Had TOH offered the Generation Next apprenticeships 20+ years ago, I would have jumped at the opportunity to spend a few months working alongside these master craftsmen. They've been a great example of the skill and hard work it takes to do things the right way and turn a busted old house into a beautiful home.
This Old House: The Rare Home-Improvement Show That Spotlights Skilled Workers
21–30 of 132 posts
Re: This Old House: The Rare Home-Improvement Show That Spotlights Skilled Workers
#22I love watching their youtube channel for the comments. So many things they do aren't up to code depending on location and it's amazing to see what is kosher and what isn't just depending on where the house is.
Re: This Old House: The Rare Home-Improvement Show That Spotlights Skilled Workers
#23I still watch the show and as I'm closing on my first house this week I am more dedicated to watching it. However, for a long time they have done these super expensive houses with cutting edge techniques that don't really reflect the homes of most homeowners or the techniques available to most (the current house is a midcentury modern house with EIGHT different sets of stairs.)
They have recently done more modest homes in Detroit and Charleston but even then they did two houses at a time which meant they were more superficial than I would like. Ask This Old House is more my speed.
Re: This Old House: The Rare Home-Improvement Show That Spotlights Skilled Workers
#24It's a great show, sort of the housebuilding equivalent of "How It's Made". One of the problems with the various HGTV shows is that they tend entirely gloss over the nature of the work that's actually performed. Plus, you got to love those Boston/Massachusetts accents.
Another gem from that area on PBS is Rough Cut with Tommy Mac. It kind of makes you want to quit your job and just build furniture, but I love that he tends to go into the weeds of the little tricks and techniques.
The Woodwright's Shop (https://www.woodwrightschool.com/): he's been doing this for longer than I've been alive, he's in freakin' great shape, and he has the sharpest tools known to man.
[Edit: Holy poop! "BlockChain Implementation w/ Roy Underhill" (https://www.woodwrightschool.com/classes/blockchain-implemen...).
Hometime (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hometime_(U.S._TV_series)) with Dean Johnson and (as the Dianne and I liked to joke) this season's TV wife.
Re: This Old House: The Rare Home-Improvement Show That Spotlights Skilled Workers
#25The intellectual successor to This Old House's take on the entertainment potential of skilled craftsmanship probably isn't drama-filled reality TV, but rather YouTube channels like that of Paul Sellers. My drama-detesting father-in-law and his grandchildren watch those videos all day long to appreciate the craftsmanship, learning opportunities, and creativity of final products. I don't feel particularly concerned by…
Agree so much with this. Frank Howarth, Abom79, This Old Tony, Welding Tips and Tricks, Jimmy DiResta, Stumpy Nubs, Stefan Gotteswinter - there's so much great content like this on youtube. TV was never a great place for craft because it has to serve a general audience. Youtube has so much niche specific content with pretty great production values.
Wow you named almost every channel I pay attention to. I would add Matt Cremona, AvE, NYCCNC and April Wilkerson.
I listen to the Welding Tips and Tricks podcast that features a 60 year old from Alabama (Hi It's Jody from Welding Tips and Tricks) talking to two guys in rural Ohio. They regularly mention how Instagram in particular has encouraged friendly competition amongst welders. Whereas previously a great welder would only be known to the 20 guys in his shop, now he can post those intricate welds on Instagram and people countrywide try to emulate that technique. The maker community is positive, kind and encouraging. For all the negativity swirling around social media, it is nice to see it used in positive ways to unite people.
Re: This Old House: The Rare Home-Improvement Show That Spotlights Skilled Workers
#26I love watching their youtube channel for the comments. So many things they do aren't up to code depending on location and it's amazing to see what is kosher and what isn't just depending on where the house is.
I really hate the "code worshipers" that pop up in the comments on everything building related.
You give someone advice on how to do something and then a million assholes take it as their opportunity to butt in with some comment that usually start with "well actually". They're all just virtue signaling to each other about how much they know the code. Like, screw you. I told OP how to replace his water heater. If the old didn't fill his house with CO then the new one won't either assuming he does a straight swap. Trying to give practical advice is such a pain in the ass.
Re: This Old House: The Rare Home-Improvement Show That Spotlights Skilled Workers
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agree so much with this. Frank Howarth, Abom79, This Old Tony, Welding Tips and Tricks, Jimmy DiResta, Stumpy Nubs, Stefan Gotteswinter - there's so much great content like this on youtube. TV was never a great place for craft because it has to serve a general audience. Youtube has so much niche specific content with pretty great production values.
Wow you named almost every channel I pay attention to. I would add Matt Cremona, AvE, NYCCNC and April Wilkerson. I listen to the Welding Tips and Tricks podcast that features a 60 year old from Alabama (Hi It's Jody from Welding Tips and Tricks) talking to two guys in rural Ohio. They regularly mention how Instagram in particular has encouraged friendly competition amongst welders. Whereas previously a great welder…
Yeah, those channels are all on my list. How could I forget NYCCNC? He's taught me so much. I grew up with a pretty hands on education in basics of mechanics and woodworking, but youtube and web forums have made it possible for me to self-teach the CNC, Machining, and Woodworking hobby at pretty much any level I want to engage with it. There's always a video for what you want.
Re: This Old House: The Rare Home-Improvement Show That Spotlights Skilled Workers
#28I haven't seen This Old House in years. As an apartment-dwelling teenager in the 80's, I watched it every week. My grandfather had been a carpenter and I was amazed at the skill of Bob Vila and Norm Abram, who at first was a peripheral character. The current "reality show" home improvement shows all have the same flaw: no one cares about the actual work; it's all about the fake drama. We used to love the Restoration…
Try "Detroit Muscle", "Truck Tech" and "Extreme Off Road". They show how to customize/restore cars without any drama. Just straightforward exposition.
Re: This Old House: The Rare Home-Improvement Show That Spotlights Skilled Workers
#29The intellectual successor to This Old House's take on the entertainment potential of skilled craftsmanship probably isn't drama-filled reality TV, but rather YouTube channels like that of Paul Sellers. My drama-detesting father-in-law and his grandchildren watch those videos all day long to appreciate the craftsmanship, learning opportunities, and creativity of final products. I don't feel particularly concerned by…
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Re: This Old House: The Rare Home-Improvement Show That Spotlights Skilled Workers
#30I love watching their youtube channel for the comments. So many things they do aren't up to code depending on location and it's amazing to see what is kosher and what isn't just depending on where the house is.
I really hate the "code worshipers" that pop up in the comments on everything building related. You give someone advice on how to do something and then a million assholes take it as their opportunity to butt in with some comment that usually start with "well actually". They're all just virtue signaling to each other about how much they know the code. Like, screw you. I told OP how to replace his water heater. If the…
On the one hand, yeah, it's annoying. On the other hand though, if a piece of advice is wrong, it's wrong. It's not really a great idea to just ignore the building code when it doesn't suit you. There's a real problem in some parts of the internet where people with a superficial understanding of the problem space offer advice as if they were experts, and it needs to be pushed back against when those people offer bad advice.