doing.

Still, it's interesting to me to see how many people that contribute to this forum, and likely other forums, seem to find such sources of information (good or bad, maybe) interesting to them. Maybe I've spent too much of my time under a rock and ignoring such offerings, ha, ha. Slainte.

 

[D_W]

I find this whole old revived thread fascinating. It's interesting to me primarily because this subject of YouTube woodworkers/'gurus' (whatever you want to call them), plus blogs on the topic is almost completely unseen by me, yet it discusses in a one-step removed way the subject that has been my way of making a living for many years one way or another, as a designer, maker and educator. I think it is probably an exaggeration to say I've watched as many as ten to twenty woodworking videos on YouTube in the site's lifetime of about sixteen years. Before that you had to get videos on disk or tape, and I seldom watched any of those offerings either.

Yet such videos seem to be of great interest and perhaps learning to many people, as evidenced by the discussion in this thread, and also it seems certain presenters (gurus?) evoke a great deal of passion. In truth, I've never really felt an interest or need to seek skills or inspiration from such videos. It's always seemed to be the case that I'd got other things I'd rather do than spend my spare time watching other people either working with tools or making stuff. Maybe that's because so much of my working time has involved doing pretty much the same thing that I imagined the presenters were likely to be doing.

Still, it's interesting to me to see how many people that contribute to this forum, and likely other forums, seem to find such sources of information (good or bad, maybe) interesting to them. Maybe I've spent too much of my time under a rock and ignoring such offerings, ha, ha. Slainte.

if you're already doing things, you might find some carnival interest in them, but as derek says, you'd probably be more aggravated.

Youtube is a big draw, but it's more or less a way to advertise to direct people somewhere else (sellers) or to create sort of an artificial reality where you can collect sponsors and make at least three different types of sponsorship or link revenue money.

There's not much on it that really looks like going up the ladder to learn about something well, and it's very very difficult to just search and find something good vs. everything else.

an example would be calton knives, the guy started small and shared a lot of information, but he wouldn't quite give up what he was doing to heat treat. there are hundreds of other videos of people heat treating in a forge, but they're often very wrong, and many that tell you it can't be done and you need to use a furnace (which isn't necessarily true).

or you can read a book by a guy named verhoeven that talks about how to do heat treatment well in a forge and (I haven't read it) it sounds like what he advises is pretty close to what you end up doing if you're experimenting. but discussion of it on youtube even if his named is mentioned is generally people not doing what they think they're doing.

does it make a difference? I don't know. Snapping samples and getting steel tested is the only way to know for sure that you're going in the right direction, or testing it yourself. I think people don't like that part, even though it probably saves time in the long run and definitely makes an enormous difference in quality.

 

[raffo]

Probably this one: Metallurgy of Steel for Bladesmiths & Others who Heat Treat and Forge Steel By John D. Verhoeven (2005)

https://archive.org/details/Metallu..._Others_who_Heat_Treat_and_Forge_Steel_By_Joh

 

[D_W]

I think that's the one, yes. mentioned because I've seen it referenced in terms of describing process that can be done by hand to refine grain.

I didn't read them from there, but whoever relayed them did, so good enough for me.

the thermal cycling process we went through with your irons is a slight variation (verhoeven's description of what I've seen referred to as descending heats brings forged grain back into a smaller size).

Descriptions of annealing effectively and manipulating the shapes of carbides also probably originate from there. some of them make a bigger difference in preparing for a furnace cycle, but still - they are things to try for the average person attempting to better a commercial tool in hand.

the items that originate from there are far detached from what you'd see on forged in fire, but a dummy in a garage with two torches, a paint can and some thermal wrap (and parks 50) can do a whole lot using that information. I guess it's sort of the nicholson of garage forge heat treatment.

if someone went through the whole book, managed to master the stuff and actually put it on youtube, it would be very relevant for the small group who wants to do more than Sellers an iron into soft corners. but understanding the bits of it also allows me to say "if you want to do something like that, get starrett O1, heat it until it's not magnetic - do it evenly so that you can't see a difference in color - and then heat one shade lighter as fast as you can and quench in cooking oil and then dip in water". The very first iron I ever did for a bullnose plane was done like that, and it's excellent. I found ways to get not excellent results after that

That doesn't work for everything, but it will work for starrett O1 and probably most quality O1 steels.

YT is lacking this kind of thing, and I wouldn't be the person to get someone to watch it - and in all honesty, most people wouldn't try it, anyway.

 

[Ttrees]

Had a quick look for the angle poise lamp in action,
as it's just one of those must haves,
I tried to search for videos by selecting oldest first, seemingly this option is unavailable, it must be some youtube thing, as Matt Cremona's no horse in that race videos are the same, perhaps I need to get a bit more capable with my youtube skills.

It doesn't help learning one bit, but perhaps I'm just not with it anymore.
Had to search instead for the info.
Just for laughs I took a few screenshots.

Here's an example of bad practice, forgetting about the scrub plane which isn't needed either.
This particular video, actually has some good tips in it, worth noting,
and it's there for folks who want to learn, i.e enough to progress should they not make a mountain range of saw cuts into their bench, and use the saw sensibly.

I think you folks have completely forgotten all of the little things, and are just expecting something new from someone who's primary interest is with newcomers,
and with intermediate newcomers also.
TBH, I would love to see Rob do something different like the older videos.
Yet to see him claim Estlea's belt, which he mentioned didn't go un-noticed.
(that's a fun video to watch)

Just to remind you folks of what I'm talking about,
How ridiculous is this?

Work unsupported causing material deflection, (plane would be coming out of the cut)
Blowing out the edge (important reference whether using winding sticks or the bench)

Not mentioning the rest of the bull either, as it isn't important.
Oi youse watch it, no sniggering at the back!

Just breaking those two rules is a sure road to failure,
and flattening/dimensioning stock is pretty much the first thing you do after rough crosscutting, so yeah it's important,
and it's darn well where the snake oil or delusive folks get a good chunk of their income.

Don't get me wrong, lots of daft things on the internet.
For anyone new to this and wanting to do honest precice work,
I suggest making it easy for yourself.
Rob's video with the few little tips, then Charlesworth's videos for more precision
and then someone who will actually show you how to use a panel plane or smoother
i.e the cap iron
Say from David W, or perhaps a fella Dusty splinters has a few vids on the subject
Hernan Costa, or Mr Chickadee, perhaps Face edge might have a wee video also.

Honestly there's only maybe two or three other folks who you will get this info from,
and everyone else has their head in the sand regarding using a hand plane.
Reasoning one might ask...
pride? doubtful,
financial?, likely.

I see it as a win win when someone can benefit from good advice,
there's no need for only half showing things,
This is where one can stay, or they can progress.
Once one decides their own path, (obviously to better their craft)
they might see what's useless stocking filler,
what's interesting stuff to compare,
and the downright bull which instantly becomes apparent.

Enjoy, who ever ya are, I'm sure there's someone taking notes.
All the best


These lamps used to be cheaper, not many to be found, ebay has teeny ones
if looking new, the dimensions are a scam.
Difficult to find used, but the old ones may be bit larger than below?
which is nice on a longer bench.

See what your doing, or be ignorant forever.
Is it worth the extra fiver?

 

[sammy.se]

You lot should Club together and make "reaction videos" to other woodworkers. I bet you'll get a following (albeit a grumpy bunch ;-))

Like this:

 

[Jorny]

You lot should Club together and make "reaction videos" to other woodworkers. I bet you'll get a following (albeit a grumpy bunch ;-))

Like this:

Funny thing, Sellers divide while Peterson unites!

 

[BearTricks]

I really struggle to find YouTubers I like, but the ones I do like I watch all their stuff. I find I get irritated really easily if I don’t love the presenter but there’s a fine line between dry enough to send me to sleep and too enthusiastic. That said my partner thinks the ones I do like are unbearable.

I find I have a finely tuned ******** detector. If I feel like the presenter is hiding something or is being cagey about ads and sponsors it puts me off. I don’t necessarily care if they have poor technique. I find the best videos aren’t instructional but instead show the problem solving process complete with the failures.

I also find I’m drawn to the flashier production because there’s only so much I can watch of someone taking shavings off a dovetail. Woodwork doesn’t always lend itself to exciting video production so I tend to prefer videos on my other interests such as engineering, or pottery.

Frank Howarth is one whose videos I’ll always watch. Matt Estlea too although his skits don’t always do it for me.

 

[Matress]

couldn't agree more lol

You sound like twitter users.

 

[Jacob]

Had a quick look for the angle poise lamp in action,
as it's just one of those must haves,
I tried to search for videos by selecting oldest first, seemingly this option is unavailable, it must be some youtube thing, as Matt Cremona's no horse in that race videos are the same, perhaps I need to get a bit more capable with my youtube skills.

It doesn't help learning one bit, but perhaps I'm just not with it anymore.
Had to search instead for the info.
Just for laughs I took a few screenshots.
View attachment 149464


Here's an example of bad practice, forgetting about the scrub plane which isn't needed either.
This particular video, actually has some good tips in it, worth noting,
and it's there for folks who want to learn, i.e enough to progress should they not make a mountain range of saw cuts into their bench, and use the saw sensibly.

View attachment 149465

I think you folks have completely forgotten all of the little things, and are just expecting something new from someone who's primary interest is with newcomers,
and with intermediate newcomers also.
TBH, I would love to see Rob do something different like the older videos.
Yet to see him claim Estlea's belt, which he mentioned didn't go un-noticed.
(that's a fun video to watch)

Just to remind you folks of what I'm talking about,
How ridiculous is this?

Work unsupported causing material deflection, (plane would be coming out of the cut)
Blowing out the edge (important reference whether using winding sticks or the bench)
View attachment 149466

Not mentioning the rest of the bull either, as it isn't important.
Oi youse watch it, no sniggering at the back!

Just breaking those two rules is a sure road to failure,
and flattening/dimensioning stock is pretty much the first thing you do after rough crosscutting, so yeah it's important,
and it's darn well where the snake oil or delusive folks get a good chunk of their income.

Don't get me wrong, lots of daft things on the internet.
For anyone new to this and wanting to do honest precice work,
I suggest making it easy for yourself.
Rob's video with the few little tips, then Charlesworth's videos for more precision
and then someone who will actually show you how to use a panel plane or smoother
i.e the cap iron
Say from David W, or perhaps a fella Dusty splinters has a few vids on the subject
Hernan Costa, or Mr Chickadee, perhaps Face edge might have a wee video also.

Honestly there's only maybe two or three other folks who you will get this info from,
and everyone else has their head in the sand regarding using a hand plane.
Reasoning one might ask...
pride? doubtful,
financial?, likely.

I see it as a win win when someone can benefit from good advice,
there's no need for only half showing things,
This is where one can stay, or they can progress.
Once one decides their own path, (obviously to better their craft)
they might see what's useless stocking filler,
what's interesting stuff to compare,
and the downright bull which instantly becomes apparent.

Enjoy, who ever ya are, I'm sure there's someone taking notes.
All the best


These lamps used to be cheaper, not many to be found, ebay has teeny ones
if looking new, the dimensions are a scam.
Difficult to find used, but the old ones may be bit larger than below?
which is nice on a longer bench.

See what your doing, or be ignorant forever.
Is it worth the extra fiver?
View attachment 149467