WGBH Returns to Woodworking
Most woodworkers followed Norm Abram at New Yankee Workshop and you know how fast the word of his retirement spread across the woodworking community. It was a sad day indeed. The fact that WGBH,
Boston’s public television station, no longer has a woodworking show on air is something we have to accept … or do we? It seems New England’s most prolific PBS affiliate has a new show in the works. An announcement was made at
the New England Home Show this past weekend (Feb. 25-28, 2010). While the show's title has yet
to be determined, the host has been named.
The woodworker who will take the mallet in hand is Thomas J. MacDonald. You may know
him as T-Chisel, or the driving force behind the 207 Woodworking
Community. MacDonald studied carpentry at the Blue Hills
Technical High School in Canton, Mass. After joining the
Carpenters Union and earning a journeyman’s certificate, he ventured to
Boston’s North End and studied at the North Bennet Street School (NBSS).
MacDonald
displayed his furniture-making talent while at NBSS when he reproduced a
Salem, Mass., secretary during his second year. It was about
then that Bob Vila profiled MacDonald on his
television show, while Vila was visiting the school. In 2002, MacDonald graduated from NBSS and has been
active in woodworking ever since. So what’s the show going
to be? We interviewed MacDonald this morning and according to him – and he emphasized that things may
change – the show is all about the woodworking community. He stated more
than a few times during our conversation that he’s interested in
getting woodworkers inspired. As for the show, one idea
he envisions would be a visit to a museum to meet with a curator and
focus the conversation on a specific piece of furniture – or maybe one
aspect of that piece, say a ball-and-claw foot. Back in
the studio – and this next part is way cool – MacDonald hopes to have a highly skilled
woodworker demonstrate that aspect (carve a foot) in front of a live
audience – a live audience! He then added that it would be great to pull
an audience member on stage to also work on the technique while guided by the expert. Museums and other great places to
visit, fantastic furniture, skilled craftsmen and hands-on
demonstrations. We’re all for it. I’m sure more
information will surface during the coming days and weeks. As it does,
we’ll post it here. Stay tuned. In the meantime, below is the New
England Home Show video announcement. — Glen D. Huey
Read other entries by Glen D. Huey
Tuesday, March 02, 2010 1:16:36 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00) 
|