Why does Norm do it???

[Anonymous]

Hi all

I still manage to get my Norm fix every morning with my daughter by my side before I leave for work and she catches the school bus.

Well, he makes some lovely stuff and then takes it into the spoiling, sorry, 'finishing' room where he proceeds to flood it with some awful dark coloured stains and ruins the piece.

I got to wondering, why doesn't he like wood when it is paying the rent? :lol: :lol:

Also, does anyone on the forum use stains (particularly hideously dark ones)? if so, why and what don't you like about natural wood?

 

[Geoff]

That was the one and ONLY thing that I liked about building guitars....clear nitro over exotic wood.
I assume some folks just like that look.Why....I don't know.

 

[DomValente]

Suspect it's because the programmes are so old it was still fashionable to use 'browns'.
Or maybe, and this is my preference, Norm is from the darkside and is a member of some evil sect.

Dom

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Probably his prefered way of filling all those awful brad holes
:norm:

 

[wizer]

ah for once we agree on something Tony :lol:

Odd that those Americans have such a wide range of woods and wood products but want to deface them all.

 

[lurker]

I've a confession to make.
I've no idea who this Norm bloke is
OK, so I've worked out who he is, but never seen one of his programmes.
I don't have any murdoch metal and don't intend to get any.

Are his programmes available on UK playable format CDs

 

[MIGNAL]

I think the murky dark brown stain is a stroke of genius by good ol Norm. Ever tried disguising a mistake on Ebony? It's a walk in the park. Try disguising the same type of mistake in Maple and you'll understand why.

 

[Paul Chapman]

does anyone on the forum use stains

I do - but that's because sometimes it's necessary to use them. For example, when you are repairing a piece and you need to match the colour of the existing wood. Another example is making a piece to go into a particular room - say a listed building which has oak beams and dark oak furniture. Sometimes I think using stains can be quite satisfying when you need to get a particular result and you manage to get it just right. In general I prefer natural, unstained wood but sometimes staining simply needs to be done.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

PS I've never seen a Norm programme - have I missed anything??? :lol:

 

[curlywol]

I don't believe anyone remotely interested in woodwork will not appreciate the quality and content of NYW. Ok Norm has the charisma of a sheet of plywood but the production is slick and professional.
UK tv has nothing to compare and is usually more about the presenters than the actual content!
It's about time Discovery aired the latest seasons of the program!
I think I could make that ****** cupola in my sleep :lol:

John

 

[Amateurrestorer]

I still have to use stains if I am restoring furniture, dark was the fashion for hundreds of years so dark is what I do. I have tried to apply a scientific approach but I honestly believe good staining is a dark art,I am not prepared to sell my soul to the devil to perfect the art of turning late Elizabethan into early victorian.

 

[George_N]

I seem to remember a previous thread, long, long ago that asked why he stained everything "Donkey brown" which I thought was a good description. In fairness to Norm though, he often uses antique pieces to base his designs on and they are usually stained dark brown.

 

[misterfish]

Yes, SWMBO, my son and I always comment about Norm finishing his projects with the 'donkey brown' stain.

But having seen other programs about USA homes and furnishings, it seems that dark stained furniture is more popular/in fashion in the States.

We are now two series of Norm behind USA and despite the constant repeats we get, they never show series 5, 6 and 8 as well as two of the double episode projects from series 7.

Looking around the web I have found a few nice individuals that have uploaded some of the episodes of the last two series of NYW - not the best of quality but at least it makes a change from the cupola. In fact my son's greeting comment this morning was "I've seen Norm make that cupola at least four times.

So, come on Real Time, give us the last two series as well as the other ones they never show.

Misterfish

 

[Smudger]

You are right about tastes varying, I think, across the world and through time. I look at a lot of furniture in France, and that tends to be stained dark or mid, especially oak - after all the French for a fine furniture maker is ebeniste! Some of the popular stuff is quite amazing to modern UK tastes, with convoluted decorative carvings and dark finishes. Either that or very cheap pine stuff, imported from somewhere or other. And it used to be the fashion here, even the Arts and Crafts people fumed their oak to darken it. I think Norm is just giving his main audience what it expects.

And, as someone always says in Norm threads, without him people like me would not have got the bug in the first place! And I've just started on the Slope, I think. I've just bought a plane I don't actually need and I can't properly use hand planes yet, and I'm watching a load of hand tools on ebay...

 

[Anonymous]

ah for once we agree on something Tony :lol:

l.

Didn't realise we didn't agree on every thing else :? :lol:

Norm is from the darkside and is a member of some evil sect. Smile

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[wrightclan]

I often use stains, and used appropriately they can accentuate the grain (particularly with coarse-grained woods, such as oak, elm and ash). They can also be used to match existing pieces (as mentioned by a couple of other posters), or to help match or blend individual parts of a project.

Personally, I will always use a light to medium stain with red oak. I don't know what it is, but I hate the colour of red oak on its own. Appropriately done, it can resemble European brown oak, or it can be used to blend well with white oak.

All that said, I do think Norm tends to go way overboard (and I think many other Americans would agree.) His stains are generally so dark, that it hides the grain, as opposed to accentuating it.

Brad

 

[gwaithcoed]

Tony wrote

Also, does anyone on the forum use stains (particularly hideously dark ones)? if so, why and what don't you like about natural wood?
_________________

Yes I do, See my avatar. Why Because I like them and it fits in with the rest of the house which is about 200 years old.

I also love natural wood and when the surrounding allow would always use it.

Alan

 

[Losos]

The only thing I don't like about Norms creations is his use of stains. It maybe because I'm not experienced in using them but like the OP said, after making a fine piece in a quality hardwood, I really can't see the point of covering it all up.

Seems like a lot of work, possible trouble (If the stain is wrong or mixed wrongly) and doesn't look as good at the end.

 

[Bean]

Whilst I do not like stains, I have to admit to finding an emense amount of pleasure in staining a piece of furniture to match existing pieces in a room. It is almost like a battle of wits between you the existing stuff and a collection of stains 8)
Whilst it was not to my taste, I was not living with it or paying for it

So I guess I am in the "they have thier uses camp"

 

[brianhabby]

So, come on Real Time, give us the last two series as well as the other ones they never show.
Misterfish

Not much point asking Discovery to show anything. People have tried and tried but they simply take no notice whatsoever of their viewers wishes.

Check out this thread and you'll see what I mean. https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14122&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

But if you're a fisherman . . . well then

regards

Brian

 

[misterfish]

But if you're a fisherman . . . well then

No, no, no, no, no.. arghhh - perish the thought!!!

The "name" derives from an old family in-joke started many years ago by my younger son!

In my younger days I did try fishing a few times - in the river and at the seaside, but all I got was cold, wet, miserable, bored and nil excitement.

As for NYW, I've been monitoring for some time the total lack of interest and response from RT about Norm.

Also, I see that tomorrow is a new month and that the fishing month on RT Extra should finish, but looking at the EPG it looks like the fishing continues ad nauseam. I was hoping we'd be back to Tuesday being NYW day!

MisterFish (I also react to Monsieur Poisson - courtesy of my younger son!)