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Friday, February 8, 2013

Lancelot Link - I mean that's a lot of links!


Over the years I’ve really come to appreciate the massive growth in woodworking information available online.  It’s so easy to reference several forums that have over a decade of history and an established membership of knowledgeable woodworkers to tap into.  There are thousands and thousands of hours of videos out there on You Tube or at dedicated woodworking sites.  (View with caution and use your best judgment in determining which of these videos are useful and credible.  Consider the source as well as the reputation and body of work of the presenter when accepting online instruction.)

For any of you newer woodworkers hunting around the web for some good online resources, allow me to share some of my favorites that have offered me good instruction, valuable advice and a lot of inspiration.

My favorite online forums include…


www.woodtalkonline.com  The Wood Talk forum over at The Wood Whisperer’s site (Marc Spagnuolo)

www.lumberjocks.com  A real one stop shop for discussion, videos, blog posts and project portfolios, plus an entire online nation of really great folks.


I also like to check out what some of my fellow woodworkers are doing in other parts of the world.

www.ukworkshop.co.uk  The UK Workshop.  There’s some amazing work being done on the other side of the pond!  These guys are also very design-savvy and have a wicked sense of humor.

www.woodworkforums.com   Woodworking Australia’s online forum.  These guys have been around for a long time, and there is something for everyone.  Browse the different forums to key in on the type of woodworking or projects you’re most interested in.

For excellent video content be sure to check out…

www.thewoodwhisperer.com  Marc does a great job presenting on a wide variety of woodworking topics…and he has been known to wear some of his wife’s clothes from time to time.  He also offers a guild membership with tons of video content, instruction, live chats, interviews and the resources needed to build some pretty amazing projects.

www.finewoodworking.com  They’re not just a magazine anymore!  These guys offer tons of video content, free of charge as well as an expanded set of resources for online subscribers.

www.mattsbasementworkshop.com  Matt Vanderlist is considered the godfather of online woodworking podcast and videos.  Project builds, tool reviews, interviews…all kinds of great stuff can be found down in Matt’s basement in Michigan!

www.woodworkingformeremortals.com  One of my all-time faves!  Steve is a down-to-earth guy out in his garage shop building projects, trying new things and sharing his experiences in his own unique and entertaining style.  Danger Boy and I hit Steve’s site every Saturday morning to check out his latest offering.  We usually end up re-watching one or two of our past favorites as well.

For those of you who enjoy a good podcast, there are several strong offerings out there.  I really enjoy listening to these audio contributions down in my own shop.  They’re great to listen to after the boys have gone to bed and it’s too late to run any of the bigger machinery.

www.woodtalkshow.com  Just when you thought you couldn’t get enough Marc Spagnuolo and Matt Vaderlist…you’ve now got a weekly podcast with the guys every Wednesday.  Shannon Rogers of the Hand Tool School joins the guys to round out the crew, making them a team with incredibly comprehensive knowledge and a wide range of woodworking acumen.  Always a great show.

www.shoptalklive.com  Fine Woodworking’s bi-weekly podcast featuring several of the magazine’s editorial staff, plus a few highly respected guests from time to time.  The guys did an outstanding interview with Mira Nakashima (woodworking great George Nakashima’s daughter) a while back that is just outright fascinating.  Check them out online or on iTunes.

www.modernwoodworkersassociation.com  A great resource and podcast by a group of guys dedicated to expanding the woodworking community and spreading the love of this wonderful craft.  I’ve mentioned these guys in previous posts, and they’re a regular online visit for me.  I will rib them about not being as consistent with their podcasts, only because I want to hear more!  The guys all have day jobs and families, so we’ll try to cut them a little slack…only a little though!

So those are some of my favorite online haunts.  I could go on, but this is a great list to get started with.  From these sites you’ll find links to may other online resources as well as the websites and blogs of hundreds of other woodworkers out there publishing a plethora of fantastic content.  My mind is even racing right now…must…fight…urge to list…another…hundred or so links…in this post!

Now stop monkeying around!  Don't be a C.H.U.M.P. be a chimp...I mean champ!  Get out there and Get Woodworking!

Pete
 

1 comment:

Joseph said...

Thank you for sharing these woodwork forums! I will check them out for carpentry advice!