Norm Abrahams

[beech1948]

Yesterday, 01:41 PM
I don't recall seeing that anyone mentioned this, but the NYW website is in the process of loading all 21 seasons of episodes up for viewing here:

https://www.newyankee.com/watch/

Looks like they've got about 1/3 of them loaded. Good move, as people will watch and then buy the plans. I actually miss this series, wish they would do a "rewind" with new episodes, at least for one season....

 

[sunnybob]

I wish they would sell electronic plans.
I tried to buy plans last year and the only way they do it is with full sized paper and accompanying instructions.
All well and good, but that makes them more expensive to start with, and in my case means I have to wait three weeks for the postman, and then pay import duty.

 

[Inspector]

Maybe the paper plans are to stop people from sharing the plans freely thus denying Norm his revenue. Most won't/can't scan full size sheets so that limits them from being shared where it's easy with electronic files. Or perhaps Norm just likes doing things old school.

 

[Rorschach]

The paper plans pre-date wide spread internet use I think. The show started in 1989.

 

[sunnybob]

I tried to buy last year.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I tried to buy the last decade.

 

[AndyT]

Bob, Phil,

They do seem to have switched to selling plans as PDFs. They still want a real world delivery address, but it looks like your first wishes have been granted.

Inches only though, I expect... :wink:

 

[Student]

The good news is that the New Yankee Workshop,is back on line.
The bad news is how to find the time to watch all the episodes, 100 hours plus worth? Oh well, winter is coming with long evenings.

I notice, from watching the first couple, that they seem to be sponsored by Festool as there are adverts for the green machines both prior to and during the video. Never mind, for me, it’s an interesting programme to watch. It’s also interesting to see how limited his machinery is in the early episodes compared with the later ones and also the different way of putting over safety information.

 

[rafezetter]

Oh boy, you gave me a fright there, thought I was about to read of his death, which would have ruined my day.

Phew - I personally don't see why the paper plans are an issue, as Inspector said, most people can't scan and or print out full sized plans, unless someone is asking you to build to Norms spec of a piece, the three week wait can't really be a problem, and not even then, if they want his design, they'll just have to wait.

At the risk of stating the obvious, the three weeks Sunnybob, is largely down to the fact you're in Cyprus.

The added cost of import duty is the price we pay for even being able to access overseas stuff previously otherwise inaccessible, or certainly not easily. First world problem to my mind.

I've watched many / most of his episodes and even managed to record quite a few before my HDD / DvD record / writer stopped working - I always seem to get something from them, even re-runs as my understanding of woodworking gets better.

 

[sunnybob]

Yup, I agree, but what do you think the chances of me moving back to the Uk just to get a set of plans are? :roll: :roll: :roll:
each to their own. I have a low patience threshold, bad enough it takes TNT a whole 2 weeks to get a priority package to me from axminster, no way will I wait three to start a new project. (hammer) (hammer)

 

[Harbo]

I wonder if Rockler will start marketing the hardware kits for them again?

Rod

 

[Fergal]

I always remember the episode where Norm made something out of some timber pier supports that had been submerged in seawater for years. The face he pulled when he "tasted" the wood was hilarious.

 

[rafezetter]

I always remember the episode where Norm made something out of some timber pier supports that had been submerged in seawater for years. The face he pulled when he "tasted" the wood was hilarious.

Are you talking about the small occasional table from oak that got pulled out of a demolished river dam from the "mighty Rappahannock river" that had been stained a lovely silver grey all the way through (not the usual surface silvering)? Made a bit of an impression that wood did, as you can tell