The New Yankee Worksop

[Southernbuild]

I know this forum leans to the mechanic side, but I know some of you are talented on the woodworking side as well.

I grew up watching The New Yankee Workshop, and in retrospect, Norm Abrams was probably my mentor as much as anyone. In those days, I longed for his shop, and similar machines. Now, I suddenly realized that without thinking of The New Yankee Workshop for years, I've amassed a tool collection to rival it, and exceed it in some ways, due to advances in tools / and the advent of battery powered tools. Still would love the building though! (Still need a bandsaw....)

To bring it full circle, the Producer of The New Yankee Workshop, has started to upload the old episodes to Youtube. Obviously the show was filmed pre-HD, but let the magic take you away, and it's a non issue.

It's inspiring me to once again build something nice out of wood! I've added a lot of capibilies since the last time I did any fine woodworking, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can do this time.

Link to the old episode channel: https://www.youtube.com/@newyankeeworkshop

What was your experience with the show?

 

[mrb1]

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/new-yankee-workshop-on-youtube.509501/

 

[Uncle murph]

I know this forum leans to the mechanic side, but I know some of you are talented on the woodworking side as well.

I grew up watching The New Yankee Workshop, and in retrospect, Norm Abrams was probably my mentor as much as anyone. In those days, I longed for his shop, and similar machines. Now, I suddenly realized that without thinking of The New Yankee Workshop for years, I've amassed a tool collection to rival it, and exceed it in some ways, due to advances in tools / and the advent of battery powered tools. Still would love the building though! (Still need a bandsaw....)

To bring it full circle, the Producer of The New Yankee Workshop, has started to upload the old episodes to Youtube. Obviously the show was filmed pre-HD, but let the magic take you away, and it's a non issue.

It's inspiring me to once again build something nice out of wood! I've added a lot of capibilies since the last time I did any fine woodworking, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can do this time.

Link to the old episode channel: https://www.youtube.com/@newyankeeworkshop

What was your experience with the show?

For the guys who didn’t/couldn’t take woodshop,Norm was a Godsend.He showed how to do it,at least the Abrahms way and got a lot of people started in woodworking.

 

[Southernbuild]

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/new-yankee-workshop-on-youtube.509501/

Guess I don't spend enough time in Free Parking!

 

[Southernbuild]

For the guys who didn’t/couldn’t take woodshop,Norm was a Godsend.He showed how to do it,at least the Abrahms way and got a lot of people started in woodworking.

I'm a proud owner of a biscuit jointer, which I bought with my high school graduation money! Thanks Norm. (I've now got a Festool domino as well). I know people make fun of his biscuit use, but it is a better and cleaner method than the pocket hole craze that were currently in.... And, yes pocket hole jointry is perfect for some applications, just not everything ha

I've always viewed his glue and staple / brad nails to hold it until the glue dries method to by a bit on the rough / site carpentry side of things, but I understand that he had to keep production moving super fast.

 

[yatg]

This Old House did a special on Norm last year called "The House That Norm Built". At the end, he takes down the sign in front of his workshop.

The House That Norm Built

Celebrate with THIS OLD HOUSE’s Norm Abram before he hangs up his toolbelt one last time.

www.pbs.org

 

[Junkdrawer Dog]

Norm and his workshop were ok. Shows what you can do with knowledge, experience and every power tool under the sun. The one I really liked was Roy Underhill and his Woodwright Shop. Much more primitive and more interesting to me. One episode required a file to move to the next stage so Roy stepped over to his blacksmith's station and made a file from scratch. Then he proceeded to make the nails for his project. That's cool stuff to me.

 

[RonnieC]

Uh-oh. The Normite/St. Roy battle rears it’s ugly head.

 

[toolmiser]

Why not like Norm and Roy? Both are woodworkers, and each has a different way of doing things. Nothing wrong with that. I watched both.

 

[John in OH]

Loved The New Yankee Workshop! Yeah, I know he had tons of power tools, but he showed us all what an average want-to-be woodworker could actually accomplish.

Underhill was fun to watch also, but for an average guy working a 40 hr job and raising a family Underhill's techniques were too time consuming and took more skill that I could ever hope to achieve. If Norm's show is now on YouTube, I'll be wasting a lot of time watching and enjoying the nostalgia!

 

[southalabama]

I like Roy but riding a stationary bike to power my tools is a bit much for me or pumping a treadle drill. That said I learned a lot from him. Particularly why different woods were used on various projects.

 

[jar944]

Loved watching NYW when I was younger. Watching now he was a bit brad nailer happy but still a solid show.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

This Old House did a special on Norm last year called "The House That Norm Built". At the end, he takes down the sign in front of his workshop.

The House That Norm Built

Celebrate with THIS OLD HOUSE’s Norm Abram before he hangs up his toolbelt one last time.

www.pbs.org

The retirement show-
I watched it when it aired, it was great to see all the tributes from people throughout the years that knew Norm or were a part of the show. Steve Thomas even made an appearance (probably the best host of the show- TOH).

When my daughter was very young she would watch TOH and NYW with me- she seemed mesmerized. Today, she knows the working end of a hammer- period!

 

[Southernbuild]

Loved The New Yankee Workshop! Yeah, I know he had tons of power tools, but he showed us all what an average want-to-be woodworker could actually accomplish.

Underhill was fun to watch also, but for an average guy working a 40 hr job and raising a family Underhill's techniques were too time consuming and took more skill that I could ever hope to achieve. If Norm's show is now on YouTube, I'll be wasting a lot of time watching and enjoying the nostalgia!

Growing up, he seemed to have a giant tool collection, but looking back now, the first few seasons at least, was definitely in line with the tooling of a well equipped home shop. Later on, his wide belt sander was a bit of an outlier, but mostly he used obtainable equipment.

It is fun / feels more relatable in the early seasons before he had dust collection. I'm a fan of dust collection, but it almost deletes part of the story arc. Seeing the chips build up as he cuts a dado is somehow more intuitive than, the cut appearing and the sawdust being magically removed...

And, I say this as someone that pays the premium for Festool mainly because of the dust collection factor. It's weird, but watching chips accumulate under a router table is much more satisfying that emptying a dust collector lol

 

[jar944]

Growing up, he seemed to have a giant tool collection, but looking back now, the first few seasons at least, was definitely in line with the tooling of a well equipped home shop. Later on, his wide belt sander was a bit of an outlier, but mostly he used obtainable equipment.

He just went from reasonably equipped home shop to a Well equipped home shop. I'd even argue he never made it to a really well equipped home shop even with the WB.

 

[Mike65]

I love the New Yankee Workshop, it is what got me started doing woodworking. I can remember Saturday mornings ny wife &I watching This Old House, New Yankee Workshop, & Hometime on PBS. I am currently setting up a woodworking shop in our basement. I have a miter saw, radial arm saw, table saw, band saw, scroll saw, biscuit jointer, several cordless drill/drivers, several routers, a benchtop drill press, a couple air nailers, a air stapler, small pancake compressor, & several sanders of different types.

 

[PoorUB]

I love the New Yankee Workshop, it is what got me started doing woodworking. I can remember Saturday mornings ny wife &I watching This Old House, New Yankee Workshop, & Hometime on PBS. I am currently setting up a woodworking shop in our basement. I have a miter saw, radial arm saw, table saw, band saw, scroll saw, biscuit jointer, several cordless drill/drivers, several routers, a benchtop drill press, a couple air nailers, a air stapler, small pancake compressor, & several sanders of different types.

I have a friend with a wood shop in his basement. Dust collection is mandatory! He had his work are completely isolated from the house and still got dust everywhere. He even had a separate heating source plus dust collection and an air filter. He finally installed a small exhaust fan and blew some shop air outside. The shop became negative pressure and it stopped dust in the home.

 

[WillyBoy]

I felt the same way as Jar.

Loved watching NYW when I was younger. Watching now he was a bit brad nailer happy but still a solid show.

Norm showed us how to cut a nicely fitted wood joint that needed nothing but glue to hold it, and then with the pressure of having to make multiple copies of the same item for TV production couldn't wait for the glue to set up. So the need to fire the joint full of brads to keep on working. Other wise a great show. Back then I ordered construction plans for some of his projects.

 

[Jackfre]

Norm got me into woodwork. At this point not sure to praise or curse him for it, but that is a personal problem. I recall when he was put on the cover of Fine WW magazine in the early 90’s how the letters to the editor the following month were outraged at desecrating the hallowed tome. Tight ******* I guess. Looking at that from a personal standpoint as I gaze across my shop, Lie Nielsen, Delta, Sawstop, Grizzly, Dewalt, and many many others sure are happy with what he did on that show. IMHO, Norm was ideally suited to the part and he delivered for sponsors, and all of us really. Well done, Norm, and thanks!

 

[RyanE]

I have fond memories of watching both New Yankee Workshop and This Old House with my dad on weekend mornings when I was a kid, for the short period when we had cable TV. Early 90's.

"Biscuit Joinah" and "Porta Cable" lol. I found the accents funny.

Thanks for the flashback! I think I will start watching these on YT.

 

[NUTTSGT]

He always seemed like the down to earth guy that would lend anyone a hand that was willing to learn.

Kind of reminds me of my late Uncle Fritz.

 

[yatg]

Get the book. Got a copy off of ebay a few years ago for $4 including shipping.

 

[Southernbuild]

Get the book. Got a copy off of ebay a few years ago for $4 including shipping.

I'll defiantly check it out!

 

[Mike65]

I have the outdoor projects New Yankee Workshop book.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

I'll defiantly check it out!

Defiantly??? So, you're not a Norm fan?

 

[atch]

Get the book. Got a copy off of ebay a few years ago for $4 including shipping.

I ordered a copy when I first read your post. Amazon and eBay have lots of them. I think I paid $6 +/- for a hardback copy. It's supposed to be here next mid-week. I'm looking forward to it.

b-t-w; we taped "The House That Norm Built" when it first aired. I'll be watching it every year or two.

 

[tipsy]

I ordered a copy when I first read your post. Amazon and eBay have lots of them. I think I paid $6 +/- for a hardback copy. It's supposed to be here next mid-week. I'm looking forward to it.

b-t-w; we taped "The House That Norm Built" when it first aired. I'll be watching it every year or two.

You are fortunate to have taped that. I've been trying to find it to watch but the only way seems to be by subscribing to PBS online for a minimum of $60

 

[Zeus36]

Norm got me into Radial Arm Saws. I took 4 years of wood and metal shop in high school. They had a big DeWalt RAS that used a key lockout but only the seniors were allowed to use it after thorough instruction with the teacher. I used it a few times when I got to be a senior, mostly for crosscuts, but seeing Norm use one on many of his projects renewed my interest. I've restored a couple and have four of them now...but I can stop collecting any time!

 

[cvairwerks]

Met Norm probably 30 years ago at a woodworking convention and show. As down to earth as can be and willing to share his knowledge. At the time, he'd just gotten the chop saw with the laser head and talked about it's advantages, but pointed out that with a little care, you really didn't need it. He had it for time reduction more than anything else.

 

[atch]

You are fortunate to have taped that. I've been trying to find it to watch but the only way seems to be by subscribing to PBS online for a minimum of $60

I've got it on Dish Network DVD/Hopper. Is there a way to download it?

 

[cls89]

New video uploaded. Norm stops by the workshop.

 

[ghnl]

The only issue I have with Norm/TNYW is that my wife demands to know why I can't remodel the kitchen in 30 minutes...

 

[saryon7]

I loved the new yankee workshop. It was an awesome show. Very informative and inspiring. I started watching it 25 years ago and learned a ton. I went on to become a shop teacher and my home shop is very similar to Norms- but a little lot smaller. If the show was still on I would still watch it every week. Thanks for letting us know that they are uploading the show to youtube. I will be sure to show it to the next generation of woodworkers.

 

[8Line]

grew up watching these guys. fantastic flow and expression of information.

 

[evildky]

l also grew up watching this. Was fortunate to meet Norm at a trade show in my 20's. super nice guy, not as big as I imagined.

 

[nadogail]

When I was a young impressionable kid we didn’t yet have television in my city so I got my inspiration from magazines.

Now I have internet and YouTube. Things have definitely been improved.

 

[Ing3018]

Loved watching NYW. Back in the 90's the guys on the old school newsgroup woodworking forums referred to power tool users as "Normites". The hand tool folks called themselves Neanderthals.